By Lisa Schroeder

Crème de Cookbook Colorado

By: Junior League of Denver

The book I bought at the recent Friends of the Cumberland County Library Book Sale had a special seal on it’s front cover. There were also several signed notes from women in a Colorado Book Club, who apparently enjoyed cooking. This was probably a “going away gift” for Mari who was moving from Colorado to North Carolina… and either directly to, or by some circuitous path to Fayetteville, North Carolina. I am guessing you usually don’t give up a treasured gift, with all these signed well wishes, unless you absolutely have to… and at the fore of my suggested reasons is, “she died.” Also of note is that apparently Mari had a killer (my word) “finger licking good” shrimp dish and a kabob marinade.

I’ve found no other online image of this cookbook with the special gold seal (printed in the cover and not stuck on) Walter S. McIlhenny Hall of Fame, TABASCO – Community Cookbook Awards. My AI told me that this award was given for community cookbooks that sold over 100,000 copies, of which the Crème de Colorado book was one. *Another cookbook I bought at the same library book sale was “The Shadows on the Teche Cookbook” which is a plantation in New Iberia, Louisiana, the home of Tabasco, Avery Island.

“The Shadows on the Teche Cookbook” Cuisine of the Cajun Country

And, before I forget it. I know New Iberia is famous for peppers and hot sauce, but I recall that H. H. McIlhenny, the second in command of the U.S.S. Nantucket under Commander George L. Morton either went to New Iberia or had family there. This might have been after 1898.

---

Shadows-on-the-Teche is a historic plantation home and garden located in New Iberia, Louisiana. Built in 1834, the house is a National Historic Landmark and is situated on the banks of the Bayou Teche.

Here are some key facts about Shadows-on-the-Teche:

• History: The house was built for a wealthy sugar planter named David Weeks and his wife, Mary. It remained in the Weeks family for four generations. As a former plantation, the site’s history is deeply connected to the lives of the hundreds of enslaved men, women, and children who lived and labored there.
• Architecture: The two-and-a-half-story house is an example of Greek Revival architecture, with its prominent columns and classic design.
• Preservation: After its last family owner, Weeks Hall, an artist and socialite, died in 1958, he donated the property to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The preservation of the site is also credited to the “Dixie Bohemian” movement, a group of artists and preservationists.
• Tours and Exhibits: Tours of the home and gardens provide a balanced look at the lives of both the Weeks family and the enslaved people who were vital to the plantation’s operation. The tours use information from thousands of family letters and other artifacts to tell a nuanced story.
• Location: It is located at 320 East Main Street in New Iberia, Louisiana.

---

The hot sauce is “Tabasco” and the McIlhennys are the long-time family owners of the company. Small world, in that another cookbook I bought at the same library book sale “Crème de Cookbook Colorado” (and despite how it is written, I think it should be written, ‘Crème de Colorado Cookbook‘ because that is what they meant.), had a Community Cookbook Awards gold seal from the Tabasco Company.

“Eating Well Diabetes Cookbook” by Joyce Hendley

“Low-Salt Cooking” by Linda Johnson Larsen, KNACK Make It Easy

WeightWatchers’ “From Pantry to Plate” Cookbook.

I chose to pick up a salad from the Harris Teeter Salad Bar before going to the book sale. I took the salad with me and ate it in the Library parking lot. I bought mostly cook books again, but did get one Donald Trump parody, “Dumpty” written by John Lithgow. Some very creative verse. Many of these cookbooks were only 25 cents each. A few were $1 each.

It does say ‘City’ doesn’t it? I’m sure that the first time I heard this catch phrase, I probably laughed at Swansboro being called a city. I remember far enough back that Swansboro was a town, not a city. But several years ago, Swansboro stopped being a quaint little town. I think it happened before the Walmart was opened and well before El Catrin or Bamboo House opened. So to argue that some new development should not be built because it would ruin the nature of “the Friendly City by the Sea,” seems ludricous to me.

I have a picture of me, when I was probably about six years old, and I am standing with my new bicycle on my back porch. Mom had bought this bike at the Western Auto in Swansboro. Now Swansboro was a town then. But now if you start at the Western Auto, which surprisingly is still in the same place, and head toward Hubert & Jacksonville along Hwy. 24, you are going to encounter a myriad of businesses, on both sides of the Friendly City by the Sea. You’ve got banks & two credit unions. You’ve got two new car dealerships. Two grocery stores and a bunch of restaurants, Dollar Tree, and that’s before you get to the Walmart.

I ate at the new Burger King the first day it was opened, many years ago now. And their Drive-Thru is located where our old house stood when I was growing up. I don’t think I thought of Swansboro not being a town any longer that Sunday, but as part of the mix now, it helps make Swansboro more of a city than it’s ever been. And finally finish up your tour of all those businesses when you get to the new Bojangles.

Look at all the housing from Google Maps. How many churches?

No. That bus has left a long time ago. We still may be friendly, but small town, I don’t think so.

I was looking to make a shrimp soup with some hot pepper sausage, but had none. I couldn’t tell if a frozen patty of meat was either ground beef or sausage. I think it was ground beef, and pairing that with shrimp is unusual for me, but this soup turned out wonderfully. I would make this again. *And currently am.

Ingredients

• 10 Medium shrimp (41-50 count per pound):
• 3 oz. Ground Beef (or Hot Pork Sausage)
• 3 Tbl. Diced Onion
• 1/3 Cup Red Lentils
• 1 Tbl. Pearled Barley
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth (homemade or GV brand)
• Water to thin soup if necessary
• 3 oz. Assorted Peppers (Aji Dulces, Brazil Starfish, Chilaca, Trinidad Perfume)
• 4 Tbl. Cilantro (chopped and/or raw baby spinach)
• 1 Campari Tomato (medium, diced)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (diced)
• 0.5 Tsp. Cumin (ground)
• 0.5 Tsp. Turmeric (ground)
• 0.5 Tsp. Italian Herbs
• 0.25 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 0.25 Tsp. Fenugreek (ground)
• 0.25 Tsp. Garlic (powder)
• S&P
• 1 Tsp. Bacon Grease
• 0.5 oz. Tortilla Strips (for garnish)

ADDENDUM[]: I have tried adding various items to the above and they don’t make it any better, and maybe even make it not as good. Do not add the following:

• Carrots
• Pasta

[end]

Looks like this makes enough for two servings, but if it’s really good, then maybe a serving and a half.

I did this soup “on the fly” and it turned out really well, and then I had to go back and try to remember all the ingredients I put into it. *I had bought a bunch of peppers at Ronnie Moore’s Stand at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh on Saturday. They finally had all three of the “exotic” peppers I had enjoyed about 3 years ago: Brazilian Starfish, Trinidad Perfume and Biquinho Peppers. All three of these are basically mild and distinctly flavored peppers, but the Brazilian Starfish has sweet flesh, but hot seeds. *It almost looks like a curry, but it’s not. I guess though if you have cumin, turmeric and garlic all in, then you are going to get that appearance. *Odd, I am making this for at least the third time, but this time I had Hot Jamestown Sausage instead of ground beef. Odd? The soup pictured below has an almost milky look to the broth, but the one I am currently fixing has a darker, thinner broth. I double checked and I didn’t add any half-n-half to the original recipe. I just checked, and it may be the turmeric taking over and making the broth look orange. But, this soup is delicious again. Sort of an understated earthiness, with a little heat.

08/23/25: Yet again, and I get better at making it, and it is so delicious. I had some wonton strips and some blue corn tortilla chips and both were good. Some ciabatta bread would go well also. The pearled barley gives a chewiness. Added both cilantro and some fresh baby spinach.

09/08/25: Again, but with hot sausage, and didn’t add any spinach. I had a poblano so I roasted that in the oven and then chopped it up and put it in the broth. Not sure, but might work with garbanzo beans to provide more heft and maybe doesn’t need the shrimp. I think the secret to this soup is the turmeric. That provides the earthy bite for the soup. The little bit of pearled barley provides some chewiness. I also think the small amount of tomato is necessary.

Yesterday, Saturday, was the end of “Move In” Week for the NC State students so the Farmers Market was packed with people and few parking spaces. They were even parking on the unpaved areas.

After the Farmers Market I headed to Wegmans, but took the route I normally do, just not stopping in at Whole Foods (very unusual not to stop there). I think it was about the time I was turning on to Wake Forest Road, that I brushed my eye with my hand and some of the Capsaicin from the Brazillian Starfish pepper that I had eaten got in my left eye. Almost immediately it closed and I tried to make sure I didn’t close the other one too.

I went into Wegmans and as I did I noted that not only was my eye irritated, but my nose was beginning to run and be irritated. I walked my short look through the vegetable section and picked up a package of “Flavor Bombs.” I then went around to the bakery section, and first chose a Ciabatta Roll and put it in it’s own bag. Then walked down to the bagels and got a Blueberry Bagel and put it in a bag. Then on with a brief tour of the cheese counters, and around to where the Wegmans White American Cheese is located and got a package that was a little more than $3. I think the $3 range is what they shoot for in slicing and packing this cheese. I think it has better flavor than the Harris Teeter brand.

As I passed by an aisle display, I picked up one can of Garbanzo and one can of Cannellini Beans @ $.79. I didn’t need them, but it’s habit and they were only 79 cents a can. I walked down a couple of other aisles, but really wasn’t looking for anything and then headed over to the aisle that had the Zero Sugar Snapple Peach Tea. It’s only $2.99, I like the flavor, and the first time I bought it, I was looking for a cheap drink to have out in my car, for lunch as I made a sandwich from my Wegmans purchases. A little Dukes Mayo on one of their Ciabatta Rolls, then add some deli meat (Pastrami, Ham or Turkey) and then some of their White American Cheese. Just that makes a good sandwich.

As I was at the checkout, the clerk, a tall youngish black man, asked if everything was alright. I don’t think he meant anything about my appearance, but just the way he said it, and there was a man behind me in line, I said, “Well actually, if I hadn’t bought some peppers and then stuck my finger in my eye, I would be alright.” That gave me the opportunity to briefly share that I had bought some peppers at the Farmers Market, and then got the heat in one eye. The man behind me spoke up about not being able to get that off your hand, and I agreed that no matter how much you washed your hands some still stayed on them. As I started to walk off, I looked back and both he (the other customer) and I wished each other a “Have a good day.” *That was probably the most rewarding part of this visit to Wegmans. It’s nice to find friendly people to “play with” during recess. The World would be a better place if we all could get along as well.

I was watching a commercial and the announcer asks the question, “What’s the difference between opening a giant can of Whup Ass and a tiny can of Half Assed?” I was thinking about this phrase yesterday and couldn’t quite get what it was. Glad I just saw it again about 12:25 am.