Lecture, Interviews and Busy Times !

November has gotten off with a burst of activity !! November 6 I was the guest speaker at the Cincinnati Public Library in downtown Cincinnati where I met many new friends. I am now giving talks on Cincinnati and Soup: Food History and Nostaglia . I cover a lot of history of our local foods in this talk NOT in the book.
Also I had the great fun of having an interview with Mike Martini on WMKV 89.3
radio which you can hear at 4 p.m. Nov.18. Mike and I are old friends as when he
was with WVXU I was an actor in the "Johnny Appleseed " drama which he produced for the public radio stations in the old X-Star network. If you don't already know, Mike and a lot of the great old radio programs are alive and well at WMKV radio. ( The ones you miss from before WVXU went all news)
So things have been a hoppin'! Here is a photo from my talk at the Library!

Cincinnati and Soup: Big hit at Books by the Banks

It certainly was a busy Sat.- Oct. 1 at Books by the Banks ! I enjoyed being part of a panel discussion hosted by Michael Houck and got to make many new friends and fans of Cincinnati cooking ! It was a great event and I hope if you missed it this year you
will put it on your calendar for next year- it is an ongoing event for new books
and one not to be missed.Definitely , the visitors to Books by the Banks had a ton of fun attending various events held throughout the day.
Erin Beckloff, my graphic artist, tagged along to make new design friends as well.
The photo is of me and a large stack of books which went home to many Cincinnati kitchens over the course of the day.. this photo was taken at the beginning of the day-- I was pretty ragged by the day's end-- and with a lot fewer books so we avoided another "after" snapshot".

Books by the Banks !!

What an exciting week ! I am one of the 110 authors who are going to meet and greet, sign books and give panel discussions at Books by the Banks on Sat. Oct.2, 2010 at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati. The event runs from 10-4 p.m. I will be on the Panel Discussion on Creative Food which is at 11 a.m. in Room 211.
Check the BBB website for further details but at last pass to their website that is the info. This is an event for all ages and interests and guess what? It is totally
FREE !!! I hope to meet all my friends and book fans and foodies there.
I found a "real photo" of me (and Ed) on the banks of the Ohio going to Blennerhassett Island- -- not at Cincinnati where at the moment the banks are pretty crowded with construction !!

St. Rita's Mock Turtle Soup: The Inside Scoop

You can't write a book about Cincinnati food without a Mock Turtle Soup
recipe and you can't think about Mock Turtle Soup without thinking about St.
Rita's School for the Deaf annual festival and their massive quantity of Mock Turtle
Soup. 600 gallons to be exact.
Since 1916, Mike Woebkenberg's family has been the keepers of the secret recipe
which St. Rita uses. His co-chef in this enterprise is Ben Koenig who is also
in the family.
This past week I got to meet these two princes of soup while they were busyily
cooking up the 600 gallons for the festival. They gave me a taste and a few pointers
of what they DO and we compared recipes which was fun. We do many of the
same things- but for sure -neither of us any longer begin making the soup with
a calve's head.We did agree on this ! The St. Rita's festival for 2010 is July 9-10-11 over on Glendale Milford Road in Evendale- and is a lot of fun. Get there
early for the soup!
As you may have guessed, I am busy researching for my next book--
which will include great festival foods from our area.
This gives me a full summer of "research" trying those great recipes
we all love!!
Thought I would include today a photo of Mike ( Green Shirt) and Ben and the 25 gallon
soup pot which they make the mock turtle soup in.
CINCINNATI AND SOUP does feature a mock turtle soup recipe- but
it isn't St. Rita's-- that is still a family secret !

CINCINNATI AND SOUP: CINCINNATI LAUNCH

Well it was official on June 14, 2010 as CINCINNATI AND SOUP was finally
IN the Queen City and launched at Joseph Beth Booksellers at the Rookwood Pavillion.
I was there to Meet and Greet and give a talk about the book. There IS a lot to
talk about too- with all the recipes and nostalgia- about Cincinnati from the
1950's to now..
I was happy to include my wonderful graphic artist designer, Erin Beckloff
in this event. My photo with this blog is with Erin in front of the great
poster which Joseph Beth had made of the book cover.
Barb Hudson coordinated this fine event and Ben Vore the store manager.
If you haven't been to Joseph Beth - they have every local book to Cincinnati
you can imagine and more. In addition they have the Bronte Cafe- with
lots of good food. In honor of the day- they made up some of my Tortilla
Soup which Ed who had missed dinner earlier had wanted to try-- by 6 p.m.
it was totally sold out!! It was a great day and I hope to be back at
Joseph Beth sometime in the future.

University of Cincinnati Graduation Salad

Yesterday, 6.11.10, I enjoyed meeting Lance Barry over on the Noon News on
WCPO-TV in Cincinnati ( Channel 9). I showed everyone the easy way to make those
great little hamburgers known locally as "Cincinnati Sliders" for their "Happy College
Graduation Party".. after all this weekend, U.C. graduates and Ohio State graduates
another happy class of grads. I wanted to share this creative ( and really easy) salad
which is NOT in my book with you all. You can customize it to the event.
I did the UC letters in tomatoes with pitted black olives and garnished with
fresh basil. All you need to add with it is your salad dressing- you can use
the Pogue's French Dressing from the book, oil and vinegar or an italian
dressing.
I am a graduate of the University of Cincinnati as is my husband Ed-
GO BEARCATS !! We both have "marched" and enjoyed this wonderful college
graduation day. Sending along my BEST to all our new college grads
and a salad to celebrate !

Hotel Sinton Spring Pea Salad

.. Well folks I am going to chat about that "controversial" topic of
mayonnaise-- or-- how much is too much mayo ? This has been an ongoing topic at
some of my book signings. Let's remember that our old friend "mayo" started out
in many midwestern homes as a "salad dressing". Plopped atop lettuce alone
and served up for dinner as that. The Hotel Sinton recipe features fun things like
peas, green onions, celery and eggs and like original 1000 Island Salad dressing is
mostly a flavored mayonnaise served on chopped lettuce.
Here is a serving suggestion photo I took the other day when I whipped up some
Hotel Sinton Spring Pea Salad at home. I did "moderate " the mayo with only
4 servings needed. WITH the extra mayo- you have "salad dressing" for
a much bigger group- 8 or more depending on the size of the chopped lettuce
salads you are making at the time.
These fresh spring flavors really perk up your dinners this time of
year! Enjoy !

My New Kentucky Home...

"The sun shines bright on my new Kentucky Home---" this week CINCINNATI AND SOUP
will appear on the shelves of one Northern Kentucky Bookstore: BORDERS in Crestview Hills which is located in the Crestview Hills Towne Center. This is on the "Dixie
Highway" just beyond the 275 loop in Northern Kentucky. Everybody is really friendly out there and my suburban Kentucky friends told me that Northern Kentuckians would also want to read (and cook) CINCINNATI AND SOUP and enjoy all of these local
favorites. According to them some of the BEST cooks in the Tri-State area ARE in
Northern Kentucky-which is a good thing to know if you are invited to dinner
south of the river!

May 8,2010-Cincinnati and Soup:In the Suburbs: Mason

.. On to the northern 'burbs on a breezy cool Saturday,
I got to sign some books and make new friends at BORDERS: Mason.
Tim Benz is the manager there and he set up a nice display of
CINCINNATI AND SOUP near the front door. Ed and Allison dropped
in too. This was a great day to chat about the book around
the suburbs.

May 8, 2010-Cincinnati and Soup: In the Suburbs: Eastgate

Meeting friends around the Cincinnati suburbs was my next adventure!
May 8, from 10-12, I was at the BORDERS in Eastgate store where I got
to meet Clint Davis the manager and Nick in promotions. This was a
great opportunity to reconnect with Merrel and Jean Ludlow as well
as make a lot of new friends from the Eastgate, Newtown and points beyond
area. This was a good time chatting about the book .

WCPO-TV News With Tanya May 7, 2010

Pogue's French Salad Dressing was the featured recipe on the Noon News at WCPO-TV
Channel 9 with Tanya O'Rourke. Tanya is so personable and so much more attractive in
person than on the t.v. screen! This was a great time with Ed and Erin going along
to meet the folks down there. What can you say ? The adventure continues....
Here is a photo of me and Tanya.

May 2: Hamilton County Parks:Farbach Werner Nature Preserve

Wow- busy weekend. In the big storms and pouring rain- Ed and I made the trek out to
the beautiful Farbach Werner Nature Preserve , one mile south of the Northgate Mall.
This small gem of a park was having their "Painted Pots" weekend which meant lots of families and kids in the park for crafts and plants and fun... and a youth art
exhibit. It was pouring rain but lucky for us this park has a lovely renovated
old barn and everything happened inside ! I got to make some new friends of all
ages.. and I got to meet some "fans" of the cookbook who dropped in to pick up a
few at this event. The Hamilton Co. Park District has many gift shops now days and
they are a real support for the Parks . They are called "Nature's Niche"s and are
all over the county. Ed and I spend a lot of time hiking the Sharon Woods Lake
trails and so it was a no-brainer to come out for this event for some "payback"
on all the facilities we and many other families use at the parks. This is such
a great park system in so many ways and the yearly permits are a very low cost for the
many weeks of fun you can have there.
I wanted to yell a "howdy" to Mary Lou Berning, a Greater Cincinnati Police Historical
Museum Volunteer who dropped in and of course to Irene Light who is the real
"Guiding Light" behind the Nature's Niches around town.
.. Oh and forgot to mention-- I did have my name on the "marquee" of sorts..
check out the photo.. it isn't Broadway--but CINCINNATI AND SOUP certainly
is getting around town.

May 1, 2010: Miller Ecological Park Event

It was really great to be included in the Miller Ecological Park event held at the
Annex of the Warren County Historical Society. This was a great time to support the
donation of some of the Miller Farm land (46 acres) for a new ecological park.
This will feature wetlands, praries and a butterfly garden. This was the official
introduction to the public of this new projected park in our area. I support
green spaces and this was a great time to get up and talk about CHRISTMAS IN WARREN COUNTY: A COMMUNITY CONCERT and of course CINCINNATI AND SOUP. This was wonderful
to gather with friends and neighbors and cheer on this terrific effort.
MaryAnn and Bob Fischer who are long time friends from Warren County dropped in.
MaryAnn and I couldn't resist a picture with my book at this event, where many local
artists and authors gathered to talk about what they were doing.

Cooking with Sheila and Rob

I was up way before dawn pulling together my Easy Tortilla Soup and the
ingredients for Aunt Marno's Rum Raisin Dessert. Lots to DO at 5:00 a.m.!
Ed and I drove to the Studios at WXIX Fox 19 in downtown Cincinnati.
It is hard to find as it is on the western "spur" of West 7th Street.
We did get there and I got all of the food together for my on-air
demonstration. I had to laugh, it was a lot like 4H Food judging
at the Warren County Fair when Allison was a 4Her and we had to get up
way before dawn to gather up all the things she would need for the
food judging event.Funny - it was MY turn!
I had one burner to heat on at the station- so I heated up the
soup ( I made at home).It was a big hit with everyone there who tried it.
Also the dessert- which we made without ice cream as it had melted in the
cooler! Oh well- that's show biz. I can tell you that Sheila Gray is
just as pretty and nice in person as she is "on tv", Rob is so friendly,
as is Bruce ( the traffic guy). Frank is just as adorable too off camera
as on.. and it's too bad they are into hard news as Sarah Celi and Megan
Mongelo have lovely smiles you almost never see as they give the serious
news stories! Trust me - they both DO smile!
It was a great day over at WXIX and I hope that sometime I will get to
go back. These are great folks and I had a great time!

You Read it in the Enquirer !

April 28- Check out the Wed. FOOD Section in the CINCINNATI ENQUIRER..
CINCINNATI AND SOUP a review- by Polly Campbell- but no byline for this!!
My Hotel Sinton Spring Pea Salad recipe is featured.. which to my knowledge is
the first time it has ever been printed outside of my book.
This was given to me by a former Hotel Sinton employee who made this
salad for banquets at the hotel back in the 1960's.
Getting there:
If you are looking at all of this online- go to Cincinnati.com,
click the FOOD tab and then "Helpings".
I hope you will enjoy making this salad- it is great with
grilled chicken.

.. My neighbor, artist, Erin Beckloff is busy eating her tortellini
soup today.. she is making my cookbook in stages ala Julia and
Julie!! She is originally from Columbus although she has lived in
Cincinnati before. Erin is a big fan of the Blue Ribbon Tortellini
soup and so far she is really crazy about Mock Turtle Soup too.
I have fed her my soups for 2 winters now so she has had a real taste
of what is going IN to the cookbook.
Check out the salad in the Cincinnati Enquirer and enjoy !

Chatting with Jim Scott- WLW 700

Wow-- this was a big day- I finally got to chat with one of my radio "heros" Jim
Scott ! I have listened to Jim Scott for years-- I can say too that I "grew" up
listening to him as well. .. We chatted for about 5 minutes about the cookbook -
goetta, mock turtle soup and a bit about Cincinnati chili. You can tell that
Jim is a "Cincinnati" foodie-!! The interview will be on as many of you are
driving off to work- this Friday, April 30 between 5-9 a.m.
He told me my book is going NATIONAL -- now.. so many former Cincinnatians-
and new friends of Cincinnati food- and people who have visited here will now
be checking out "the blog". This is so cool.
I really think that this book will be a hit with U.C. , Miami, Xavier and
other college alums who have left the area and need a "fix" of Cincinnati
chili or goetta. Be sure to check my 1st blog for where you can get the book-
these are the ONLY places which are selling it at this time.

Cincinnati and Soup: NEW BOOK- the Journey begins

CINCINNATI AND SOUP : Recipes from the Queen City and Great Soup-
this is the blog!
CINCINNATI AND SOUP , is a collection of classic Cincinnati recipes- like goetta and
chili and mock turtle soup, nostalgia , recipes from Ruth Lyons, Pogues, Hotel Sinton etc.
and great homemade soups. Graphic art by : Erin Beckloff. Mac Guffin Productions, Publisher.
Publication date is May 1, 2010.
This blog will follow my adventures as a new author, the book and of course tales of
recipes, "old Cincinnati" and likely some great soup along the way. Come back often and stay late.
Follow along with a copy of the book...

CINCINNATI AND SOUP:Recipes from the Queen City and Great Soup
can be purchased at:
Joesph Beth Booksellers : Rookwood Pavillion, Cincinnati Ohio:513-396-8960
Borders Books: Mason ,Ohio 513-740-0440
Borders Books: Eastgate (Ohio)513-943-0068
The Hamilton Co. Park District: Nature's Niche Stores : 513-923-3665
The Cincinnati Museum Center Shops : 513-287-7022
The Cincinnati Art Museum :513-639-2958

Online: www.vintagecincinnati.esty.com

Book events:
The Official Cincinnati Book Launch
in Cincinnati:
Jos. Beth Booksellers: 7 p.m. June 14, 2010

Book Signings:

May 1,2010: Miller Ecological Park May 2,2010: Hamilton Co. Park : Farbach Werner
event: Warren Co. Historical Soc. Nature Preserve: Painted Pots Event: 1-3 p.m.
Annex. Lebanon,Ohio 1-3 p.m

May 8,2010

Borders Bookstore: Borders Bookstore:
Eastgate- Eastgate Blvd. Mason,Ohio- Deerfield Towne Center 1-3 p.m.
10-12 p.m..

Media:
Radio: WLW-700 TV: WXIX- TV- FOX 19 WCPO-TV- Ch 9
Jim Scott Sheila Gray 4/30: 8:15 a.m. Noon News 5/7-12:45 p.m.
4/26 - 10 :30 a.m.

.. sounds busy doesn't it .. ?? I look forward to talking with you about the book--
chat again with you soon !