As one year turned to another in Lucas County during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, New Years Day was the occasion for considerable socializing. Receptions, with both ladies and gentlemen as hosts, were in progress all over Chariton and guests moved via horse and buggy (or on foot) from one house to another to enjoy conversation and light refreshments.
While not new, chafing dishes were enjoying a surge of popularity at the time --- and many a table would have been graced by these contraptions featuring an alcohol burner (or "blazer") below and silver-plated container above, used sometimes merely to keep food warm; at others, to do a little light cooking at the table.
The women of the St. Andrew's Guild, the "ladies aid" of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, recognizing the need for chafing dish ideas, went so far as to include a chapter on the topic in their 1907 cookbook, featuring recipes from members.
This is an interesting book --- there's at least one good copy at St. Andrew's Church and we have one or two at the Lucas County Historical Society Museum --- and the recipes in it still work. I can't guarantee that this was the first church cookbook published in the county, but it certainly was among the earliest.
There's even a page of equivalents --- an aspiring cook may need to know that a "saltspoon" of an ingredient equals one-fourth teaspoon.
If you'd like to examine the recipe book, it's been digitalized by Google Books and may be found here. You can also add it to your collection of e-books or download a PDF. If you'd rather not look it up, but need ideas for your New Years entertaining, here's the chafing dish chapter for your consideration.
This is the second of three St. Andrew's Episcopal Church buildings, completed in 1903 and demolished (because of structural issues) in 1955. The parish's current building is located on Highway 14 North in Chariton.
No comments:
Post a Comment