She grew up in a family of good cooks and made her first cake at 10 years old. By 12, Susan Brooks Adams was cooking dinner for the family when her mother and daddy were out delivering. “She would let me know what she had in mind and I would prepare it by the time they got home. I was even frying chicken, but I had an aunt (Mary Brooks Weaver) who lived close by and I could always call on her if needed.”

Susan says she learned about cooking from her mother and father, and her grandmother, Grace Callis. “My father (Elwood Callis) taught me how to cook eggs because my mother was allergic to them. He was a good cook and a master of many talents. As a child I spent a lot of time outdoors watching him work. He believed in repairing if you could. If necessary today, I think I could sharpen a saw and I did repair my washing machine with a new switch. When Edgar and I were married, my mother-in-law didn’t have to teach me like she did her other daughter-in-law. I had already learned.”

When Susan’s mother (Catherine Callis Brooks) operated The Craftsman Shop at Mathews Court House, Susan was with her. To her cooking talent Susan added a professional talent of creative sewing and interior design. When her mother retired in 1999, Susan continued a business of her own offering service as an interior decorator. Today she still keeps her hands busy by repairing and making new uniforms along with designing and making aprons for the Jefferson Restaurant in Williamsburg.

With many of Susan’s family deceased, she is truly the matriarch of the family. “We used to have two Christmas dinings, one Christmas Eve and one Christmas Day. We only have one now and it’s held at our home. Appears the serving area is a little larger than some. My great-niece Katelyn Matthews spent some time with me, learning to cook and would come on Christmas Eve, spend the night and help me prepare the family Christmas dinner.”

For this year’s celebration Susan wanted to make something special for the first time—mincemeat. When the recipe called for green tomatoes (“no such thing this time of the year”), that did not deter Susan. She looked up what would be a good substitute and found tomatillos were the answer. “It worked. My mincemeat turned out fine.” In preparing other dishes for the holiday feast, Susan relied on several of Grandmother Callis’s recipes like fruit cake and candied yams.

With a large collection of family favorite recipes on hand, Susan has created and published two cookbooks, “The Grace Richardson Callis Cookbook” and “Brooks, Callis and Richardson Family’s Favorite Recipes.” They are available at the Mathews Visitor and Information Center.

OYSTER DRESSING

1 bag and half Pepperidge Farm seasoned dressing
1 qt. oysters, juice and all
½ c. diced celery
½ c. diced onion

Mix together. Add enough hot water, approximately 1 to 1½ c. (“I prefer making this a day before.”) Next day cook at 350°F. until bubbly.

FRUIT SALAD

2 c. chopped apples
2 c. chopped Bartlett pears
2 navel oranges, peeled and sliced
2 bananas, sliced
1 c. raisins
1 bag of small marshmallows
1 jar Maraschino cherries, sliced in half
½ c. unsweetened coconut
¼ c. each pecans and walnuts
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. lemon juice
4 Tbs. sugar

Mix fruits and nuts together and then mix in dressing. Let stand at least overnight.

GREEN TOMATO MINCEMEAT

2 lb. green tomatoes (tomatillos)
3 lb. tart cooking apples
1½ lb. seedless raisins
1 2/3 lb. light brown sugar or 3¾ c. firmly packed
3½ tsp. salt
¾ c. cider vinegar
4 oz. suet (¾ c. finely chopped)
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Choose tomatoes that have turned white just before ripening. Wash well, remove core and blossom scar, cut into quarters and put into a chopping bowl. Chop medium fine or if more convenient put through a food chopper using the coarse blade. Put the tomatoes in a colander that stands over a pan. Press out the juice from tomatoes and discard. Add to the tomatoes 1 c. water. Heat just to boiling point; drain off this water. Again add 1 c. water heating to boiling point and drain again. Now add 1 c. water, and apples that have been peeled thinly quartered, cored and chopped finely or put through the food chopper.

Then add raisins, sugar, salt, vinegar and suet. Mix thoroughly and cook slowly until the tomatoes and apples have a transparent appearance or for about 45 minutes. Stir often to prevent scorching. The last five minutes of cooking add the spices, lemon juice and rind. Pack in hot sterile jars. Tap jar as it is filled to exclude air bubbles. Seal.

FRUIT CAKE

4½ c. cake flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cloves
½ lb. lemon peel
½ c. sweet cider
1 lb. brown sugar
10 eggs, well beaten
½ lb. candied cherries
½ lb. candied pineapple
2 tsp. baking powder
1 lb. currants
½ lb. citron
½ lb. candied orange peel
1 lb. butter
1 lb. dates (sliced)
1 c. honey
½ lb. black walnuts
1 c. molasses
½ tsp. mace
1 lb. raisins

Sift flour once, measure add baking powder and spices and sift all together 3 times. Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, all fruits, peel, nuts, honey, molasses and cider. Add flour gradually. Bake in floured pans 8x8x2inch.

Makes 10 lbs. Use a slow oven 350°F. or steam in pressure cooker at 10 lbs. for 1 hour, dry in oven if necessary. Cook large pan (6 lb.) 3½ hours on 250 degrees, cook smaller pan (2½ lb.) 2½ hours on 250 degrees.

CANDIED YAMS

4 to 6 sweet potatoes
1 stick butter
1 c. light brown sugar
Dash cinnamon
1 c. Karo light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt

Put sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Cook covered until soft and tender. Pour off water and cool. Peel and slice about ¼-inch thick lengthwise and place in baking dish. In saucepan combine Karo, butter, salt and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and pour over sweet potatoes. Sprinkle cinnamon on top, Bake at 350°F. until bubbly. Note: If you make this the day before serving and bake just before serving, it seems to have more flavor.

The following recipes are originals.

SEAFOOD CASSEROLE

1 pkg. imitation crabmeat or 1lb. blue crabmeat
6 to 8 sea scallops, quartered
12 medium shrimp cut into 4 to 5 pieces or 6 large shrimp cut into 9 to 10 pieces
1 to 2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ can (soup can) milk
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. celery powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 large can asparagus or green beans
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice
9×12 or 9×13 baking dish
Baking spray

Mix all ingredients except asparagus or green beans and rice in large bowl. Grease baking dish with olive oil or spray. Cover bottom with asparagus or green beans. Pour seafood mixture on top. Preheat oven to 350°F. and bake for 1 hour. Serve with rice.

BROCCOLI CHEESE CHICKEN RICE CASSEROLE

2-3 c. cooked rice
1 pkg. frozen broccoli
1 can mushroom pieces and stems
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 celery stalks, diced
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can broccoli cheese soup plus ½ can milk
2 tsp. celery powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. pepper
Olive oil or cooking spray
9×13 baking dish

Mix rice, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, celery, broccoli cheese soup, milk, 1 tsp. celery powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper in large bowl. Grease baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray. Pour mixture into dish spreading evenly. Top with chicken. Cover chicken with remaining powders, salt and pepper. Top with the can of cheddar cheese soup. Bake in preheated 350°F. oven for 1 hour or until bubbly and chicken is cooked.

HAMBURGER STEW

1 lb. ground beef
¼ green pepper, chopped
¼ red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
48 oz. beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. cornstarch
Mashed potatoes or egg noodles, cooked

Brown meat with peppers, onion, celery and garlic. Cook until onions are opaque. Add salt and pepper. Stir well. Add broth reserving enough to mix with cornstarch. Stir in cornstarch mixture when broth and other ingredients come to a slight boil, stirring continuously until thickened to desired thickness. Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

FAMILY PHOTOS
The groaning board: Christmas dinner at the home of Edgar and Susan Brooks Adams.