A Traditional Thanksgiving Recipe

[To allow the staff of the Clarke to enjoy these recipes and other favorites, we will be closed Thursday, November 26, Friday, November 27, and Saturday, November 28. We will we return to our regular hours of operation Monday, November 30.]

A Traditional Thanksgiving Recipe

by Frank Boles

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, some may be searching for inspiration for their feast. Instead of pondering the latest trends in the magazines and on TV, we decided to take a look back at some traditional recipes found in the vast collection of cookbooks on the Clarke's shelves.

In the nineteenth century, Dr. Chase’s Recipes was America’s most published cookbook. An almanac that included all sorts of information including recipes, the book was published in Ann Arbor for more than a half-century. With over four million copies sold, the publisher claimed that the only book in wider circulation was the Bible.

Dr. Chase's Third, Last and Complete Receipt Book was published in 1909. His recipe for roast turkey is found below, along with his trademark writing style used to describe differing recipes for stuffing:

“Some people stew and chop the giblets before hand and mix them into the dressing. Each can suit herself, in this free country; and a good many also, as well as the author, like quite a sprinkling of cayenne pepper in the dressing, as it seems to remove a peculiar fresh smell coming from the inside of the turkey.”

Click image for a larger version

If, by chance, you’ve grown tired of the traditional roasted turkey, but think a turkey fryer may not be the way to go, the good doctor offered an English recipe to boil the bird and serve it with a sauce named “golden rain,” which is a cream sauce that included hard boil eggs, from which came the “golden” color.

We hope you enjoy the holiday, and if you do try one of Dr. Chase's receipts (as he called his recipes) send us an e-mail and tell us how it worked out – particularly “golden rain.”

Click image for a larger version

4th of July and Michigan Cookbooks

[the Clarke Historical Library with be closed on Friday, July 3 in observance of the Independence Day Holiday. We will resume normal hours Monday, July 6.]

4th of July and Michigan Cookbooks

by Bryan Whitledge and Casey Gamble

The Fourth of July is a wonderful American holiday. Michiganders like to think we have a little more fun on Independence day seeing that we tend to have milder July temperatures and thousands of beautiful lakes where people can enjoy the long weekend. Whether people celebrate with fun Independence Day traditions like watching the fireworks festival in Bay City, attending the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, or just staying home and enjoying the company of friends and family, food - and usually the variety cooked on a grill - is part of the celebration.

Here at the Clarke, holidays that feature good food hold a special place because of our vast holdings of Michigan cookbooks. And it happens that 1976 was a big year for Independence Day cookbooks in honor of Bicentennial celebrations. Communities across the state, including Hillsdale, Jonesville, and Morrice created Bicentennial cookbooks that are in the holdings of the Clarke. Some of the recipes included in the Bicentennial cookbooks are from former US first ladies and the first ladies of all of the states in 1976. For instance, in the Morrice cookbook there are recipes for Martha Jefferson's Monticello dressing and Helen Milliken's Cheesecake. And of course, there were favorite dishes of Morrice residents included like the lemon drops of Margaret Kittle (click on the images of the recipes for an enlarged view).

But on the Fourth of July, most people think about the smell of charcoal and the sizzle of the grill. That's where BBQ Cooking by John Farris of Lansing, Michigan comes in handy. It includes the usual fare - grilled meats, marinades, and the accompanying sides and salads. But it also has some dessert ideas on the grill including skewered pound cakes with dipping sauces and fruit kabobs.

Whether you travel, stay at home, go to a fireworks show, or enjoy an afternoon baseball game, the Clarke wishes you a happy Fourth of July. May it be filled with great food and beverages shared with family and friends.

We Said They Were Good, Not Good for You!

[editor's note: The Clarke Historical Library has returned from the winter recess. We are open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. We will be open Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm beginning Saturday, January 18.]

by Frank Boles

In the spirit of the winter season, here are a few recipes for historic treats from the Maureen Hathaway cookbook collection. Please note, the use of these recipes is the sole responsibility of the reader – don’t complain to us if after eating too many of these goodies you put on a few pounds. We all know anything with this much sugar and butter in it is not health food!

Gingerbread is among the most enduring of winter treats. The sweet traces it’s origins back to the Crusades, although gingerbread as we think of it is more the creation of Victorian England. This recipe dates to that time, coming from the Alma College Cookbook of 1948, and submitted by Mrs. Charles Zellermayer, class of 1910.

Our Favorite Soft Gingerbread

Cream

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 tsp. soda dissolved in 1 cup hot water

Sift together and add

• 2 cups flour (level after being sifted)
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¾ or ½ tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Add last 4 eggs, well beaten

Bake in moderate oven [time and temperature are not specified, most likely because this recipe was first used with a wood-fired stove that lacked a modern temperature control dial – something invented in the early twentieth century for use with contemporary gas-fired or electric ovens.]

Sugar cookies as we enjoy them today trace their origins to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where in the mid-1700s German Protestant settlers created the round, crumbly, buttery sensations. Diane Buttrell offered the following updated recipe for sugar cookies in the United Methodist Women of Port Huron, First United Methodist Church cookbook, published in 1988.

Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup margarine [really, she meant butter]
• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 4.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream margarine and sugars together; add eggs, oil and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes.

Whether you had your share of goodies during the holidays or not, with a little butter and sugar or a nip of sherry to keep out the chill, we think these recipes will help you keep the winter blues away.

Pity the Poor Turkey

Editor's note: The Clarke will be closed Thursday, November 28 through Sunday, December 1 in observance of Thanksgiving (maybe we'll be trying out Glady's turkey casserole recipe). We will open Monday, December 2 with our regular business hours -- Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm) 

Pity the Poor Turkey...OR...A Turkey of a Blog Post

by Frank Boles

A roasted turkey will be the centerpiece of tables across the state on Thanksgiving. Despite being a day most living turkeys dread (if living turkeys think about this sort of thing, or actually think much at all), an examination of the Clarke Historical Library’s Maureen Hathaway Culinary Archives suggests that the turkey which makes it through Thanksgiving is a turkey destined for a happy life.

What February 12, 2013 Means to the Clarke

by Bryan Whitledge and Lindsay Gabriel

Tuesday, February 12 marks two events that the Clarke would like to recognize - President Lincoln's 204th birthday and Paczki Day. Because the two events have not much in common, today's blog posting is a 2-for-1 deal.

First, in recognition of the birthday of our 16th President, we are sharing a greeting signed by President Lincoln and dated April 16, 1862. This autograph is one from a collection of every U. S. President's autographs, which is currently on loan at the Clarke Historical Library.

In addition to this item, the Clarke maintains information related to Abraham Lincoln's only speech on Michigan soil, which took place in Kalamazoo on August 27, 1856. Information ranges from microfilm of historical copies of the Kalamazoo Gazette to reprints of the speech published years after Lincoln's assassination.

The second event that we would like to pay homage to is Fat Tuesday and in Michigan, Fat Tuesday means paczkis. The Clarke has a wealth of resources devoted to both Polish culture in Michigan and Michigan cookbooks. Some of these resources cross and in their pages, one can find information about the paczki. Above is a page from Polish Heritage Cookery by Robert and Maria Strybel explaining paczkis.

For the uninitiated, a paczki is pronounced punch-kee. It is a deep-fried dough pastry filled with a sweet filling. Fat Tuesday is the traditional day to eat this calorie-laden treat, which comes from the Polish Catholic tradition of using up all of the food that would be otherwise forbidden during Lent (lard, butter, sugar, eggs, etc.). No matter one's cultural background, Paczki Day is looked forward to by many Michiganders.

Every day at the Clarke has some historical significance and February 12 of 2013 gives us a great excuse to share some of our favorite things with you.

Holiday Baking with Merry Cookie

by Christa Clare

We recently purchased a cookbook called Merry Cookie! The cookbook compiled and edited by Judith Bosley boasts that it has “one hundred, old, new, luscious, rich, plain, fancy, pretty, buttery Christmas cookies.” Mmmm.. . Just in time for holiday baking!

Did you know that the Clarke Historical Library has over 1300 cookbooks? We have an extensive collection and most of them are from Michigan authors. In 2004, we received a generous collection of cookbooks from a private collector, and we have been actively collecting them ever since.

Stop in the Clarke some time and take a look at some of these wonderful cookbooks.