Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Maryland

...this book is a culinary and historic gem. I am fortunate enough to own a first edition of this highly entertaining collection of recipes and folklore, not to mention the copious illustrations, and believe me, I don't keep in the kitchen with the workaday cookbooks! It is my personal favorite among my many books about food (which are different than cookbooks) Yes, it is surely politically incorrect, but that's the way it was, and we can't change history. Those of us who delight in the wonders of Maryland ccoking and the eccentricities of the Maryland (Baltimore) personality will be higly rewarded. And the recipes are good, too! To quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, to whom Stieff dedicated his book, "Baltimore...the gastronomic metropolitis of the Union... Why don't you put a canvas-back duck on top of the Washington column?...Why ask for other glories when you have soft crabs?..." Any lover of culinary lore will treasure this work.

I can't believe that this book is coming out in reprint. This is a marvelous look at the food of Maryland in the 1930's. From this, however, some of the foods to be found in here - like terrapin (turtle) - are not to be found in the Maryland restaurants today, but some - like the Crab Cakes Baltimore - are made just as they are nowadays. I lived in Maryland for 20 years and reading these recipes gives me fond rememberences. These recipes were gathered by Stieff by talking to people he met in his travels and writing down what they had to say. These were never published before, and hence are an important historical document from the times. The reason I can't believe this book is being reprinted is that it would never pass the politically correct standards of the '90's if being printed as a new book. It (at least the original hardcover edition) is printed with cartoons to make it entertaining to read. Here's 3 of them: (Picture of an old woman talking to a fish merchant at his counter) Woman: "I don't like the looks of this 'ere 'addock." Merchant: "Well, if it's looks ye're after, lydy, ye'd do better by the goldfish !" (Picture of an old black gentleman in glasses and a beard) Man: "Chickens, suh, am de usefulles' animal dey is. Yo' can et dem befo' dey's born and after dey's daid". (Picture of a middle aged black woman with a corn cob pipe talking to a black preacher) "Parshon, Ah'd like to kill dat low-down husban' o' mine." "Why, Car'line, what he done ?" "Done ? Why, dat hunk o' black trash lef' de chicken-house do' open and all de chickens has gone." "Why, Car'line, dat ain't nothing to get worried about. Don't you know dat accordin' to de gospel of Luke and John dat 'Chickens Come Home to Roos'!' " "Come home ! Why, Parson, dose chickens'll go home." I know this is authentic because this is exactly how my grandfather used to talk. In spite of, or maybe because of, this down homeness, I still love this book. The recipes are authentic and good, and reading it will send you back to the time of the 30's. Just remember to take a deep breath before re-entering the '90's