How two Minnesota cookbooks helped a generation of home cooks and students

Ginny Karbowski left and Julie Jones check out the samplings from the Twin City Home and Region celebrated cookbook Cooking in Minnesota at an event marking the th anniversary of the book at Roseville Lutheran Church on Wednesday Nov John Autey Pioneer Press Cooking in Minnesota and More Cooking in Minnesota sold about copies from the s into the s with money raised for scholarships and grants John Autey Pioneer Press A member of the Twin City Home and Public samples Chocolate Mint Brownies as featured in the groups celebrated cookbook Cooking in Minnesota at Roseville Lutheran Church on Wednesday Nov The Twin City Home and Society was celebrating the book's th anniversary John Autey Pioneer Press Marcia Copeland right talks about her recipe for Danish Aebleskiver with Elaine Christiansen during a celebration of the th anniversary of Cooking in Minnesota which Copeland helped edit and Christiansen served as chairperson John Autey Pioneer Press Laura Daumann a member of the Twin City Home and District holds a portrait of her younger self and TCHC's cookbook Cooking in Minnesota for which she was a contributor during the group initiative at Roseville Lutheran Church on Wednesday Nov The Twin City Home and Neighborhood gathered to celebrate the th anniversary of their renowned cookbooks Cooking in Minnesota and its sequel More Cooking in Minnesota John Autey Pioneer Press Members of the Twin City Home and Society gathered to celebrate the th anniversary of the group's cookbook Cooking in Minnesota at Roseville Lutheran Church on Wednesday Nov John Autey Pioneer Press A member of the Twin City Home and Neighborhood samples Pumpkin Bars as featured in the groups celebrated cookbook Cooking in Minnesota at Roseville Lutheran Church on Wednesday Nov John Autey Pioneer Press Show Caption of Ginny Karbowski left and Julie Jones check out the samplings from the Twin City Home and Area celebrated cookbook Cooking in Minnesota at an event marking the th anniversary of the book at Roseville Lutheran Church on Wednesday Nov John Autey Pioneer Press Expand While having lunch together earlier this year Beth Gausman and Harlene Hagen began talking about a past project of Twin City Home and District About halfway through our meal Gausman recalls Harlene says to me very casually You know we did a cookbook really we did two cookbooks and we earned thousands of dollars for scholarships ' Gausman had no idea and neither did several other newer members of TCHC whose backgrounds include experience in the fields of evaluation similar or related to family and consumer sciences formerly known as home economics I disclosed to her We need to do a undertaking on this ' Gausman explained Their conversation came just in time to honor a critical number On Wednesday dozens of TCHC members and their guests filled a large room at Roseville Lutheran Church to celebrate the th anniversary of that first cookbook Cooking in Minnesota which was first published in October followed in by More Cooking in Minnesota The cookbooks as precise and organized as a home ec trainer s pantry are filled with family-favorite recipes ranging from Wild-Rice Barley Casserole to Finnish Pulla Coffee Bread The cookbooks about copies sold through the s in Minnesota and beyond and along with other philanthropic efforts by the organization raised in scholarships and grants minus operating expenses In current times the cookbooks are out of print but a minimal copies are available here and there online and they are preserved in the archives and collections of the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society Fresh Apple Cake and vintage memories Marcia Copeland right talks about her recipe for Danish Aebleskiver with Elaine Christiansen during a celebration of the th anniversary of Cooking in Minnesota which Copeland helped edit and Christiansen served as chairperson John Autey Pioneer Press On Wednesday a long table of refreshments was set just as it was at an original cookbook launch party down to the baskets of apples and the Fresh Apple Cake from Cooking in Minnesota page along with other creations including Chocolate Mint Brownies Pumpkin Bars and Blueberry Lemon Muffins The organization was able to re-create such moments and delve into the history of its two cookbooks with the help of the University of Minnesota which in its archives holds a collection of records of Twin City Home and Society which originally operated under the umbrella of what was then called the American Association of Home Economists During the venture Wednesday copies of chosen of those archival materials were displayed on the tables They provided a glimpse into that era You ll find a sense of the communication and determination to involve all to members and their families who joined in wholeheartedly on our wild ride into publishing and philanthropy in the early s revealed -year-old Elaine Christiansen of Falcon Heights who served as the cookbooks chairperson and is best known in the present day as the longest-serving volunteer at the Hamline Church Dining Hall at the Minnesota State Fair The undertaking in Roseville became a kind of oral history as Christiansen shared the story behind the cookbooks along with one of its editors Marcia Copeland of Plymouth co-editor Betsy Norum an icon in Family and Consumer Sciences passed away in Copeland wore red in honor of her background as the director of the Betty Crocker Kitchens at General Mills But back when she was demanded to help cook up this cookbook she was at home with her young son Have you ever taken on a project that you knew was too big for you Copeland commented Well I did and it was called Cooking in Minnesota And I m glad that I did Had I known how much work was involved I might have thought twice The process involved blind testing of the recipes by members tasting by their families and an editing process that strove for recipe uniformity and accuracy It wasn t just about the recipes though Copeland explained the cookbooks illustrated a shifting in the American palate I want to give you the background on why we did a cookbook she recounted the group World War II was over was a time when the soldiers came home They had eaten regular pasta in Italy they had eaten wiener schnitzel they had eaten Aebleskiver they had eaten all kinds of things that we hadn t or if we had the ingredients weren t available After the war she disclosed that began changing I ll never forget reading Julia Child for the first time or Jacques P pin the ones that became very critical to us and helped set the table literally for better cookbooks better recipes Copeland explained We didn t have to eat a can of spaghetti and serve it for dinner We knew what good food was and we desired to share that with the world which is what we did The lift to my spirit Cooking in Minnesota and More Cooking in Minnesota sold about copies from the s into the s with money raised for scholarships and grants John Autey Pioneer Press Geri Skogen was one of the organization s scholarship recipients receiving in On Wednesday she spoke to the group about the gift s impact While the dollars were very substantial to my master s degree progress it was the lift to my spirit that I remember so well Skogen noted At the time Skogen had resigned from her Extension position in Carlton County to attend graduate school at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and was missing her colleagues and church friends in Cloquet Minn Your scholarship was an affirming wink and a nod a pat on the back and You go girl declaration that I have never forgotten she noted Skogen went on to earn a master s degree and worked as assistant to the department head in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota for nearly years I was home in who I was and the responsibilities and challenges before me she revealed Thank you TCHC for helping get me home ' Cooking in the current era A member of the Twin City Home and Public samples Pumpkin Bars as featured in the groups celebrated cookbook Cooking in Minnesota at Roseville Lutheran Church on Wednesday Nov John Autey Pioneer Press In October columnist Eleanor Ostman wrote about the cookbook s debut for the St Paul paper a account that included a photograph by Bob Walsh of Christiansen with her four sons The caption read Earned treat for the four Christiansen teenagers is a sample of Saucy Apple Swirl Cake which their mom Elaine Mrs Martin Christiansen Falcon Heights submitted to Cooking in Minnesota which she produced with members of the Twin Cities Home Economists in Homemaking as it was known then She suggested the project three years ago when she was president and the membership made her chairman All recipes were tested by the home economists including the chairman who once had her sons taste test four lasagna recipes in one day Mrs Christiansen is one of the managers for the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off and is also in charge of cooks and workers serving a thousand people per meal at the State Fair Grounds -H building So a large number of years later Christiansen listened as members shared their thoughts and memories of the cookbooks Related Articles Five weeknight dishes A quick chili for those chilly fall nights Whole Foods MAHA and the battle over healthy eating in the U S Baked apple cider doughnuts warm the soul As hot as you like Hatch chile peppers add sizzle of the Southwest to everything Recipe Use leftover chicken to make this delicious soup The carrot cake recipe was used in her sister s restaurant one woman commented and it was a hit A mentor noted a Braille version of the cookbook was dog-eared from use at a school for the blind Hagen who sparked the idea for this anniversary plan declared she still uses the books for reference for pan sizes and other basics when she is unsure of the accuracy of online recipe instructions And another member whose -year-old son was a witness to the intense process involved in creating a cookbook recalled that he questioned if the third cookbook would be called I Am Sick of Cooking in Minnesota But what is cooking in Minnesota like the present day For Christiansen her the greater part latest meal was a bit simpler and involved a modern-day staple that would be perfect in an updated version of the cookbook especially for these chilly November days I like to buy a rotisserie chicken I can get six or eight meals out of it from salad to sandwiches to a casserole to broth she declared I just cooked up the bones to make a nice warm bowl of vegetable soup Fresh Apple Cake Ingredients cup shortening cup granulated sugar cup brown sugar packed cup buttermilk or soured milk teaspoons soda eggs beaten - cups all-purpose flour teaspoon nutmeg teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon cloves teaspoon salt cups chopped apples or medium Milk can be soured by combining tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to measure cup Topping Combine cup chopped nuts cup brown sugar packed cup granulated sugar and a dash of cinnamon Directions Heat oven to Grease and flour a x x -inch pan Cream shortening and sugars Dissolve soda in milk stir into shortening mixture Add eggs flour spices and salt beat until thoroughly mixed Fold in apples pour into pan Sprinkle with topping Bake minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean Recipe by Evelyn Hagen from Cooking in Minnesota