In my research and writing as a food historian, I have used the contributions of food writers in African-American newspapers such as the Atlanta World, Chicago Defender, Pittsburgh Courier, and others. These are food writers whose careers intersected with Jim Crow and De facto Jim Crow restrictions that prevented white owned and operated newspapers from publishing their work. Similar to other contributions of African Americans, their work has not yet received deserving recognition. I decided to share their stories and recipes here.
Who was Arden H. Duane? I came across his name as a food writer who had a syndicated column with the American Negro Press called "Chatting with Arden H. Duane." The column ran in the pages of African-American newspapers such as the Atlanta Daily World. There is a story he published in 1936 about one of my favorite Christmas desserts, fruitcake. Duane calls "fruitcake the all-star" of any holiday feast. It is a dessert that "improves with age" as the "fruits and spices develop a ripened food perfume that's delectable." The following are fruitcake recipes Duane published that I will run over the next couple days because there's are several of them.
Snowy Fruitcake Recipe
Ingredients
2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups butter
1 and 3/4 cups sugar
3 and 1/2 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated coconut
1 pound blanched and shredded almonds
1 pound finely cut citron
1 cup chopped candied pineapple
1 cup chopped candied cherries
1 cup evaporated milk
4 large beaten egg whites
Instruction
Add sugar gradually to the creamed butter in the mixing bowl. Measure flour, putting 3 cups to sifter with the baking powder and salt sprinkling 1/2 cup over the mixed coconut, almonds, citron, pineapple and cherries in a bowl. Add the sifted flour mixture to the sugar and shortening alternatively with the milk. Fold the beaten egg whites into batter; then fold the flowered fruits and nuts into it. Pour the batter into a greased pan. Bake one 1/2 hour at a slow temperature and 1 hour at a very low heat. (Atlanta Daily World December 1, 1936)
