The First State, First Lady’s Recipe Book

The First State, First Lady’s Recipe Book 1975 “This book made possible by a grant from Home Federal Savings and Loan Association” copyright Delaware Association of Lawyers’ Wives

The introduction thanks the women of Delaware for submitting recipes for the book. They are credited by name. My copy is signed by the “honorary editor” the First Lady of Delaware Jeanne W. Tribbitt. She shared her recipe for Seafood Newburg. Her letter states that all of the recipes have been tested by the friends and families of the “chef” (I assume the contributors) and will not disappoint. She also mentions that the Delaware Association of Lawyers’ Wives assembled the book.

The book cover is one of the odder, blander covers I’ve come across; rather than a drawing or photograph of food or people, it’s a photograph of a table in the Governor’s House.

There are some pages of Delaware’s historical locations between each section with photographs. There is a section of “special recipes” from politicians and their wives including Betty Ford’s Liver Deluxe and Happy Rockefeller’s New York State Flat Apple Pie and Kitty Dukakis’ Special Sauce for Fruit.

There is a sizable beverage section including Mrs. Henry Johnson Ridgely’s Ginger Beer which has a note stating it’s particularly appropriate during an energy shortage. Mrs. Peggy Harmon Ender shared her Nasturtium Sandwich recipe. There is a massive amount of desserts from Mrs. Elnora Schweiger’s Old Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Meringue to Annamae’s Forgotten Cookies from Mrs. Hart Mankin.

I adapted Patricia A. Brown’s Squash Fritters recipe from this cookbook.