In 1965 WICH Radio was the AM station of the Norwich area responding directly to the interests of the listeners. This was especially true for a program called “Party Line.”
The discussions were frequently about the running of the household, recipes, bargains, how-to questions of sewing and cooking and what should I make, do or bring to the next social event as the person was certain the listeners would all be there.
They published the WICH recipe collection in a large white folder containing recipes and directions on loose white pages printed in black.
Opening the folder is a bit like opening a gift. There is a page “Dedicated To All Our Wonderful Party Line Listeners And To The Sponsors Who Make Party Line Possible! 1965 A.D.
Eleanor Dickinson, Editor & Art Work, Virginia MacAdie, Thomas Phalen, Program Director and Janet Shalkowski, Typist.” Then a page showing the connection from the home by phone 889-8361 and 889-8362 to the broadcasting tower of WICH.
The Contents are simply Entrees, Seafood, Sauces and vegetables, breads, sandwiches, sweets, Festive Festivities, An Informative PotPourri and Green Thumb Tips.
The first recipe is how to cook a turkey while you sleep and how to stuff a turkey while awake. With a variety of stuffing recipes from the usual classics to the more exotic oyster, Brazil Nut and Chestnut stuffings.
Seafood explains freezing clams is perfectly safe if you do it correctly. Sauces and Vegetables is but a page of sauces mornay and piquant. Breads, rolls, muffins and dumplings oh my! Then there are Super Sandwich Suggestions, Tuna-Crabmeat deluxe and Diamond Jims. Yum! Miss Catharine Hasler of Norwich won first prize in the 1964 Three Diamond Brand Contest, Mrs. Leroy C. Parkhurst of Preston was 2nd and Mr. Edwin S Carson of New London was 3rd.
The Sweets is easily the largest collection with names may confuse me but from the ingredients I am sure would delight me. There is the usual Apple-Dapple and carrot cake and then there is carrot pie, Colonel Goodbody’s Prune Cakes, Kroetz, Celia’s Fancy Dessert, Schlosser Buben, Krusciki, Golden Puffs and Raisin Drop Cookies.
Festive Festivities was written directly for me. How to plan and what to plan, which wine to serve when and how much whiskey should you buy. Directions for fresh salted walnuts and clothespin twists and even the French specialty Turinois. Josephine’s Christmas Rice Pudding was contributed by Mrs. George Jello. Teens can work together with a Tandem Party making Baked Bean Pies.
The Informative PotPourri is just that with answers to questions you never thought to ask including which booklets to write for and where to obtain them, sewing with stretch fabric and invisible writing.
Green Thumb Tips made me smile. How to store green tomatoes, make an impromptu greenhouse and the proper way to raise a Depression Plant, a deep dish coal plant and a shallow dish coal plant.
Do you think we could talk WICH into republishing the collection? Please give them a call to voice your opinion!