Helen Avalynne Tawes

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My Favorite Maryland Recipes

Born and brought up in Crisfield on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Helen Avalynne Tawes (1898–1989) gained her knowledge of Maryland cookery as most Maryland girls did in those times: at her mother’s elbow. As the wife of Maryland Governor J. Millard Tawes, she spent many hours experimenting in her kitchen, perfecting the familiar recipes and refining them for the busy modern homemaker. The result was a book, first published in 1964, that blended traditional favorites—from Sweet Pickled Watermelon and Mama’s Chow Chow to Maryland Beaten Biscuits, Sweet and Easy Corn Pudding, and Panned Oysters—with elegant dishes served to guests at the governor’s mansion, such as Maryland’s Finest Crab Imperial, Diamondback Terrapin Soup, Superb Stuffed Shad, and Lady Baltimore Cake. “The glory of Maryland food,” says Mrs. Tawes in her introduction to the book, “is that contains an extraordinary number of flavors that are exquisite and individual—oysters, crabs, terrapin, clams, poultry, hot breads, game, and fish. ¦It is not the mere lavish use of rich ingredients that produces excellence, but an appreciation—precise, intense, and respectful—on the part of the cook, of the individual flavor of the food being prepared.” This new printing of My Favorite Maryland Recipes should bring a younger generation what Mrs. Tawes wished her earlier readers “much joy in good eating.”