TV Cooking Shows between James Beard and Julia Child

Part 7

• Kitchen Camera - Lorettann McQuay (1928-2005)

Remains somewhat of a mystery. The only substantive documentation is her obituary ¹ and a brief write-up in Cooking with the Experts by William Kaufman where it is stated she graduated from West Liberty State College and obtained a degree in Home Economics and was a teacher at her alma mater and a couple of high schools. She had a TV Show called Kitchen Camera with WTRF-TV in Wheeling, West Virginia in the mid-1950’s. She later worked as a Home Economist for the Wheeling Electric Company.

One of her recipes ( from Cooking with the Experts pages 162-163) follows:

Peanut Chocolate Sauce

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup peanut butter

Combine the chocolate pieces and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler; heat over boiling water until chocolate is completely melted. Add milk and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Serve warm over ice cream or cake.

• Cookin’ Cues - Charlotte McWhorter

Charlotte McWhorter was the Society Editor for the Arkansas Gazette for five years and did a radio show “ Women’s Point of View” before coming to WGR-TV in August 1954 in Buffalo, New York to host a TV Cooking Show called “Cookin’ Cues”. It was on 5 days a week. She interviewed chefs and prepared dishes which the audience ate afterwards. She married A.E. Balter at the beginning of 1955 and left the show with no immediate plans 6/3/1955.

One of her recipes can be found in William Kaufman’s “Cooking with the Experts” pages 199-200:

Deep Dish Lemon Pie

Pie Shell:

1/1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening (lard preferred) 4 tablespoons water

Roll on floured board and place in a deep pie dish, prick with fork and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes

Filling:
5 tablespoons cornstarch 1 1/2 cups sugar

Juice of 2 lemons 6 eggs, separated

2 cups water pinch salt

3 tablespoons butter (add when mixture is cooking)

Mix cornstarch with small amount of water, then add remaining water and sugar, salt. Cook together and, when beginning to thicken, add egg yols, slightly beaten, when thick, add lemon juice and butter. Pour into baked pie shell and top with meringue.

Meringue:

6 egg whites 12 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat egg whites until past frothy stage and begin adding the sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat until very stiff. Do not beat lemon juice flavoring in the mixture with a beater. Use a large spoon. Top the pie and return to a 400 degree oven until meringue is golden brown.

Yield : 6 servings

• Chef Melani Cooks - Joseph Melani (1892-1965)

Joseph Melani was a well-known Radio/TV personality in Hollywood during the 1930’s-1950’s. He appeared in approximately 20 films ( mostly in unaccredited roles) and was connected to at least 4 TV Shows including You Bet Your Life and Talent Parade. During WW2, he was the Food Director of the Hollywood Canteen - a social club for servicemen departing for enlisted service overseas.

https://www.messynessychic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/hollywoodcanteen1-1.jpg

With respect to cooking, he was notably involved in the TV Cooking Show Chef Melani Cooks in the mid-1950’s.

• Lady of Charm - Edythe Fern Melrose ( 1897-1976)

Excellent reviews of Edythe Fern Melrose’s life and career are available on Fornology.com below:

- https://fornology.blogspot.com/2020/12/edythe-fern-melrose-lady-of-charm.html &

- https://fornology.blogspot.com/2021/01/detroits-lady-of-charm-brings-home- bacon.html

In reviewing these, she obviously made a very significant contribution to the advancement of women and also was an early leader in associating and promoting manufacturers and food products with TV Cooking shows. Her program The Lady of Charm ran on WXYZ-TV in Detroit from 1948-1960.

Another distinction she achieved was to become the first woman in American history to serve as the General Manager of a radio station in 1934 in Cleveland, Ohio.

One of her recipes follows from William Kaufman’s Cooking with the Experts ( page 213).

Butterscotch Nutmeg Cake

3/4 cup butter 3 eggs

3/4 cup dark brown sugar 2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup white sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Melt 1/4 cup of butter and cook until light brown. Place in mixing bowl with the brown sugar and salt; cream, then add 1/2 cup of butter and cup of white sugar; whip lightly, adding 3 eggs, one at a time. Whip until fluffy then add buttermilk or sour milk alternating with the cake flour that has been sifted with the baking powder, soda and ground nutmeg. Blend smoothly. Preheat oven at 360 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

• Chicago Cooks with Kay Middleton - Kay Middleton

Kay Middleton was born in Toronto but her family moved to Manitoba where she was educated at the Rupert’s Land Ladies College and later at the University of Manitoba graduating with a degree in Home Economics. She did post-graduate studies at the Mayo Clinic and worked briefly at the Morden Hospital in Winnipeg before joining Eaton’s Test Kitchen where she created recipes and tested kitchen equipment.

In 1935, she became the Winnipeg Evening Tribune’s Home Economics Editor and contributed over 4000 columns and over 7000 recipes before moving to Chicago to join the Household Finance Corporation as editor of its Consumer Education Bureau in 1948. Prior to leaving Winnipeg, she had also hosted a radio show called “A Winnipeg Home” and written a cookbook. During WW2, she was deeply involved with food rationing and household economies through the Women’s Canadian Club.

In 1951, she hosted a TV Cooking Show called “Chicago Cooks with Kay Middleton” which was on the air on WGN-TV until the end of 1952.

Finally, she co-authored a cookbook called “The Art of Cooking for the Diabetic” which was extremely popular and has sold over one-half million copies.

An example of her column in the Winnipeg Evening Tribune is below:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/christiansphotos/6522773615/

• The Menu Maker - Marjorie Ramsey

Marjorie Ramsey was a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in Home Economics. She also went to the College of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio and Marshall College. She became a Science and Music teacher at a junior high school; a Biology instructor at a high school and a Music Education supervisor at West Virginia University.²

She presented the TV Cooking Show “The Menu Maker” in 1954 for WSAZ-TV in Huntingdon, West Virginia 5 days-a -week.

A recipe included in Kaufman’s Cooking with the Experts ( page 210) follows:

Cherry Pudding

1 cup flour 1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk 1 Number 2 can cherries

1/4 pound butter

Melt butter in baking dish. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk in a bowl, stir until smooth and pour over the melted butter. Empty the can of cherries, including juice, over the batter and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees foe 30 minutes, or until done.

• Kitchen Magic - Pearl Silverson

Pearl Silverson was born in Oklahoma; obtained a degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma; spent a couple of years free-lancing newspaper articles and spent three years as Publicity Manager and photographer for the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce before moving to Memphis, Tennessee after marriage.³

She applied for a publicity job with WHBQ-TV and ended up hosting the Cooking Show “Kitchen Magic” in 1953-54. A short story about her appeared in the Commercial Appeal which one can access: hhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/769939180/?match=1&clipping_id=174852689

She left WHBQ-TV to host the Kitty Kelly Show ( a women’s general interest program) on WREC-TV in 1955.

One of her recipes follows ( Cooking with the Experts; page 98)

Chicken Henriette

1 frying chicken , cut up 1 stalk of celery

1 medium onion 2 tablespoons chicken fat

1 small carrot salt to taste

2 cloves garlic pepper to taste

Dice and saute vegetables in chicken fat until golden brown. Remove vegetables and brown seasoned chicken quickly on all sides in the same skillet. Put sauteed vegetables over chicken, cover skillet tightly with lid, turn heat down and let steam in own gravy until chicken is tender. This has been a favorite in our family for generations. To get the most out of this dish, cook it slowly in a utensil that cooks well without water. That way the gravy will be out of this world. Remove garlic before serving.

Yield : 4 servings

• Home Making with KSD-TV - Wilma Sim

Wilma Sim graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Home Economics. While still in college, she ran a daily homemaking program on the college radio station. After graduation, she took a position as a 4-H County leader in Minneapolis. Subsequently, she ran cooking schools for Swift & Company for audiences as large as 6000 attendees covering a territory of 23 States. ⁴

In March 1950 she accepted the role of host for “ Homemaking with KDS-TV” in St. Louis, Missouri which was shown 5 days a week showing how to prepare a complete meal. Some of her recipes can be looked at:

https://www.newspapers.com/image/140271983/?match=1&clipping_id=174858045

In 1957; WDS-TV reduced the show to 5 minutes a segment. In 1959, she married Frank Grossenbecker and they moved to South America to live for several years. However, by 1963, she had returned to work for the Farm Journal.

She won many awards and was one of 21 awardees by the St. Louis Media History Foundation for their contributions to the early years of television.

• Six is Cookin’ Show - Betty Syx

Betty Syx graduated from Oho University with a degree in Education. She taught Home Economics at the Ross County schools and did high school demonstrations throughout the South. She became a service representative for the Quaker Oats Company and then as a food lecturer and demonstrator for the Ohio Fuel Gas Company.⁵ She took the role for her cooking show with WTVN in Columbus, Ohio.

The following is an example of of her recipes ( Kaufman page 90):

Meat Ball Skillet Meal

1 pound ground beef 1 egg

1 package frozen mixed vegetables 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons fat 3 tablespoons minced onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

3/4 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup soft bread crumbs

Cook mixed vegetables until tender-crisp. Combine ground beef, egg, 1/2 cup milk, bread crumbs, salt, mustard, celery, pepper and onion. Shape into small balls and brown for approx. 12 minutes. Push balls to sides of skillet. Combine 3/4 cup of milk and soup and place in center of skillet. Place vegetables in center; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover skillet. When mixture starts to boil, turn to simmer and cook 10 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings

1. Cooking with the Experts; William Kaufman; Random House; 1955; Brief Biographies of Television’s Best Cooks

kepnerfuneral.com/obituaries/Lorettann-Griffith-McQuay?obit=20936705

2. Cooking with the Experts; William Kaufman; Random House; 1955; Brief Biographies of Television’s Best Cooks

3. Cooking with the Experts ; William Kaufman; Random House; 1955; Brief Biographies of Television’s Best Cooks

4. Cooking with the Experts; William Kaufman; Random House; 1955; Brief Biographies of Television’s Best Cooks

5. Coking with the Experts; William Kaufman; Random House; 1955; Brief Biographies of Television’s Best Cooks