WELCOME TO MIMI'S KITCHEN
A KITCHEN WHERE EVERY RECIPE HAS A STORY
Mimi's Origins
Mimi’s Kitchen began in 2013 when I was sadly held captive by my job in a cube farm. Like so many of us, I had a mortgage to pay and needed the job. The job, however, was consuming me. The people were great but the work was mind-numbing and stifling my creative spirit. I have always loved to bake so between spreadsheets I dreamed of cupcake flavors and fantasized about what to cook next. Chai cupcake topped with browned butter buttercream with a generous sprinkle of chai spiced raw sugar…
I baked my ideas, and began my journey of researching vintage recipes through junk store cookbooks and grandma’s recipe files. I discovered that some vintage recipes needed amended ingredient lists and updated tastes while others were just perfect as they were. I like to track recipes to their original source when possible and enjoy the stories of those who won contests and state fair ribbons. Recipes provide a peek into our past that is overlooked in classrooms and history books. The history buff in me asks the questions concerning what the recipes say both in their words and in their silence.
I invite you to join me in my kitchen as I introduce you to the fun ladies and their recipes that fed mid-century America. They were ladies of their time who paved the way for us to be gals (and guys) of our own time. Let’s honor them by cooking their favorite dishes with a few modernizing tweaks.
I am Mary Stuart, the reigning queen of Mimi’s Kitchen. I was born in the south and raised by southern parents. They moved me to Washington at the tender age of four without my consent. What was I to do at such a young age but agree to the move? So here I am 52 years later held in exile in the north.
My accent is pure Washington but my spirit continues to reside in the south where the food is outstanding, the people friendly, and tics, chiggers, and poisonous snakes are a continual threat. I think about returning to my southern roots most every day but those thoughts are fleeting mostly because my children and grandchildren live just a very short drive away. I could never leave them, not even for my beloved south.
About Mary
I am entirely home-taught when it comes to culinary skills but am university taught when it comes to my B.A. in linguistics and M.A. in history. During the day, I am a Latin and Humanities teacher, but my evenings and weekends are full of research, writing, and culinary skills.
Please join me in the kitchen where every recipe has a story.
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