A cookbook in honor of Columbia's Wilde Lake village's 30th anniversary will be sold this weekend during the town's 30th birthday celebration at the Columbia Festival of the Arts.
The 197-page book, "Wilde and Wonderful Recipes," is a compilation of about 250 recipes sprinkled with bits of history and personal recollections from village residents.
The book, initially available by special order and at a birthday celebration in Wilde Lake on June 7, has sold as many as 400 copies at $6 each.
"The personal touches make it very, very special," says Bernice Kish, village manager.
The recipe for Wilde Lake Chili, for example, which includes cumin spice, has been "used for events on the [Wilde Lake Village Green] for probably 30 years," says Kish.
Included is a recipe for crab cakes from Columbia founder James W. Rouse. The recipe, copied in his handwriting, lists mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce -- and "six crackers crushed -- no bread" -- among the ingredients.
All recipes come from Wilde Lake residents, many of whom are Columbia's so-called pioneers -- its first residents.
Over the last several months, Kish and Janet Blumenthal, village board chair, posted fliers and put up posters calling for contributions to the book.
Interspersed with such recipes as Champagne Matzo Balls and Potato Omelet are pieces of trivia about Wilde Lake: The village is Columbia's smallest with the exception of River Hill, which is still growing. It has five tunnels. There is just one undeveloped lot in Wilde Lake, in the neighborhood of Running Brook.
Local artist Robert W. Kramer designed the book's cover -- a sketch of the Wilde Lake dam and park -- and added eight other sketches inside.
Pub Date: 6/18/97
