During the year of Gloucester County’s 325th birthday and the country’s 200th birthday, the 1976 Bicentennial Cookbook was created. For 50 years this book has been used and enjoyed by several generations.

It was impossible to find the one person who could tell how it all began, so we turned to the Gazette-Journal files for the story.

The first article, dated February 19, 1976 by Sue Oliver, asked “Are you patriotic? Are you willing to share your recipes as part of the Gloucester’76 celebration?” She went on to write about recipe categories, rules for contestants. and even included an entry form one could just clip out of the newspaper, fill in, attach recipe and send it in. The article also gave a complete review of what was to come.

May 6, 1976: “Tickets are now available for the Gloucester ’76 Celebration Tasting Spree. Copies of the 184-page cookbook containing 278 recipes will be distributed, one to a family.” Cookbooks could also be obtained by check or money order; adults $3.50; children $1.50 plus 50 cents.

May 13, 1976: This article announced the gala Tasting Spree chaired by Mrs. G. C. Hicks Jr., judging of recipes was held at Gloucester High School from 4-6 p.m. Ticket holders tasted from 6-8 p.m.

May 20, 1976: More than 400 attended the Tasting Spree of more than 250 delicious dishes made from recipes in the Bicentennial Cookbook. Mrs. Frances Sterling served as ticket chairman. Approximately 25 judges announced their decisions. Grand prize and first place in desserts went to Rachael Roy Burnette. Other first-place winners included breads, Esther Washington; vegetables, Mrs. Robert Brown; casseroles; Mrs. W. P. Day, appetizers; Mrs. David A. Evans; salads, Joyce H. Hudgins; youth, Cindy Corr; low calorie, Mary Frances Ballard; and meat entrees, Judith Munday.

According to several of the news releases there were many, many people such as Mrs. Alwayne Claybrook, of the Copper Kettle, Extension Homemakers’ Clubs, and those who bought tickets and books who helped making the book and the tasting such a success and as a big part of Gloucester’s Bicentennial Celebration.

Happy Birthday, 1776 Bicentennial Cookbook 1976.

CELERY DIP
Dale Greene

8-oz. package cream cheese
6 Tbs. salad dressing
2 Tbs. French dressing
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. sugar
2 medium onions, finely chopped
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vinegar

Using mixer, cream cheese, salad dressing and French dressing. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, onions, salt and vinegar and mix well. Refrigerate. Use on celery, carrots or Ritz crackers.

SALLY LUNN
Esther V. Washington

1/3 c. sugar
¼ c. melted shortening
2 beaten eggs
2/3 cake of yeast
2/3 c. milk
2/3 c. cold water
1 tsp. salt
4 c. flour
¼ c. lukewarm water

Soften yeast in the lukewarm water. After measuring the sugar, remove one teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle over yeast. Set aside for yeast to dissolve. Scald milk and then cool to lukewarm temperature. Sift flour and salt and rest of sugar together. Mix shortening, eggs, yeast, milk and water together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Set aside in a warm place and let rise until double in bulk. Stir down the dough and put in greased floured cake pan or muffin tins. Line bottom of cake pan with paper. Again put aside in warm place and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 400℉. For 25 minutes. Increase temperature to 450℉. and finish baking for 10 minutes. Remove immediately from pan and wrap in foil. Let it steam for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with butter. If you make this very old Virginia recipe at 2 p.m., it will be ready for your six o’clock dinner. Serves 25.

APPLE-CRANBERRY SALAD
Margaret Lamberth

1 red apple
1 orange
1 c. whole cranberry sauce
1 small package red Jell-O
1/2 c. chopped nuts
¼ c. chopped celery, optional

Chop or grind the apple, without the core, and remove the pulp from the orange. Add cranberry sauce to chopped apple and orange pulp. Dissolve Jell-O in 1 c. boiling water, add above mixture, the nuts and the celery. Pour into mold and chill. Makes 6-8 servings.

SPLIT PEA SOUP
Minnie R. McFarland

1 lb. dried split peas
2½ quarts water
1 ham hock
½ c. chopped onion
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. sliced carrots
Salt to taste

Cover peas with cold water and soak 12-18 hours in cool place. Drain. Add water, ham hock and vegetables. Bring to boiling. Cover and simmer 2 hours until peas are tender. Remove ham hock, cut meat in small pieces. Press vegetables through a sieve or food mill. Add meat. Add boiling water if necessary for desired consistency. Salt to taste. About 3 quarts.

ESCALLOPED OYSTERS
Mary O. Rowe

½ c. butter
½ c. flour
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. paprika
1 onion, minced
½ green pepper, minced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 quart oysters
¼ c. cracker crumbs

Melt butter; add flour and cook 5 minutes or until light brown. Add salt, pepper, and paprika and cook 3 minutes. Add minced onion and green pepper. Cook slowly for 5 minutes. Take from heat. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and oysters which have been heated in their own liquid. Pour in baking dish and sprinkle with crumbs. Bake at 400℉. For 30 minutes. Yields 8-10 servings.

FISH CAKES
Bessie W. Hogge

1 boiled trout, about 4 pounds
2½ Tbs. chili sauce
1½ Tbs. mustard
1½ Tbs. seafood seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. milk
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove skin and bones from fish. Combine with remaining ingredients and form into patties. Brown on both sides in small amount of oil. Serves 4-5.

CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Bertha Carter

1½ c. spaghetti, uncooked
2 c. cooked diced chicken
¼ c. chopped green pepper
½ c. chopped onion
¼ c. diced pimentos
1 can mushroom soup
1 c. chicken broth
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1¾ c. grated sharp cheese

Cook spaghetti and drain. Mix peppers, onions, pimentos, soup and broth. Then mix in chicken. Add the seasoning and 1½ c. cheese. Mix thoroughly with the cooked spaghetti. Pour into 1½ quart casserole. Sprinkle with the remainder of cheese. Bake at 350℉. for 45 minutes. Serves 5-6.

SQUASH FRITTERS
Cary Franklin

2 c. grated raw summer squash
¼ tsp. grated onion
Pepper to taste
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. flour
2 eggs
2 Tbs. melted butter or margarine

Combine squash, onion, pepper, sugar, salt and flour. Beat eggs and add to squash. Add butter or margarine. Drop by tablespoons onto oiled griddle. Cook until delicate brown. Turn and brown on other side. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

GRASSHOPPER PIE
Janet L. Leigh

12 cream-filled chocolate cookies, crushed
2 Tbs. butter
24 large marshmallows
2/3 c. milk
¼ c. crème de menthe
¼ c. crème de cacao
½ pt. cream, whipped

Mix crushed cookies and melted butter. Press into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Place marshmallows and milk in top of double boiler and heat until melted. Cool. Stir in liqueurs; chill over ice water until partially thickened. Fold in whipped cream. Turn mixture into pie shell and chill several hours or overnight. Can be frozen.

MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE
Rachael Roy Burnette
(Won the Bicentennial Bakeoff in Gloucester)

1 box butter golden cake mix (dry)
½ c. oil
4 eggs
11-oz. can mandarin oranges, with juice

Mix ingredients together with electric mixer. Pour into three well-greased and floured 8-inch round layer pans. Bake at 325℉ for 15-25 minutes.

Icing

3 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix
9-oz. carton Cool Whip
Number 2 cans crushed pineapple, drained (appx. 20 oz.)

Mix ingredients together with a spoon. Spread on cake. Garnish with well-drained mandarin oranges. Store in refrigerator and serve cold.

VANILLA CREAM PUFFS
Anna W. Wilson

Éclair shell
1 c. boiling water
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. butter
1 c. sifted flour
4 eggs

Bring water, salt, butter to boil, add flour all at once and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture leaves sides of pan. Cool. Add eggs. Drop by tablespoonfuls on cookie sheet 1½” apart. Bake at 450℉. For 15 minutes, then reduce to 350℉. Bake 20-25 minutes longer. When cooled, slice bottoms off and fill.

Cream filling

2/3 c. sugar
½ c. flour
½ tsp. salt
2 c. scalded milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, flour and salt, gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Then cook in double boiler 10 minutes. Add eggs. Cook 2 minutes longer. Cool. Add vanilla. Fill éclair shells and replace bottoms. Frost with desired frosting. Makes 12.

OLD-FASHIONED WHITE BREAD
Terri Fanning, Youth Division

1 package yeast
4 c. flour
Pinch salt
1 Tbs. sugar
Ball of Crisco size of egg
1 egg

Dissolve yeast in 2 c. warm water. Beat egg. Mix dissolved yeast, egg, sugar. Add salt to flour. Add to above. Add ball of Crisco. Place in greased loaf pan. Let rise for 1 to 1½ hours. Bake at 350℉. for 25-40 minutes.

The cookbook cover and a timely (for 1976) frontispiece. Do ladies still dress like that to cook?