A Tribute to Culinary Royalty
Long before celebrity chefs, food television, and performance art lifestyle gurus, there was the home cook. Characterized by love of cooking for the pure enjoyment, love of cooking for family and friends, and meticulous examination of recipes, cookery, ingredients, and presentation. Home cooks that created down-to-earth dishes, elaborate feasts, birthday cakes, holiday brunches, and more. Home cooks with all the makings and soul of professional chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, and home experts.
It was 1984, before the almost lost art of home cookery was revitalized, anticipation of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles was red hot, and my Aunt Rosemary Schorle gained the attention of Jo Ann Miner, Food Editor of The Orange County Register. My mom, Virginia, nominated Rosemary as a “Great Cook…with a talent for creating a total and unique dining experience.” My mom also being a talented cook and baker, as well as many others in our family. Rosemary’s famed themed dinners, complete with décor, warranted a multi-page feature in the newspaper.
It’s all in the story. Rosemary’s interest in cooking, as with many home cooks, began in childhood. She remembered making chocolate eclairs from a cookbook her brother had given her. Once married she developed more elaborate meals, enhanced by decorative items, such as plates, movie props, wardrobe, photographs, hydrangea flowers, fishing nets, and mannequin pirates. The treasures used to decorate for dinners all had a story of how she located the objects and about each items history. Her husband, Uncle Tom, appreciated her hard work and shared her love of a great meal. Always more important was the quality of food though.
As food editor Jo Ann Miner discovered, Rosemary did things with “full force.” Prior to the dinner with Miner and her photographer, Charlaine Brown, Rosemary prepared the menu, decorated her front yard, kitchen, dining room, and living room. Complete with a brawl-looking sailor dressed in captain’s garb, “jewels”, treasure chest, seafood restaurant matchbooks, wine bottles, burlap bags, fishing nets, dry ice fog, and barrels.
An engaging atmosphere enhanced by the sounds of the sea. Those recorded sounds of the sea came from a trip to Huntington Beach. As a family we acted as Rosemary’s assistants scouting out the best places along the beach to capture the sounds of waves crashing, sea-gulls, and cool breezes. This was to be a great seafood feast.
Rosemary’s Seafood Recipes
Black bean Dip served with fresh cut vegetables
Raspberry Dip served with fresh fruits
A Kettle of Tall Tales: lobsters, shrimp, scallops, red snapper, vegetables, wine, and herbs
Ripple Emeralds: leaves of chilled lettuce and lemon wedges to cleanse the palate
Gold Doubloons: sweet butter with saffron
Glittering Gold: homemade vanilla ice cream topped with pineapple sauce, flambéed with rum and cinnamon
Blackbeard’s Nightcap: Colombia supremo coffee served with rum topped with whipped cream (Rosemary and I shared a love for black coffee, yet this is a delicious sounding way to wrap-up a dinner.)
As a young kid it was exciting to see my aunt featured in the newspaper. Observing the photographer setup the lights, the deflectors, and taking test shots. How exiting to meet Jo Ann Miner and see part of the interview. A life of cooking and entertaining was almost predestined for her.
Rosemary’s bold mark on the culinary world and among food lovers was a mere byproduct though. It took her years of dreaming, innovating, and curating to create exotic theme dinners. That drive to learn, work hard, and use creativity is an inspiration in and out of the kitchen. Her desire to bring happiness to others, to be of service, and her own personal achievements is the real story here.
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| Jo Ann Miner, food editor (left), Charlaine Brown, photographer (center), Rosemary Schorle (right). |
She loved cooking, God, her family, being a grandmother, her great-nephews, gardening, and especially decorating for Christmas. Years later in 2016 Rosemary created one last grand feast. Her vibrant meal was the one she traditionally served to family and friends that attended for the holiday. Mexican food with all the side dishes. As a great cook the food was handmade with love, quality ingredients, and with authentic flavor. The house decorated inside and out with her vintage finds. Every room carefully trimmed for the holidays. “The Queen” had done it again.
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| Rosemary Schorle with her 'brawly sailor' and her portside environment. She is serving her bouillabaisse, 'A Kettle of Tall Tales.' |
In memoriam Rosemary Schorle
Join the Jesse Bluma at Pointe Viven circle:
Credits: The Orange County Register, newspaperarchive.com, Virginia or Steve Bluma
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