Recently, I pulled out my small collection of Hollis community cookbooks and began turning the pages. It was like stepping back in time. These endearing books were created by Hollis community groups as fundraisers and sold at various festivals and Old Home Days celebrations. Each book is a collection of tried-and-true family favorites, potluck specialties, and social hour regulars. The recipes provide a peek into a place and a time like a culinary historical record. Ingredient lists, cooking instructions, and recipe themes all tell part of a larger story about the times in which the recipes were created and give a glimpse into the lives of the home cooks who filled the pages with their favorite recipes.
As I turned the pages of these modest little books, I recognized recipes I have tasted at potluck dinners and club social hours. I see names that are memorialized on street signs and in stories often shared at club meetings over coffee-hour pastries. I love seeing the names of the ladies who have played a quiet part in Hollis’s history and in my life since we moved here in 1999. These ladies, neighbors, and friends nourished their families, shared their wisdom of cooking and life, and created a delicious record for us all to savor. I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I do.
Liz
As I turned the pages of these modest little books, I recognized recipes I have tasted at potluck dinners and club social hours. I see names that are memorialized on street signs and in stories often shared at club meetings over coffee-hour pastries. I love seeing the names of the ladies who have played a quiet part in Hollis’s history and in my life since we moved here in 1999. These ladies, neighbors, and friends nourished their families, shared their wisdom of cooking and life, and created a delicious record for us all to savor. I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I do.
Liz
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