Evening star., 1940-03-11
The Browns
Cover the
Nation
America Cooks Is
Volume of Recipes
From 48 States
BY BETSY CASWELL,
Woman's Editor.

Woman's Editor.
Riding high on the wave of
regional cookbooks that has been
sweeping the country, comes the
latest volume from the hands of the
indefatigable Browns-Cora, Rose
and Bob. This busy trio has con-
tributed so many interesting books
to our culinary library, that it seems
that they must have covered every
field, after the publication of each
one. But no-they always have a
new surprise up their collective
sleeves, and before long another
brain child finds its way to the
admiring reviewers desk.
America Cooks plump volume
of nearly 1000 pages, published
by w. W. Norton S5 Co. of New
York, contains recipes from 48
States and the District of Columbia
The Browns have roamed far and
wide throughout our great land,
and have compressed within the
books washable blue covers the
choicest culinary items representa-
tive of each section. AS a COM
pendulum of real American cooking.
the book attains the distinction of
being an encyclopedia and refer
ence book of value to all interested
in the eating habits and preferences
of nation.
1t is always fascinating to see our
own home town or region discussed
from some one else's point
of view; therefore I first
turned to the section CIV
ing recipes from the District OF
Columbia. We are, it seems, noted
for our oysters, Potomac shad.
senators and lobbyists! The last
two come into the scope of the book
because of the fact that they have
brought the cooking of their own
States to the capital and therefore
Washington menus are, in way, a
melting pot for the regional recipes
and dishes of the rest of the United
States.
The Browns present, as particu-
larly Washingtonian, recipes Tor
"Dolly Madison Cake" washing
ton Pie" Boiled Fish, a White
House Dish" Little Washington
Stewed Chicken" Martha Wash
ington Bonbons," Mrs. President
McKinley's Omelet' and -Four
popular recipes from Nashington's
Hotel Benedick."
And that is all to the personal
credit of the District of Columbia.
Although the Browns state that
natives of the small District of
Columbia dote on shad" they do not
include one single recipe for that
delicacy in the District section.
Baked Shad"> appears under South
Cardinals banner; planked shad is
credited to New Jersey. Pennsyl-
vania and Maryland. Connecticut
claims broiled shad, and New Jersey
broiled shad roe.
This is a little bit hard to take.
Although the Browns point out that
Washingtonians use many of the
Maryland and Virginia recipes in
their cooking, it does seem sad that
we can't even attain culinary dis
tinction with our very own shad
and shad roe! Granted that the be-
loved breakfast of herring roe and
hominy grits may have been origi-
nally a Virginia custom, granted
that Maryland claims crab imperial
and terrapin-although we manage
to produce all of them with subtle
difference all our own-we could, at
least, have been left our shad!
I'm afraid the Browns have dis
missed the District of Columbia too
lightly. They have acted on the
premise that, being the Capital, we
simply absorb and reflect the GUS
toms of other sections of the coun-
try. But, had they only known,
there is Washington that is city
of its own-unaffected by the ebb
and flow of congressman, diplomats
and visiting fremen. Behind old
Georgetown doors, encompassed
within vine-covered walls on quiet
streets, those known irreverently as
"cave dwellers" pursue the even
tenor of their ways. And it is there
that Washington's real culinary ira
dition is upheld and firmed.
However, despite this cavalier
treatment of the District of Colum-
bia which gets in my hair, America
Cooks" is fine book, and an inter-
esting one. And, after all, contro-
versies have always been fun!