A Colonial Dinner to Remember

Alex and Barbara Shook, winners of the Derby Historical Society's 2^nd Annual Auction for an Open Hearth cooked dinner for 6 adults, made the evening into a family reunion with relatives Tony and Dona Egan and Buddy and Shawn Komagay. The dinner was held on Saturday, April 9, 2011, at the historic David Humphreys’ Home at 37 Elm Street, Ansonia.

Upon arriving, the men and women were escorted to separate rooms and dressed in clothing of the era of the Humphreys. After some conversation of the era, the dinner was served.

After winning the auction for a second year, the Shooks wanted a similar menu as follows:  hearty vegetable soup, seasoned pork roast with applesauce, buttered string beans with almonds, roasted potatoes and onions, corn muffins and biscuits, churned butter, pickled beets, and home made apple pie with vanilla ice cream. A special treat was whipped syllabub, a 1749 recipe from London, England.

The dinner was served in the Keeping Room where it was prepared, colonial style, by the docents, Elsie Valeski and Linda Milardo.

Junior docents Paige and Alyssa Orlofsky helped churn the butter and serve the dinner.

During and completing the evening, dressed accordingly, the 6^th  CR Connecticut regiment members, Robert Lecce, Anthony Lecce, Kaelyn Lecce and Michael Cardillo arrived and conversed with the Shooks and their relatives.  In the yard of the Humphreys home, they explained and performed with their artillery.  The sound of the firing of the musket was heard throughout the neighborhood.

INTERESTED IN BIDDING ON OUR 3^RD ANNUAL AUCTION FOR AN OPEN HEARTH COOKED DINNER, CALL 203- 735-1908.  Leave your info-you will be contacted when it begins.