All the talk of clams over the last few weeks had me digging through my cookbook shelf perusing recipes for the delectable bivalve. I re-read “Great Things by Gerald,” which is always a fun book to read, but also filled with cooking tidbits. Not much on clams though, so I dug deeper into my stash and found a treasure given to me by Lavon Branshaw. (It even has her hand-written notes in there!)
“Cordova’s Cookin’” was compiled by the Ladies Aid Society of the Community Baptist Church in Cordova in 1955. It is a treasure of original recipes with handwritten signatures and a lovely collection of pen and ink drawings of Cordova businesses and scenes around our community.
The recipes are basic, but it is a cookbook full of local flavors like baked king salmon, duck breasts with dressing, and a bunch of salad recipes using everything but the probably difficult to find fresh lettuce!
Here are two of my favorites:
Clam Chowder by Lucille Discher
Peel and dice – 2 large potatoes
Add – 2 medium onions.
Dice and fry – 4 slices of bacon over low heat. Do not brown.
Put together and boil until tender.
Salt to taste.
Add – 2 small or 1 large can mince clams, pepper, parsley, and a dash of tabasco sauce.
Just before serving add 1 can evaporated milk and 1 can boiling water.
Hurry Clam Soup by Anita Cabanilla
Brown 1 clove garlic – crushed in 1 tbs salad oil.
Add: 1 medium onion minced and sauté, 1 can of clams (flat), 1 can of boiling water.
Boil for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and a half tsp Accent (monosodium glutamate). Add a little milk if desired.
