Culinary images by Frony

Garland D. Fronabarger was the resident food photographer for the Southeast Missourian when he wasn't covering the news with his Speed Graphic. A photograph appeared with a food feature nearly every week, so he took hundreds of pictures for the series during the 1950s and 1960s. Here are a few of photos:

Mrs. Charles E. Knote

Dec. 26, 1957 Southeast Missourian

Appetites satiated with Christmas goodies will welcome the tangy cheese dips featured for casual parties at the Charles E. Knote home in Cape Girardeau. Mrs. Knote finds that a dip bowl offered with an assortment of nibblers gets a party off to a good start.

Mrs. J.W. McBride

Nov. 8, 1956 Southeast Missourian

Oh Gee, cream puffs! This is the enthusiastic response which goes to Mrs. J.W. McBride when she surprises her children with one of their favorite desserts. And cream puffs are a favorite at the McBride home in Cape Girardeau. In fact, most any kind of egg and milk custard or pudding dessert goes over big with the McBride family.

Mrs. R.A. Lusk

Feb. 2, 1956 Southeast Missourian

Mrs. R.A. Lusk of Cape Girardeau, a busy homemaker with three young children, shares one of her time-saving Sunday dinner menus. In the Lusk home, the pot roast cooks while the family attends church. When they return, the vegetables are added and the meal is ready to serve in jig-time.

Mrs. Paul Rawson

March 8, 1956 Southeast Missourian

From the kitchen of Mrs. Paul Rawson of Cape Girardeau, come a couple of deliciously different ways to serve two of our old favorite foods--cabbage and round steak. Mrs. Rawson's cabbage slaw and steak pie are certain to sharpen the appetite. They also are a boon to the homemaker who wants to keep looking fresh and smiling after having prepared a family or company dinner.

March 28, 1962 Southeast Missourian

Vitamins and minerals are the things in which little girls three years old are least interested. However, Deborah and Elizabeth, twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Friedrich of Jackson, listen intently as their mother tells them it is good for them to eat vegetables.

Mrs. George A. Penzel

Jan. 26, 1956 Southeast Missourian

Mrs. George A. Penzel of Cape Girardeau shares her easy-to-prepare recipes for serving chicken.

Mrs. Leonard Schumacher

March 1, 1956 Southeast Missourian

Mrs. Leonard Schumacher of Cape Girardeau takes yellow corn meal, eggs, cheese and bakes them into a delicious, nutritious high protein dish that is a favorite with her family regardless of the season.

There's really no reason for the family to grumble about the "same old thing," when they know a meatless meal is coming up. Let the Lenten season with its meatless meals be a challenge--for it offers you an opportunity to introduce variety into family meals--variety in flavor, texture and color.

Mrs. Gene Harris

March 29, 1956 Southeast Missourian

Easter cookies come to life, but retain delicious taste

"It's fascinating to watch them come to life," commented Mrs. Gene Harris of Cape Girardeau, as she skillfully put the finishing touches on a very fancy Easter bunny. This special bunny and some companions from the fabled world were being fashioned for Easter from Mrs. Harris' favorite butter cookie recipe.

Mrs. Harris owns a collection of cookie cutters which shape these interesting little characters--and in the process makes the indentations to guide her paint brush. Needless to say, the brush is dipped into bowls of tastefully flavored and colored powered sugar icing.

Failure to have the cutter for a particular character is no obstacle. Mrs. Harris makes a cardboard form, places it on the rolled dough and cuts around the edges of the form with a knife. For the facial features and clothes, she makes the indentations in the dough with a few well-placed strokes of a blunt-pointed knife.

Mrs. Pertle Probst

Feb. 23, 1956 Southeast Missourian

Whole wheat story told by Jackson school nurse

The R-2 District school nurse, Mrs. Pertle Probst of Jackson, points out that whole wheat products have an impressive lineup of health-building nutrients--protein, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. In her opinion, whole wheat bread can justifiably be called the staff of life.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Mrs. Probst convincingly demonstrated to members of her PTA groups that whole wheat cookies, cakes, breads, etc. are simply chock-full of good flavor and good eating.

Mrs. Probst is especially partial to stone ground whole wheat flour. Although she owns a small electric mill and grinds some of her own flour, this type of flour is available locally.

Mrs. Ralph Popp

March 22, 1956 Southeast Missourian

Pineapple fritters from days of river steamers

The crunchy goodness of the pineapple fritter served on the Steamers Cape Girardeau and Golden Eagle left impressions of delight upon the Cape Girardeans who dined on the Mississippi River cruises of yesteryears.

Some time ago, Mrs. Ralph Popp of Cape Girardeau clipped the recipe for these much remembered fritters from an issue of The Missourian. With her innovations, these fritters have become a favorite dish of the Popp family. To make her family vocal in their appreciation of her cooking, Mrs. Popp serves them a luncheon of tomato cheese toast, tossed green salad and pineapple fritters.

In an audio slideshow, Garland D. Fronabarger talks about the beginning of photography at the Southeast Missourian with examples of his early work. The blog also contains links to more audio slideshows of Frony speaking along with his photographs.

Frony's early photography - audio slideshow

Galleries of Southeast Missourian images from the past may be found on the History page.