A Personal Note About the Author

Contents

Thanks, Credits & Dedication

Ordering Info

In 1985 I hired Leanne Dominguez (nee Caluya), right out of high school, for the file clerk position. Leanne is now married and director of the royalty department at Rondor Music. When Leanne and Ed got married, I wrote a beginning cookbook for the newly-weds. It was a great idea and everyone wanted a copy; however, no one could read my handwriting. "If I ever get this thing typed, I'll give it to the church for a fundraiser!" (thinking that would inpsire me). Michelle Amundsen waas totally convince she and Nancy Torgerson could read my handwriting and get this typed. First draft completed. Then a long, wonderful weekend with Suzi and Samantha Bock in Springfield, Oregon completed further editing and story writing. When I decided on the name, Cheir Alley designed a marvelous cover. Dee Thiery typed and re-typed and finally I turned it over to Glenn Schieke, our organist, who made sense of all of the pieces of the puzzle. It was a long, wonderful experience... a little longer than childbirth!

Janet Bruce, a 20 year friend from First Christian Church, gave me a lovely book, "A New System of Domestic Cooker," that had belonged to her mother, Ethel. Ethel was probably one of the most wonderful ladies I have ever known. She was a member of the First Christian Church since 1947 and just recently passed away. Ethel sent me a very clever thank you note (which was so typical of Ethel) which had a recipe from this 1816 cookery book. Several of the recipes are reprinted within this cookbook. It is so wonderful how times have changed and we no longer need to beat cakes for an hour. I have borrowed a portion of the advertisement regarding this book:

"Many recipes are given for things which, being in daily use, the mode of preparing them may be supposed too well known to require a place in a cookery book; yet we rarely meet with butter porperly melted, good toast and water, or well made coffee. She makes no apology for minuteness in some articles, or for leaving others unnoticed, because she does not write for professed cooks. This little work would have been a treasure to herself when she first set out in life, and she therefore hopes it may prove useful to others. In that expectation it is given to the Public; and as she will receive from it no emolument, so she trusts it will escape without censure."

I wish I had said that.

I hope you enjoy the recipes and the stories. I promise you they are all true. Morgan is a great sport and lots of fun... but he did have final review of the stories. I think we passed!

There are a few ingredients that I feel should not be substituted: Tabasco Sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce and Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. however, the fun of cooking is adaptation and experimentation. If you don't like garlic, leave it out. Just don't tell me (I'm just kidding).

Cooking for Morgan and our friends is truly one of the great joys of my life. To create something and then share it with those you love is a blessing. I thank my parent, my relatives and all my friends for allowing me to be so blessed. As a tapestry is a weaving of various colors and materials, so is this book a weaving of love, learning and laughter. May my little cookbook tapestry help you weave your own special tapestry.

Thank you Bob Bock, my friend and pastor, for the tapestry lesson.

"A Cookbook Tapestry" by Lillian Loe Stoddard, Copyright 1996, Beldomar Music. All Rights Reserved.