Name/Title
Cooking with MattieDescription
Glessner House
Chicago, IL
In early March, just before shutting down for the pandemic, Glessner House offered a special week of programming honoring Mattie Williamson, who had served as the Glessners' beloved cook from 1892 until 1912. Curator William Tyre and Ellie of ElliePresents researched both the real Mattie and what life would have been like for a cook at the turn of the 20th century. Ellie developed the character of Mattie, accurate down to the uniform she made and wore during her presentations.
With the house closed to the public, Mattie wanted to remain connected with people, and the "Cooking with Mattie" column on the website was born. With restaurants closed and people cooking at home more than ever before, Mattie wanted to help them out. In each installment, Mattie shares historic recipes (or "receipts" as they were known in the day), based on cookbooks and menu books found in the Glessner collection. Her witty style makes the recipes seem easy, and the beautiful photographs of the food truly made your mouth water!
