ZUCCHINI BREAD FROM MISS MARY BOBO....A VISIT TO THE COOKBOOK CORNER

Do you remember boarding houses? 

You don't have to answer that.

But....I do.

My mother's Aunt Tice owned and operated a boarding house in Detroit, Michigan.

Tice was married to my grandmother's brother, Joe, who was the

 baby of the family and the last of seven children.

 They divorced at some point in life and 

Tice fell in love with a very handsome, younger man named Dash!

Now, I never met Dash, but the name alone made me think of him as some sort of film star.

We would listen to the adults talking on the front porch on summer nights, of Tice and Dash, along with all the stories from the boarding house, which were often a topic of discussion. The whole idea of this big Victorian home hosting all sorts of people

 who lived there and ate there,

 was so foreign to me as a child, 

It was so vastly different from any reality in my own life.

 But, we were always told back in the forty's and after WWII, 

boarding houses were rather common. 

This is one of my all time favorite cookbooks. 

I adore cookbooks and thought it might be fun to share some of

my collection with you!

If you are a fan of reading cookbooks, you are going to love this series.

I love, love, love to read what other home chef's collect and 

try recipes from some of their favorites! 

Miss Mary Bobo! Her boarding house was in Lynchburg, Tennessee, home to the Jack Daniel's Distillery! Now Mr. Jack is a favorite among us southerners! Oh honey.....when we are out frying the Thanksgiving turkey, just about everyone is sippin' on a Jack and Seven-Up highball! 

The boarding house goes all the way back to 1908. Miss Mary and her husband purchased the home and ran the hotel together until her husband passed away in 1948. Miss Mary continued to operate her boarding house and served thousands of mid-day dinners until 1983. She died at the age of 101. 

This cookbook features over 250 of Miss Mary's recipes and details stories of the residents and guests who frequented the home. She employed several cooks from around Lynchburg who were loyal and faithful throughout those many years. They believed in using iron skillets for their chicken, real meringue for the pies and fresh-picked vegetables from the gardens. 

Miss Mary Bobo's is still in operation today serving that infamous mid-day meal. If you are ever in Lynchburg to tour The Jack Daniel's Distillery, you may want to call a few months in advance to make reservations....they are that busy!

A few years prior to her death, Miss Mary stopped taking borders and only served her mid-day meal. Her children were in their retirement years at that point and it looked as if the boarding house would probably close. However, the good people from The Jack Daniels' Distillery, purchased the home from her heirs and saved this historic landmark. 

This is Miss Mary's recipe for her lovely zucchini bread, 

which I serve warm with fresh orange cream cheese! 

Fresh Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

1 cup oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

3/4 t. baking soda

2 cups freshly grated zucchini

Grease a 9- inch by 3 -inch loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until light and golden. Add the oil and the sugar and blend well. 

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture. Combine well and blend in the shredded zucchini. Pour into the loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 50-55 minutes. Allow the bread to cook before slicing. 

To make the orange cream cheese, bring 4 ounces of cream cheese to room temperature. Blend in about 1 T. orange juice and 1 T. grated orange rind. Add about 1 T. powdered sugar to blend.