Come September 9 at the Abingdon Ruritan Club at the unveiling of the Guinea Jubilee (and the 2012 poster), the world gets to see and read "The Taste of Guinea." It’s a brand-new cookbook containing 150 recipes from residents, former residents and family members of this historic and unique community. Not only do you get to purchase one of these "must-have" cookbooks, you’ll also get to taste Apple Dip, Crab Spread, Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball, Garden Bars, homemade ice cream and punch, to mention a few dishes, all recipes found in "The Taste of Guinea."

Melissa Ashe, one of the newest members of the Jubilee committee, has served as chairman. Her experience in having helped to produce her church’s cookbook made her the ideal person to know just how important it is to preserve the recipes, before they are gone forever. Those recipes, enjoyed over the many years, were enhanced by the good cooking only Guinea residents knew how to do. And with this almost-ready-for-sale book, "we’re requesting others to please submit their family recipes at this Jubilee for another volume, which will be part of our 35th celebration," Melissa said. "We want to honor the many generations of Guinea cooks."

But Melissa is quick to give a great deal of the credit for the work required for publication to Della Grinnell. "Della really pushed to get all of these recipes and it’s all been done in less than one year; and then she did all the typing."

Melissa and Della are both from the beloved Guinea region. Della was born and reared in the lower end of Guinea. Melissa’s grandparents lived in Guinea and she recalls many happy times spent with them. "Going riding with my grandfather while he pointed out places he visited in earlier years where they had pigs, big gardens, chickens and all those things that went with the time. It was a lot of fun and good memories for me."

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