There is a strange, circuitous route to the subject of this column each week. Sometimes the subject is the result of my insatiable curiosity about all things food. More likely, the subject just pops up. The latter is the source of this week's writing.
On Monday of this week, the day I usually begin writing, my 3-year-old granddaughter was rearranging the bookcase in the hall, which is packed with my favorite cookbooks. To my surprise, she managed to pull out “The South's Legendary Frances Virginia Tea Room.” Many years ago I heard the author of this wonderful cookbook speak about the dining days of “yesteryear.” Immediately, I knew the famous Atlanta landmark would appear in this column.
The author of this remarkable view into the past, Mildred Huff Coleman, is the niece of Agnes New, one of the home economists/dieticians who owned and managed this classic restaurant. The Frances Virginia was the fabric of her life.
She recounts memories as varied as having lunch there as a seventh grader on her first visit to downtown Atlanta without adult supervision to her extended family's Thanksgiving meal. Her aunt's educational background in home economics/dietetics influenced her choice of profession. In fact, in researching the Frances Virginia online last night, I learned that Mildred did her master’s thesis using the Frances Virginia and the way it influenced the emancipation of women from the rigid confines of the 19th century. Absolutely fascinating reading for this Baby Boomer whose life experiences in the world are so different from those women in the early days of the 20th century.
Let me give you a quick history of the Frances Virginia. Frances Virginia Wikle Whitaker (1895-1962) graduated from Georgia Normal and Industrial College in 1917 with a degree in industrial home economics. In 1918 she worked through a dietetic internship at City College of New York. Returning home to Atlanta she began a career in hospital food service at Piedmont Hospital. She concentrated on diabetic research and education.
In 1927 she opened the Frances Virginia Tea Room on Peachtree Street. Through the years the Frances Virginia became a landmark not only in Atlanta, but also throughout the South. During the tenure of the tearoom an average of 2,000 meals a day were served. Even during the Depression the Frances Virginia gave away more than $48,000 in free meals to people impoverished by the Depression.
As a pioneering female employer in the 1920s, she provided all of her employees, white or African-American, with fair wages, insurance, free uniforms, vacation, two meals a day when working, a Christmas bonus and an impeccable recommendation when former employees changed jobs. All a former employee had to say was “I worked at the Frances Virginia” and the new employer realized what wonderful training the applicant had received.
She earned the respect of her customers, medical personnel in Atlanta and beyond, colleagues in the growing food service industry (she helped write the first restaurant sanitation guidelines for Georgia), state and national restaurant associations and paved the way for female entrepreneurs.
The field of home economics was beginning to be redefined in the early 20th century. Frances Virginia adopted the application of science and the philosophy of “municipal housekeeping” espoused by Ellen Richards and other early home economics leaders. Working within the philosophy of the nurturing side of women, professors in those early days encouraged their students to practice hospitality, wellness, harmony and nurturing within their profession. These qualities transfer easily from simple home economics into a method of promoting social change. Home economics rapidly became an accepted career for women outside the home.
Deciding on a subject for this column often comes new knowledge for me. My horizons grow and food for thought becomes a banquet. I am grateful to Mrs. Whitaker and her colleagues for paving the way for better working conditions and employment opportunities for women.
Ambrosia Pie from the Frances Virginia Tea Room
(Serves 6-8)
• 1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups orange juice
• 3 egg yolks (discard the whites or save for another use), beaten
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 2 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tblsp. grated orange peel
• 1 cup whipped cream or whipped topping
• 1 cup coconut (frozen grated coconut is preferred)
Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and orange juice in the top of a double boiler. Be sure the bottom of the upper pan does not touch the water in the bottom. (Double boilers are the safe way to do this. For the fearless, use a pan set right on the eye of the stove.) Cook the orange juice mixture over a low heat until the mixture is thick and clear. Using a whisk, stir often.
To the beaten egg yolks, add a small amount of the hot orange mixture, beating constantly. This will temper the egg yolks and prevent scrambled eggs in the pie filling. Pour the tempered egg into the filling mixture. Stir gently for about three minutes, making sure that the eggs blend into the filling without scrambling. (If the eggs scramble, push the entire mixture through a sieve. It will strain out the egg scrambles.) Remove from heat and beat in butter, lemon juice, and orange rind. Stir gently to combine. Let cool. Pour into the cooled pie shell. Cover with whipped cream and grated coconut.
To make neat slices, wipe the knife after each slice.
Fran Ginn is former chef/owner of The Back Door Café, who retired after 31 years in the food industry to be a grandmother. She can be contacted at fran@franginn.com.
