CRESTVIEW — Remember that orange bread Aunt Katy served at Christmas? Or Pawpaw’s corn waffles?
Then there’s Miss Cheryl’s truck stop soup, Auntie Vi’s sweet and sour pork, and Minty’s red beans and rice that are so authentic you’d swear you got ’em in the New Orleans Bywater.
Crestview’s grown and, with its growth, its cultural influences have expanded over the past 100 years. The Centennial Committee is sharing the city’s culinary heritage in the Crestview Centennial Cook Book.
For the project, volunteers gathered recipes from resident donors, ranging from old-fashioned, down-home North Okaloosa country cookin’ to dishes by new residents offering international pizzazz.
From Kim Williams Crane’s “Anytime Punch” in Appetizers and Beverages to Jeri Jones’ white chocolate raspberry cheesecake in the rear desserts section, hundreds of locally tried, tested and family-approved recipes fill the 343-page cookbook.
A committee headed by Main Street Crestview Association manager Patti Gonzo requested recipes from throughout the community and heard back from 166 named contributors.
Dozens more arrived from Main Street members, “friends of Crestview,” and those listed “in memory of” family members, friends and ancestors.
Gonzo said she began working on the project with volunteers Valerie Manley and Viola Owens.
“Then as we got going, Cheryl Bunyan and Marie Saccaro came aboard,” Gonzo said.
Recipes received via email had to be formatted. Handwritten, typed or photocopied documents needed to be entered manually.
“Marie had to do a lot of the typing,” Gonzo said. “She was a big help on that. Viola laid out all the divider pages and Cheryl Bunyan helped me proofread.”
The book contains a 10-page city history, cooking and nutritional tips, household hints, gift ideas and kids’ kitchen crafts suggestions.
The $15 book is available at several Main Street businesses. Proceeds benefit Main Street Crestview Association programs.
The Crestview Centennial Cook Book is available for $15 at the City Clerk’s office in City Hall, which also has collectors’ centennial coins; Hub City Barbecue, Pawsitively Scrumptious, Rustic Reflections and Casbah Coffee.
RECIPES FOR THE CENTENNIAL
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Centennial cookbook features 100 years of heritage