Cooking without recipes

My obsession with books extends to cookbooks. I’m out of shelf space for my collection, and yet find it difficult to send them off to a library book sale or put them on a shelf in the apartment laundry room where people share books.

Many of my cookbooks are ones that belonged to my Grammie Howard. There is the “Hometown Recipes of Piermont,” published by the Women’s Fellowship of Piermont, unfortunately not dated. “The Vermont, Good Luck, Cookbook,” was published by Gilpin, Hunt & Company in Barton, Vermont, 1928. There is an inscription to Nita, my grandmother, from her sister, Gussie. The book has been used and several of the recipes have notes or checked with a pencil mark.

“The White Mountain Cookbook” was published by the Littleton Courier and is the fourth edition, compiled by the Women of the Congregational Church in Littleton in 1930.

“The South Barre Grange Cookbook” was published in 1945-46 and opens with a verse:

“This Grange Cookbook as you will see

Holds nutritional values for you and me.

If watching your calories is not your trouble

Of these tasty recipes you’ll surely eat double.

They all came from ladies of South Barre Grange.

After trying them once you’ll ne’er want to change.

For mixed into all recipes are our best wishes –

The Grange stands for loyal friendships as

Well as delectable dishes.”

Then there are the Indian cookbooks, the Moroccan cookbooks, the Irish Cookbooks and the American cookbooks that are on most shelves. “The Betty Crocker Cookbook” and “The Joy of Cooking,” probably the most well-known and popular.

One of the cookbooks that I particularly enjoy is “The Blue Strawbery Cookbook,” published in 1976 by the Harvard Common Press and edited by James Haller.

The Blue Strawbery was a popular restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire that opened in 1970 and closed in 1995. The restaurant, opened by James Haller, was known and applauded for its unique and evolving menu. Not only was James Haller the owner and chef until 1986, he published two cookbooks: ”The Blue Strawbery Cookbook: Cooking Brilliantly Without Recipes” (1976) and ”Another Blue Strawbery: More Brilliant Cooking without Recipes” (1983), as well as the culinary memoir, ”Salt & Pepper Cooking: The Education of an American Chef” (2015), and most recently ”At the End of Ceres Street: A chef’s salute to Portsmouth, New Hampshire” (2021).

What is unique about “The Blue Strawbery Cookbook” is that it tells you how to prepare a dish but isn’t specific. For example, as it’s October, “Pumpkin Pudding.”

“You will need two cups of pumpkin meat. Blend into four eggs, one pint of heavy cream, a cup of cream sherry, a cup of honey, a small can of frozen orange juice concentrate, a cup of chopped walnuts, and a quarter cup of flour. Put it into a baking pan and bake at 375 for forty-five minutes. Scoop it into dishes and serve. Or let it cool and serve it with orange-flavored whipped cream, or lemon-flavored whipped cream. Or serve it frozen.”

Recently I found a recipe for “Healthy Cookies.” Here are the ingredients: Three mashed bananas, three cups of oats, one-half cup of applesauce, walnuts, dark chocolate bits, one teaspoon vanilla, one teaspoon cinnamon. There are no eggs, flour or sugar in these cookies, only healthy ingredients.

The first time I made the cookies I used cinnamon and followed the directions. The next time I changed the spice to clove and added raisins. I have more ideas and will continue to experiment. These cookies can be warmed and served with yogurt, or they can be served with cottage-cheese and fresh fruit, served as a light lunch.

The inspiration for reading and then adapting recipes comes from James Haller and his wonderful cookbook from “The Blue Strawbery,” that was a Christmas gift from my beloved Uncle Jim and Aunt Barbie who lived in Portsmouth and often dined at the Blue Strawbery.

•••

Elizabeth Howard is the host of the Short Fuse Podcast, found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or through the Arts Fuse. Her career intersects journalism, marketing, and communications. “Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back,” a book she edited, was published in May 2016. She is the author of “A Day with Bonefish Joe,” a children’s book, published by David R. Godine. You can send her a note at: eh@elizabethhoward.com.