Sadly, as Henry and I lived a continent apart from the Karltons for 20 years, we were not able to partake of Jan's cooking. But her recipes live on, as will her memory in all those whose souls she warmed and nourished.
-- Carol Goldberg
In Pittsburgh, over 25 years ago, my friends held a bridal shower for me. In addition to my friends and family, several of the women from CMU's Computer Science community (the family I was REALLY marrying into) were invited. And, of course, Jan was there. In that pre-yuppie, pre-food-processor, pre-bread-machine era, showers were fairly mundane. I received random dish towels and basic utensils, most of which blended into the garden-variety kitchen necessities. I don't remember now what I received, much less from whom. But, I do remember Jan's gift. It was a gray, metal, utilitarian-looking gadget, with fluted sides, a tight-fitting lid, and a handle on top -- my first and only pudding steamer! How amazingly quirky, especially in those pre Williams-Sonoma days -- in Pittsburgh, no less! Leave it to Jan, the chef and artist to come up with such an item. I must admit, I have yet to steam a pudding. But my children had hours of fun with it in their sandbox and in their toy kitchen. I feel inspired to resurrect it from the basement, (I know it's still down there), and to steam a pudding in Jan's memory. Moreover, as was customary at the time, people enclosed favorite recipes with their gifts. I'm forwarding the two from Jan, as written by her exactly 25 years ago, to be included in the scrapbook. [ Alice Berthaume's Onion Oven Fondue and Baked Potatoes, Hasselbacken Style].Sadly, as Henry and I lived a continent apart from the Karltons for 20 years, we were not able to partake of Jan's cooking. But her recipes live on, as will her memory in all those whose souls she warmed and nourished.