When Ragtime Was Young and Grandma Did the Cooking

About the Book

This was the era of Joplin and Ragtime! The sheet music was sold in several stores about town. Sedalia, not the average 1890's America town, was thriving and industrious. Railroad centers brought foods from far-away locations when available. Homes had carpeting, innovative kitchen appliances and state-of-the-art cooking equipment. Life was prosperous and full filling.

Imagine, just a mere 30 years after the Civil War, Sedalia had already established an all black college. A bustling community, women walked to the stores on weekday mornings to buy foods for the day. The ladies were attired in two-piece dresses with their small, steel handbags clipped to the waistband. They never carried cash, as everyone had accounts at local stores. The horse drawn wagons bustled about delivering milk, cheese and red meat products from the area farms. The railroads brought hard to find items, such as fish and shellfish from as far away as Boston.

When Ragtime was Young is an excellent presentation of a wide variety of recipes, charming graphics from the era and personal anecdotes about life a turn of the century, American town. Missouri and its people proved to be a driving influence toward the growth of America. A charming read, with marvelous recipes and era graphics.

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