Historical cookery program at Westmoore Pottery

Contact: Mary FarrellDate: September 29 2008On Saturday October 18 Westmoore Pottery will present “Stepping Back in Time: Hearthside Cookery.” Historical cooks Suzanne Simmons and Sue Kashino from the Backcountry Farm of the Schiele Museum will prepare foods using historical recipes from the 18th century. Foods will be cooked in the large fireplace at Westmoore Pottery using appropriate 18th century methods. In addition from 1 – 3 pm Kay Moss and Kathryn Hoffman will be signing copies of their cookbook The Backcountry Housewife: a Study of Eighteenth Century Foods.“We had a program last year on historical fireplace cookery” says potter David Farrell “and many of our customers requested that we have it again this year.” So that is what they have done . . . only with different historical cooks and different recipes! Suzanne Simmons and Sue Kashino are both experienced historical cooks. Much of Suzanne Simmons’ knowledge of historical cookery has been gained during her involvement for over 25 years with the 18th Century Backcountry Lifeways Studies Program at the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia NC. Currently Suzanne is Director of that program. Sue Kashino has been an 18th century backcountry interpreter for the Schiele Museum for over 15 years demonstrating cooking as well as other skills. Together they bring extensive knowledge of 18th century cookery to this program at Westmoore Pottery.The two historical cooks will be cooking from 10 am to 4 pm. A new dish will be completed and ready for viewing and tasting! about every half hour. Among the dishes they plan to prepare are Jugged Hare Planked Fish Bread Churned Butter Apple Charlotte Cabbage After the Dutch Way Snow Balls Shrewsbury Cakes Ordinary Bread Pudding Cooling Cinnamon Water and Cider Royal. Westmoore Pottery is fortunate to also be able to host authors Kay Moss and Kathryn Hoffman who are themselves knowledgeable historical cooks for a book signing in the afternoon. Their joint cookbook The Backcountry Housewife: a Study of Eighteenth Century Foods based on historical sources and extensive research is a valuable reference for historical cooks. Its easy explanations and readable style also make it accessible to beginning cooks as well as to those who simply love to read about old foods and cookery. “The Backcountry Housewife has been our best selling cookbook” says Mary Farrell “especially to those with an interest in the cookery of the ‘backcountry’ away from the most settled areas.” The cookbook is popular with both food historians and cookbook collectors. Most of the recipes or receipts as they were called in the 18th century that Suzanne and Sue will be using in their cookery program are found in this cookbook.Potters David and Mary Farrell of Westmoore Pottery are well known for their making of historical pottery. Suzanne Simmons and Sue Kashino will use Westmoore’s pottery in their cooking to demonstrate how various pottery pieces were used in the 18th century. Pots used will range from the more common bowls pitchers and plates to the lesser known pipkins skillets and steep pans. “This is a great way to learn a little history” potter Mary Farrell explained. “You’ll learn some history of foodways a little history of pottery and a bit of history of daily life in the 18th century.”No admission fee will be charged. Westmoore Pottery will be open from 9am - 5pm on Saturday October 18. The hearthside cookery demonstrations will be given from 10am – 4pm. From 4 – 5 pm we’ll all be washing dishes! The cookbook signing will be from 1-3 pm.Westmoore Pottery is located at 4622 Busbee Road just off Highway 705 halfway between the small towns of Seagrove and Robbins in North Carolina. To get further details or directions call Westmoore Pottery at 910-464-3700 or visit their website at www.westmoorepottery.com###

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