A small group of local culinary connoisseurs shared time-honored recipes at this month’s Town Talk at Wiscasset Public Library Wednesday afternoon, March 21. Next month’s meeting will be even more fun when some of these favorite dishes are made and shared.

Terri Wells of Federal Street said some of her favorite and easy to make meals come from a diminutive cookbook titled, “Velveeta Recipes.” The prime ingredient for all of these is of course Kraft processed Velveeta cheese.

Jenny Spaur shared two books of very old and delicious family recipes her mother collected, some having originating in Canada. Cindy Fischer loves reading cookbooks. Among her favorites is one published a few years back by St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on Hodge Street. “For a long, long time we used to have summer fish chowder suppers at the church,” she said. Naturally, the book contains directions for making that tasty New England dish, along with a recipe for baking homemade biscuits to go along with it. Members of the church congregation submitted all the recipes. 

Some of the most interesting cookbooks were the ones Judith and Bill Sutter of Federal Street collected over the years. Among them were the “Woolwich Grange Cookbook P. of H. No. 68” published in 1910 and printed in Wiscasset by Charles Emerson, publisher of the Sheepscot Echo.

It had directions for baking  “Lazy Loaf” and “Steamed Graham Bread,” which required a quart of graham flour, molasses, milk, water and a dash of salt. The mixture was then “steam-baked” for four hours.

Bill Sutter showed another pamphlet of recipes from 1925 published by the Willing Workers, a women’s club. Along with directions for baking and making desserts, it contained advertisements, including one from Haggett Brothers Hardware and Paints, once based in downtown Wiscasset.

Sandra Shea said it wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day at her home if she didn’t bake several loaves of traditional Irish soda bread to go along with corned beef and cabbage.

Rev. Josh Fitterling of the First Congregational Church told the group whenever he returns to Pennsylvania, he always comes home with an ample supply of “Scrapple,” a delicacy best enjoyed with fried eggs and toast. He promised to bring some to sample for the next Town Talk.

Nancy Roby shared some cookbooks and served as host. Town Talk, sponsored by the Friends of the Wiscasset Public Library,  takes place on the third Wednesday of the month at 3 p.m.