The legacy that legendary caterer Josephine Connor left behind is still holding on strong today through recipes shared from her beloved assistants and her book, I Promised a Cookbook.

 MARINATED ASPARAGUS

This recipe was published in I Promised a Cookbook and used frequently by her assistants.

2 large cans asparagus
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
10 whole cloves
3 sticks cinnamon
2 tsp. celery seed

Drain asparagus well and place in flat glass casserole dish. Bring remaining ingredients to boil and boil until sugar dissolves. Let stand 5 minutes for flavors to blend. Strain and pour over asparagus. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours to overnight. To serve, drain asparagus and place in bunches on individual plates. Garnish with a strip of pimento over one end and a celery stick beside each serving.

FROSTED SANDWICH LOAF
This was one of Mrs. Conner’s more memorable specialties at teas and receptions. Rebecca Hawkins has kept this recipe variation in her files all these years, which Mrs. Conner also published in I Promised a Cookbook.

Use one loaf of unsliced sandwich bread. Trim off all crusts and slice lengthwise into five horizontal slices. Spread each slice a thin covering of mayonnaise. Then make a recipe of your favorite chicken salad and egg and olive spread. Other fillings may be substituted. Alternate the fillings.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 tsp. milk
2 T mayonnaise

Cream cheese with milk and mayonnaise to make it spread easily. You may color a portion for the inside icing of the bread, leaving larger portion for icing the outside of the loaf. Decorate as you like or for the occasion. The loaf makes about 17 nice slices.

AMARETTO HOT FRUIT COMPOTE

From the journals of Rebecca Hawkins

1 large can (about 15 or 16 ounces each of peach halves, pear halves, pineapple chunks, apricot halves, and pitted dark sweet cherries)
2 bananas sliced
2 tsp. lemon juice
12 soft coconut macaroons crumbled
1/3 cup almonds (toasted in 1/4 cup of butter)
1/3 cup Amaretto

Drain all fruit well. Mix and layer fruit in casserole dish alternately with the macaroon/almond mix, adding a little Amaretto after each. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.