Bicentennial Cookbook Combines 200 Years of Recipes

Many family memories are created at a summer barbecue, amidst a Thanksgiving feast, or just around the dinner table. To celebrate the bicentennial, the city Community Services Department has gathered 200 years’ worth of memories and recipes for the Cooking With Recipes cookbook.

“A lot of our history revolves around eating times and eating places, so when you think about 200 years, you think about the times they had butchering season or skating parties or hunting when people would come in with a wild pheasant,” said Joyce Able Schroth, community services director. “You think about all of those times and you think, ‘Gosh, what were they eating?’”

The office sent out invitations to residents earlier in the year, asking them to send a favorite recipe with just a line or two about where it came from. Those recipes, along with historic photos of the city are being bound into a sort of recipe history book.

All recipes have a connection to Westlake in their own way. One woman sent in a carrot-raisin salad recipe that a Westlake resident made for her while she was ill. Mayor Dennis Clough and several city council members, or their wives, have also included recipes. You can even learn to make .

Able Schroth decided to submit three family recipes from her grandmother’s wedding cookbook, which dates back to 1892 or 1893. Able Schroth said each recipe is in memory of her aunt, mother-in-law and mother, who all lived in Westlake.

“There are generations that don’t remember, or weren’t alive to remember, when everything had to be prepared in that kitchen or smokehouse so we wanted to create a book that would keep those recipes,” Able Schroth said.

A limited number of the book may be available at at on Saturday. If books aren’t available, there will be order forms. The books will be available for purchase at and at the by Monday.