Fruitcake Weather
in St. Francisville
By Anne Butler
Fruitcake
Weather. That’s what
beloved southern author Truman Capote called it in his wonderful Christmas
Memory, when the first wintry winds blew down pecans to be shelled and when
annual visits to the local bootlegger surrepticiously supplied the secret kick
to the dozens of fruitcakes made by Capote, then an orphaned child, with an
elderly relative whom he described as “still
a child.” The Christmas
memories may have come from their home in rural Alabama, but all across the
South and especially in St. Francisville, Louisiana, holidays like Thanksgiving
and Christmas were always special, and every old home’s gleaming mahogany
sideboard groaned with the weight of homemade fruitcakes to which, every time
anyone passed by, another little dash of brandy was added.
So
as the holidays approach, it is only natural that our thoughts turn to…food,
desserts especially, rich holiday traditions gleaned from old family receipt
books and tattered treasured clippings. Back in the era of Capote’s childhood,
recipes were like antiques…they had to have provenance,
so you could tell whose they were, where they came from, where they were
served, who cooked them and who enjoyed the consumption. They were like old
friends or family with familiar backgrounds, and you could tell by the name of
the contributor whether the recipes would be any good or not.
In Plantation Recipes and Recollections
compiled by Violet Pate, elderly keeper of the history of the oldest
established black Baptist church in the St. Francisville area, she records the
details for Oyster Dressing, noting that it was cooked for 30 years for Mrs.
Lois Lester of Waverly Plantation at Bains by Violet Glover, who happened to be
the charming grandmother of Baton Rouge mayor Kip Holden from whom he obviously
inherited his brilliant smile. Even in the early days, its location right along
the Mississippi River assured St. Francisville a bountiful supply of fresh
holiday oysters shipped upriver by prosperous merchants as Christmas/New Year’s
rewards for loyal patrons.
Early cookbooks came in all sizes and
shapes. That whirlwind master marketer Marcelle Reese Couhig, familiarly known
as Nootsie, hit the jackpot with beloved recipes like the internationally
appreciated Asphodel Bread, on index cards in actual boxes, still sold today by
descendants at their local bookstore. Her typically casual recipe for French 75
is below, reprinted from the Women’s Service League Feliciana Favourites
cookbook, treasured compendium of offerings from all the good cooks of the
area, first printed in 1981; an updated version, with all new recipes (but no
contributor names), has just been released to fund worthy community projects
undertaken by this volunteer group.
Every
local church and charity had its fundraising cookbook over the years. St.
Francisville’s earliest residents being mostly English, the holiday recipes
were heavy on Anglo influences…Charlotte Russe, Floating Island, Plum Pudding
brought to table flamed by such liberal doses of brandy that wide-eyed children
feared their grandmother would go up in smoke, mincemeat pie with plenty of
hard sauce (see recipe below) to make it palatable, fruitcake so frequently
doused over preceding weeks that visible fumes arose, much to the delight of
tipsy great-uncles (didn’t every family have one?). The vintage cookbook
published by Grace Episcopal Church, whose congregation first came together in
the 1820s, included a recipe for “Old English Plum Pudding” said to have been
brought from Liverpool “more than a century ago and age has not lessened its
popularity.”
And eggnog. Lots and lots of eggnog. At
Catalpa Plantation, as described in Audubon Plantation Country Cookbook
with wonderful vintage images and lots of history accompanying the actual
recipes, the late grande dame and
gracious hostess Mamie Fort Thompson was quoted as insisting that in making the
eggnog served at Catalpa’s famous Christmas parties, you could use half an
eggshell as your jigger to measure the bourbon. She strongly recommended using
the larger half!
Of course today our kitchen shelves groan
under the weight of contemporary cookbooks from all over the world, from
notable chefs (especially our wonderful Louisiana ones) and famous restaurants.
And in St. Francisville itself we even have restaurants lending new influences
to our holiday menus…Oriental, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Cajun. But there’s just
something about those old cookbooks full of recipes as warm and welcoming as
treasured old friends, and holiday visits to the St. Francisville area impart
the same feeling.
Still, there’s lots to do in
St. Francisville besides eat. Located on US Highway 61 on the Mississippi River
between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the St. Francisville area is a year-round tourist
destination. A number of splendidly restored
plantation homes are open for tours: The Cottage Plantation (weekends), Myrtles
Plantation, Greenwood Plantation (check locally; it has new owners), plus
Catalpa Plantation by reservation; Afton Villa Gardens and Imahara’s Botanical
Garden are open in season and are both spectacular. Particularly important to
tourism in the area are its two significant state historic sites, Rosedown
Plantation and Oakley Plantation in the Audubon state site, which offer
periodic living-history demonstrations to allow visitors to experience 19th-century
plantation life and customs (state budget constraints have unfortunately
shuttered Oakley Monday and Tuesday).
In November Oakley features programs called “Forgotten Lives”
(a quarters tour with emphasis on experiences of plantation slaves) November 6
from 12 to 4, and “Deck the Halls” on November 26 from 10 to 3, allowing
visitors to “adopt a mantle” to decorate with period greens for Christmas. And
as decorations go up throughout the historic downtown area of St. Francisville
in preparation for Christmas in the Country the first weekend in December, the
little rivertown becomes a sparkling winter wonderland.
The nearby Tunica Hills region
offers unmatched recreational activities in its unspoiled wilderness
areas—hiking, biking and especially bicycle racing due to the challenging
terrain, birding, photography, hunting, and kayaking on Bayou Sara. There are
unique art galleries plus specialty and antiques shops, many in restored
historic structures, and some nice restaurants throughout the St. Francisville
area serving everything from ethnic cuisine to seafood and classic Louisiana
favorites. For overnight stays, the area offers some of the state’s most
popular Bed & Breakfasts, including historic plantations, lakeside
clubhouses and beautiful townhouses right in the middle of St. Francisville’s
extensive National Register-listed historic district, and there are also modern
motel accommodations for large bus groups.
For visitor information, call West Feliciana Tourist
Commission and West Feliciana Historical Society at 225-6330 or 225-635-4224, or
St. Francisville Main Street at 225-635-3873; online visit www.westfeliciana.us, www.stfrancisvillefestivals.com, www.stfrancisville.net
or www.stfrancisville.us (the events calendar gives dates and information on special
activities).
MAMIE THOMPSON’S FAMOUS
CATALPA EGGNOG
6
eggs, separated; 6 tbsp. sugar; 6 jiggers bourbon; 1 half-pint whipping cream,
whipped; 3/4 cup milk (optional); nutmeg.
Beat
egg yolks until very light. Add sugar. Beat. Beat egg whites, then gently fold
into yolk mixture a little at a time. Pour bourbon over, to sort of cook the
egg whites. Mix. Add whipped cream, folding in gently. If too thick, add up to
¾ cup milk. Refrigerate until very cold. Top with sprinkling of nutmeg.
VIOLET GLOVER’S OYSTER
DRESSING
6
jars oysters, chopped; 10 slices bread, toasted and softened with milk; 1 stick
butter; ½ cup onion; ½ cup celery; ½ cup bell peppers;
salt and black pepper; 1 teaspoon Tabasco.
Drain
oysters and save juice. Cook onions, celery and bell peppers in butter until
tender (about 10 minutes of stirring so they won’t burn); add chopped oysters
and toasted bread, then salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Pour ingredients into
baking dish and cook in oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
GRANDMA’S HARD SAUCE (from Oil & GAStronomy)
1
stick real butter, softened; 2 cups confectioners sugar; brandy.
Beat
butter, gradually adding sugar until creamy. Add brandy one tablespoon at a time
to taste. Taste brandy. Add brandy to taste. Taste brandy. Add brandy to taste.
Goes well on hot apple pie, mincemeat pie, or on a spoon. Grandma is always in
a wonderful mood after making this recipe.
FRENCH 75
1
quart gin; 3 bottles champagne; 1 pint lemon juice; 1 cup sugar.
Chill
gin and champagne for a couple of days in the fridge. Use one large chunk of
ice in the bowl. Make it yourself in a plastic something in your freezer. Pour
sugar over ice, then all the rest of the liquids. If you like it sweeter, make
a simple syrup, but watch you don’t spoil your dinner. Serves approximately 25.
