If you enjoy a diversity of restaurants, cuisines, and lively conversation, then Creative Cookery may be the perfect interest group to add a “little spice” to your life! The Manhattan Branch’s Creative Cookery interest group meets for lunch on the second Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. at a place selected by the chair. The current chair is Carol Dixon. Participation is open to AAUW branch members, spouses, and friends.
L to R: Lyle and Carol Dixon, Vadaline Strohm, and Marge and Richard McKittrick. Members not present: Marilyn Bunyan and Helen Whiteman.
When Creative Cookery was started in the mid – 1950’ s, according to one of its original founders, Vadaline Strohm, “participants took turns co- hosting dinners in their homes around a designated theme, country, or type of food. The hostesses would give programs about the type of food and shared recipes. The dinners were primarily for branch members, and husbands didn’t attend. However, the focus has changed over the years, and now the creative component focuses on exploring different restaurants.” But that is exciting, too, because the restaurant options have dramatically increased in Manhattan in last 55+ years.
The chair of the interest group coordinates the restaurant selection. When Marilyn Bunyan was chair, for example, the focus was on ethnic restaurants. Chair Carol Dixon likes to explore some of the new restaurants in town. The March 12th luncheon was held at the new, relocated Hibachi Hut Restaurant in down- town Manhattan, which has been an Aggieville staple since 1959. It was interesting to reminisce over the memorabilia, such as the nostalgic fishing photo on the back wall done by Manhattan photographer Rod Mikinski and the original booths that have all been reupholstered. The menu also included many of the long-time favorites, including the delicious Gaucho steak sandwiches and Bomb burgers. Yum!!! Husbands definitely add a “little spice” to the dining experience, such as interesting discussions with K-State’s professor emeritus in mathematics, Lyle Dixon, and USD 383 retired budget director, Richard McKittrick.
Contact Carol Dixon (lyledixon492@yahoo.com, 785 – 539 -7257) “to make reservations or just join in on the fun and friendship . . . another chair can always be added!”