Feminists Come Back To Kitchen

For years, the National Organization for Women has worked to shatter the stereotype that a woman’s place is in the kitchen.

Now, NOW is turning the tables again with its first fund-raising cookbook, “Don’t Assume I Don’t Cook: Recipes for Women’s Lives.”

Along with an array of recipes - from Susan B. Anthony’s cream biscuits to more modern temptations - the 192-page hardcover book includes stories and photos about the feminist movement and individual women’s lives.

And, NOW assures: “Even if you have no plans for cooking this decade, this volume will keep - just like every heirloom.” (Let’s hope it lasts at least another seven months, until the next decade begins.)

The book costs $18.95 plus $4 shipping/handling ($16.95 plus $1 shipping/handling for each additional copy). To order, call (202) 331-0066, ext. 354; fax (credit cards only) to (202) 785-8576; visit www.now.org or write to NOW Cookbook, 1000 16th St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20036.

Cucumber-land trail

Loyal readers will recall that a couple of weeks ago we passed along a pickle company’s claim that Spokane-bred crooner Bing Crosby’s first job was selling pickles, and promised we’d try to track down the details.

Well, we forgot all about it until a couple of hours before deadline, when a loyal reader called. She remembered reading that Bing’s younger brother, bandleader Bob Crosby, was once put to work picking cucumbers by their father, Harry, a bookkeeper for a local pickle factory.

Further research revealed that Harry Crosby indeed worked at a company called Inland Products Co., whose products included pickles.

Then again, one of Bing’s biographies lists his earliest employment as delivering newspapers for The Spokesman-Review. (Or was that dill-livering?)

On the lamb

For any lamb lovers who might have felt left out last week when we listed various meat barbecuing brochures, the New Zealand Lamb people have produced a free booklet of lamb grilling recipes.

Write to Meat New Zealand, 8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 240, Vienna, VA 22182, or call toll-free to (877) 487-5262.

In the can

Finally, a tip from reader Pat Gilica on smoking in a gas grill: Gilica uses a clean tuna can with the lid opened but still attached (burn off the plastic liner inside the can first before using it for actual cooking). Just put wood chips in the can, close the lid back down and place on the fire; that allows enough oxygen for the wood to smolder without burning up too fast.