The Cast of Characters

No new recipe today as Judson and I are currently on holiday in sunny Mexico, soaking up the heat and, in all likelihood at this very moment, drinking something out of a coconut. But I didn't forget about you, dear reader, and in hopes of keeping things a little easier to understand around here, here's a handy list of people who appear frequently in stories on the blog.  

 

The Main Characters:

Blair (me): Eleanor's only granddaughter, owner of this blog, can generally be found making a mess in the kitchen or drinking coffee. Passions include traveling, big words, unusual fruits, and farmer's markets. Favourite foods include oysters, all forms of cheese, frosting, and wine. Current location: Scotland.

Eleanor: My grandmother, the owner and creator of the recipe box that started this entire project. Gravel-voiced and crooked-smiling, she was born and raised in New York City until she moved, with her husband and two children, to Florida in the late 1950s. Died in 1991, lives on in memory and kitchen exploits.

Elyse: My mother, Eleanor's daughter. Strongest woman I know, capable of making the best pound cake I've ever tasted, and keeper of the recipe box for the past 24 years, until she gave it to me last fall. Deserves all the credit for the existence of this project, because without her the box would have been lost years ago.

Judson: My husband. Lover of video games, root beer, chips and salsa, and me. Abides my culinary successes and failures with remarkable good humour, except when I made him help me try to make chestnut soup and we both burned our fingertips so badly we couldn't use our hands for a week.

 

The Ensemble:

Wilbur: Eleanor's husband, my grandfather. Redheaded golf whiz who fought in WWII, loved corny jokes, and dropped out of school before he hit sixth grade to take care of his family. Died in the 1970s, long before I was born.

June: Wilbur's sister, Eleanor's sister-in-law and best friend, my great-aunt. Worked in a factory with Eleanor during WWII, had an entirely pink kitchen and was one of the genuinely nicest people I've ever met. Moved (with her family) from New York to Florida with Eleanor (and her family) in the late 1950s. Died two years ago before it ever occurred to me to ask her where Eleanor's sauerbraten recipe was hidden.

Margie: Eleanor's other best friend, my mom's godmother, and a general aunt-like figure to my entire family. Redheaded, Irish, cantankerous, and mysterious. Also moved to Florida with Eleanor and June and family in the late 1950s. If Eleanor is the embodiment of Bea Arthur on the Golden Girls, Margie is Estelle Getty.

Augusta Bonhag: Wilbur's mother, Eleanor's mother-in-law. No other important news on her as she died so long ago my mom barely remembers her, but isn't her name just the greatest?