Internet recipes are convenient but there’s something about a cookbook

My entire collection of cookbooks range drastically in age, style, and subject.  I have books from the Victorian era and one written by a freed slave.  I have a couple of Julia Child First Editions and I also have an original 1961 Amy Vanderbilt (cookbook, not etiquette book.) 

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Which chickens are best for roasting, frying, and stewing?

Roasters and fryers generally have more muscle, flavor and fat. The fat is favorable for roasting & frying because it adds flavor and moisture to the meat as it is cooking and will eventually melt off through the cooking process.

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The secret to making perfect omelettes is all in the digging

“Eggcellent” advice: How do you make a perfect omelet? How about fluffy scrambled eggs?  You’ve probably heard you’re supposed to add water to them, although Martha Stewart says not to.  I never add any water to mine, either.  I mean, Martha Stewart says no, so… The truth is, putting water in eggs can make them… Continue reading The secret to making perfect omelettes is all in the digging

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Learn to teach etiquette to children.

Credentials

Susan has been a spokesperson, appearing on television and in print advertising, hosted a talk-radio program, and written weekly newspaper columns: Everyday Occasions, Kitchen Life, Curious about Cuisine, and The Social Child for the Gaston Gazette, and Manners Matter with Truman and Mrs. F for the national publication, Kidsville News. She has provided cooking and manners day camps for elementary-high school-aged children since 2005, and was invited to teach etiquette at Hope Lutheran School and Gaston College. She has made numerous appearances on Fox News, WBTV, WTVI, “The Johnboy and Billy Show,” and PBS Charlotte with presentations on children’s etiquette and cooking with kids.

She developed a Carolina Panthers Super Bowl Party Menu for the Gaston Gazette and has hosted cooking presentations at the Southern Ideal Home, Southern Living, and Southern Christmas Shows, and she was invited to be a special guest in the Southern Spring Show’s “Celebrity Kitchen.”

She is a former or current member of many Boards for local, state, and national organizations including the Gaston County Museum of Art and History, Junior League of Gaston County, Family Service, Inc., Children’s Advocacy Center, GC Museum Auxiliary Board, GC Historic Preservation Commission, Gaston Dance Theatre, and the Gaston County Women’s Commission.  She has volunteered for the Shelter of Gaston County and was invited to speak at events and vigils for the prevention and awareness of domestic violence.

She has received several awards, scholarships, and honors for her work as a volunteer and as a professional. She attended UNC-G where she majored in journalism; additionally, she attended the Protocol School of Washington’s “Etiquette and Leadership Institute” where she specialized in etiquette instruction for children and young adults. She was named Mrs. Gastonia in 1994. Susan is the mother of 3 children and currently spends her time writing, teaching, and traveling between FL, TN, and NC.