Josiah Hansen Museum launches community cookbook

Food is so much linked to history and to the memory of loved ones.

Those who attended the launch of the new community cookbook on Feb. 24 at the Wheelhouse in Dresden got to experience this. Not only had an opportunity to purchase a copy at its official launch, but also they were able to sample some of the recipes.

The community cookbook, (Not-so) Secret Family Recipe: A Collection of Beloved Recipes from the Black Community of Dresden and area is a project of the Josiah Hensen Museum of African-Canadian History.

Josiah Hensen Museum Program Assistant Jackie Bernard, who is also a former restaurateur, put her cooking skills to the test and prepared six entries for everyone in attendance to try, including ham party dip, hamburger soup, pizza style macaroni, everyday meatloaf, cream cheese cupcakes and unbaked chocolate cake. The person that submitted the recipe got to make a ruling on the dish on whether Bernard had nailed it or failed. In most cases she nailed it.

The community cookbook got its inspiration from another community cookbook that was published in the 1960s by the First Regular Baptist Church, said Museum Educator Whitney Belovicz. The First Regular Baptist Church is historically significant as it was first built by free Black men in the 1850s and it is the oldest surviving congregation in the Dresden community. This new community cookbook helps to honour those who contributed to the first book.

“This event is a celebration,” said Belovicz, “It is meant as a fellowship, for food as we get to taste the recipes.” It took a year to put the community cookbook together.

Among the recipes, several people contributed stories. Elaine Travis said sharing recipes among her family was a way to connect with them, especially since many of the recipes were passed down through the generations.

“My mom was always in the kitchen,” said Bernard. You could always smell what was cooking before you opened the door of the house. She has been approached by many who remember her mom sending a meal or a pie to their family. It could have been a happy occasion like someone having a baby or whether someone had passed away. “That was mom’s love language,” said Bernard. “I have learned to do that too,”

This event took place during Black History Month, which is always held in February. Usually during Black History Month, the museum will see 10 to 12 schools tour the museum, said Site Manager Steven Cook, of the Josiah Hensen Museum of African-Canadian History. This year, there were 212 schools comprising 6,000 students during a six week period.

Blake Ellis, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent