Up Close with Cathy Unruh; Carolyn Quick Tillery

This special presentation was produced in high definition by W. edu Tampa St. Petersburg Sarasota. She has chronicled the collinearity tradition stories and triumphs of diverse American experiences from Southern cooking to military spouses to African-American colleges. Her latest work the military wives cookbook traces the unique contributions of women throughout history serving both family and country. Meet Carolyn quick Tillery. Coming up next. Carolyn quick Tillery currently manages the United States Central Command a family readiness program. It sustains families in times of peace crisis and war. She is also a former Air Force officer prosecuting attorney wife mother and cookbook writer. In addition to her latest book The military wives cookbook she has authored the African American heritage

cookbook southern homecoming traditions and a taste of freedom. Carolyn welcome. Thank you so much. I have to tell you when I first looked at your book I knew it was a military wives cookbook and I was expecting green or brown or something but it's pink. Why Pink just uniquely a woman's color. And it's a Cammy background. So it combines being a woman and being a military spouse. And it's just a unique tradition and I find her womanhood to be a military spouse. And on the inside it's not just recipes you have photographs of and it's photographs you have historical anecdotes have songs contextual information that's all alongside these great meals so it's a sort of a collective history of food and culture. We're going to get to all that but let's start with your personal history. You say you are a military brat. Yes. Tell us where you lived and what childhood was like. My dad was a senior master surgeon in the United States Air Force we traveled all over the world wherever his order sent to us that was home.

My fondest memories are Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany where we were assigned when I was very young and we lived on both on the economy and on base and probably Plattsburg New York which was our last assignment. Remember hearing the 12 o'clock was so ring and that would bring my dad home for lunch so I had many fond memories of the military. What was the longest that you ever lived in one place as a child. While he was on active duty probably two years might have been the longest in an average that saw how often a military family moved so the child of the military moved 13 times during the military members career and your mother was a professional cook. She was not professionally trained but she certainly worked in the families. One of the three family's restaurants for any number of years.

Where and how if she was moving all the time. When my father died when my father retired excuse me in Plattsburgh New York we were there for an extended period of time and they managed to own a restaurant complex that included a road stand side barbecue stand a soul food restaurant and a Chinese restaurant. Then my mother mastered all three of those cooking styles and at one time or other operated all three restaurants how and why did she decide to do those three different things I can see the BBQ in the southern thing going together but going to little Chinese and I have no idea the restaurants were there when they bought them from another black couple. And so that was just what presented itself that's what she had just said. Did you get your love of cooking from her Do you think in from the restaurants. I certainly did not only my love of cooking but my love of cooking diverse types of food. When I grew up I mean you're too young to remember

this. The kitchen was geographically dislocated from the rest of the house. And so the cook was by yourself on holidays etc. and to get someone in the kitchen with her to keep her company my mom told stories. And so I know and I helped her do the things she didn't want to do like couldn't you know suffer in stuff like that. But I always associated storytelling with cooking and I think that's the genesis of all of my books is that there's some type of especially with women we share our culture and bond around the process of preparing meals so I've always enjoyed doing that. And that explains why we have so much of that in your book. But despite all that in the cooking and the love of all that you went to Tusky Institute and then you went into the effort. I did buy the opportunity once again presented itself I met a young man in college he was in ROTC and he said to me hey we're both going to have to work so you probably want to get into this Air Force ROTC

program you're so so that you can always have a job. After being on active duty for a period of time I was involved in a motor vehicle accident and medically discharged and did not have the security of having a job on active duty. And during that time they assigned husband and wives together so you didn't worry about being separated so I needed a portable career one that I could pick up with me and travel with and the opportunity again presented itself with those books. But in the middle there there was also a short lived career. There was a short lived law career after my motor vehicle accident. The military sent me to law school as a part of their vocational rehabilitation program and I af immediately after law school I clerked for Chief Justice of the Colorado State Supreme Court and from there went on to practice law as a prosecuting attorney in Colorado

Springs Colorado and then as with most military spouses the inevitable orders arrived and I had to pack up that career and find another one. So you said you just couldn't keep. It was one thing after another. But it's interesting to me that after being a military brat and living as she did you said I'm never going to marry anybody in the military. And your name is quick and his name is Taylor you said I'm going to marry somebody that's the last name starts with A and B so the two things you said you weren't going to do. You did. Let's start with why do you think you wound up marrying a military person. This is a long story but I just happened to look up one day we were taking our placement tests he walked through the door. I've been up all night with my girlfriend discussing the guys that we were going to college from their freshman year he didn't meet any of the qualifications. And I said he looks like he'd make someone a great husband. And I put my hip down and didn't think any more of it and lo and behold three years later we were married.

Just that one look as he walked in the door had I known that his name was Tillery. I would have scratched. You might miss just that one. And you've been married for over 30 years so we know that it really worked out it were it is working out. Yeah anyway. I'm so where were you living when you got the idea that you're going to combine your passion for the oral traditions in the kitchen and the cooking. All that came together and translated into books where were you then. We were in Montgomery Alabama where he was attending Air Command and Staff College. I thought that I was going to expand a law review article on the death penalty into a book and it was very depressing. And to to decompress in the evenings I would start tinkering with some of my mom's old recipes because we were in the south and the ingredients were readily available and we were near Tuskegee University now it was Tuskegee Institute at the time I attended and visiting quite frequently because we had the opportunity it was only an hour away. And I

started associated in the recipes with the stories of Tuskegee is founding and Booker T Washington and George Washington Carver and the whole agricultural. Movement of that era type those two together and that was my first book the African American heritage cookbook. And as you put that together and as fact as you put them all together I'm of the vintage photographs they all of history what do you do or do you just go to the library a lot what are your resources to find the histories and the pictures. Do a lot of research online. And after I've finished researching online and have a general feel for the history of the place I go to that place to discover the culture and then to the Library of Congress is where I get the the photographs and images that go into the book. But I'm often surprised to find something different when I actually visit the location than what I

imagine from their history the little tidbits that you pick up in the student's letter or diary excerpt or just by reading the student newspaper from that period. Do you have a favorite in this book a favorite story. It's my favorite story probably is the funniest one and that's Francis Rowe who found herself on the Indiana front tier and she was ranked out of her house not once but twice. For those not familiar with the concept if someone moves into the fort that ranks your spouse then you give up your house and it goes all the way down the line until everybody has settled in again. So the first time she's Frank in many military spouses can identify with this. Her husband was unavailable to come and help her so she had to throw everything large and small off the side porch and sat in that side

lot as the new officer arrived at one o'clock precisely. 10 years later the same thing happens to her except this time the officer said Oh we're not going to bother you. You're safe stay in your house. After she'd finished went to raw and seen the house polishing whatever it is that you do to a cab in that time. The officer decides that he wants that house that particular house and she said she'd made up her mind to one thing and it would be an I'll triple the little dinner that she'd planned for this officer and his wife. They would not enjoy it she would give it to someone who had a little less Honey to dispense and that's the one that I enjoyed the most part we don't appreciate those of us who are not in the military or married to military we don't really appreciate all the little nuances that happen. I thought you were going to say she did going to dinner but she put a lot of red pepper in it. Years later she met Jefferson Davis and writes of that as well.

Now the recipes that are in here some are yours some are others. Tell us about where the recipes come from. They come from a variety of sources so I have some that were passed on to me by friends and I made the my own with changes in them like the worrisome lasagna on page 182. And most of them are mine. And even when they are someone else's hearsay that you do make it and you change it and then of course you've created all the ones that are yours. That's a lot of cooking. Yes. So do you cook for fun. I do I cook for fun and entertainment and especially enjoy entertaining and I think that's just part of the heritage of being a military spouse that I grew up with. And do you ever just order takeout pizza. Very so. Talk quickly about the importance of food in our culture today you talked about when the kitchen was separate from the house that's where the women congregate and that's where they told stories and shared their lives how to how does food figure into our culture right now.

I think it's a bonding type of bonding that takes place we're an immigrant nation. And so there's no unique American cuisine. It's very little of it is unique to America. It's been influenced by immigrants in the Natives as well as the geography I think that today with the plethora of ethnic restaurants all across the country you have an opportunity to sample not only the cuisine but the culture of another country. And you think food is just as important in our culture now if I'm thinking of the fast food and how you do takeout and all that to eat. Give us important places that had an history. I think food in certain homes it's it still does have that importance especially in military homes where we travel so much. So we know that it doesn't you're having factor came in to visit you at home. You were preparing a meal of oxtail soup and you shared the story of General Libby Custer Letts. Take a look at that. Certainly military wives share a rich heritage and

tradition beginning with Martha Washington who would recall hearing the opening and closing sounds of almost every one of her husband's battles. She often would arrive to camp not only with medicine and supplies but with food for his troops continuing throughout history we saw such as be Arnold who was the founder of the forerunner of today's modern airmen and family readiness centers which tends to the needs of military families. Today's modern military wives share some of the same challenges as well as that heritage and history. Today we're going to discuss the Libby Custer and her dentures on the front tier. Custer was the wife of course General George Custer. She came from a very privileged background. She was the daughter the only child of a judge and didn't have much experience with hardship

but she learned it and adapted to the front here. And some of the challenges that many of the front tier wives shared probably one of the more difficult ones was providing enough food because there weren't local stores butchers etc. on the front tier that they could go to like buy supplies for cooking. Many of the items had to be shipped in today's modern commissary had it for runner in a chuck wagon on the front tier and they would ride for supplies. They often would arrive with meat in the form of livestock which was slaughtered daily to supply the families and everything that didn't arrive on that truck. And they grew themselves as they were in camp long enough from their vegetables garden interest only enough. The civil war. Brought a lot of innovation to the ability to prepare food. For instance Van Camp if you will remember Van Camp

pork and beans that was a civil war innovation that allow the soldiers to eat as they move. And as a result of canning they had more food options. One interesting story that I enjoyed was that General Custer loved the soup and he enjoyed having his troops over to enjoy a Afternoon me on on this particular day they were supposed to have General Custer's favorite meal which was stale soup which I'm preparing over here in this pop. Tiring came out. General Custer had a huge smile on his face and he opened it to me and there was a small amount of meat. There had been a stampede at the oxen that day and so there was no oxtail soup to sever the troops. Today I've prepared to oxtail soup that General Custer missed on that particular day. In those days. The livestock was

slaughtered daily. They take their cuts of meat bring it back to wherever they live and it could be anywhere from a tent to a home. So generally what you would find would be one pot cooking whether it's a stew or a soup and you would find them recycling food too. What began as last night's stew would be changed into tomorrow soup by adding vegetables and a little more liquid for instance. And that's what we'll do today. Today we've already started with the what was last night's do. We're making it to days vegetable soup. We serve the General Custer and his troops. Another thing. That front tear wives were particularly adept at is that they would. Find whatever wherever grew naturally for instance mushrooms they would take mushrooms and make mushroom soup. They also.

Were sportsmen they go hunting go fishing. And in that way they added to the supply of food. They could not trap sport a lot of luxuries and most often the women would share what little they had. Of board on two saw horses become a table. They'd add their grandmother's linen which somebody would have brought with them. Custer would recall that they never locked the doors to their houses because everything they owned they shared. This is the General Custer on the stand. Generally it would be served with some bread like corn bread or biscuits. If the spouse of the wife had servants or if not it would be served family style.

Military wives share a wonderful legacy it is a legacy that began with the very founding of this country and continues to this very day. More than the recipes they share a heritage and a history. They've served and they've sacrificed to ensure that our American flag continues to fly high and free as it has for more than 200 years. Now you said that women on the front lines during Libby Custer's time work collectively to support each other and the military they shared supplies how did they work together. Often there was no. Women work on orders. The only way that women could join their husbands is as a camp follower so there was no pretty import them or anything else. So if a woman came in off of the trail and her clothes were threadbare they'd hold a sewing bee and so her a new wardrobe. You would think that these women would only cook and maintain the home but many of these women were caught up in the actual fighting Margaret Corben was standing

by your husband's side at a cannon and at that time women poured the water on the cannons to cool them down and I would imagine that's what she was doing when her husband was shot dead. She took his place behind the can and continued firing the cannon until the battle was won. As a result of her her rowing efforts Congress passed a resolution awarding her one half a soldier's pay as well as a new suit of clothing or the monetary value there up. Angelica TRUMAN Well the bullets of battle were flying over her head set calmly in a tent making lead bullets so we have examples of another of a number of these women actually participating in battle. A lot of faceless nameless women had cartridges in their pinned up a prince which they ran and stood by to pick up the colors should they fall. In addition to serving as cooks and as. Doctors and nurses during that

period. Is it hard to find these stories to track that sort of history down. It's a forgotten history but it's readily available a number the women were educated so they kept diaries as well as wrote books Libby Custer wrote books to supporters so after her husband's death at Little Big Horn. Now of course you can't talk about all that without thinking of how its head is changed when both sexes are now as you say getting orders are in the military. How how does that look from your perspective how the military has changed over your experience and history. I think the basic culture has remained the same a culture of taking care of our own and supporting each other through the various phases of deployment etc. so that culture has remained true throughout the years. It's just that some of the roles have changed and or become more openly acknowledged that women leaders are actually are officially in uniform on orders in battle today were as in the past they were

but their commitment to the cause of liberty and keeping that American flag flying high and free has remained unchanged over more than 230 years. Do you see a time when you'll be writing a military husband's cookbook. Well you can see that coming. Let's talk about Michelle Obama's vegetable garden at the White House. What do you think. About that I think it's a super idea brings to the forefront the importance of nutrition and children's participation in that because you know she has school children that help with that. And in fact that's a national dialogue that's going on right now about locally grown food more sustainable agriculture versus factory farming getting your food from parts unknown where are you on that issue. Yeah I support it wholeheartedly and I think we do need to go but to a time where we have a greener because you're not transporting food so far to the table and as a result you have better food products on looking forward to that.

I know they have a farmer's market here in Tampa and would like to see that receive more recognition because as a cook it has to be more satisfying to just be able to to walk out and get food that you know is grown in your backyard. That's true. Either literally or in your neighborhood. Now we're at a time where you can find a recipe on the internet anything you want to Cookie go google and look at up so how do we keep the tradition of family and passing down family recipes alive. One of the things that I do is compile recipes because I forget them. For personal family cookbook and that's a great idea that she share with your kids and collect those recipes collect those family pictures those family stories and pass them on as a wedding gift or a graduation gift to the next generation it's very important that they have their own traditions because increasingly not just the military but all of America is becoming a more mobile society. And with all of that and with the proliferation of restaurants and easily affordable food

do you think we are are losing at all that that heritage to a certain degree. Possibly but not as much as many would think I remember after my grandmother's from Tampa from Ebor city and my cousin and I would walk to school and the crap deviled crab man would sell double crabs for a quarter. And for years and years I tried to find that when I returned to Tampa I found the recipe on line and have been practicing with it since. And it brought back a wealth of memories to me so I like that I can get on line in google and find what I thought was a lost but cherished recipe. Do you have any particular favorite style of food or ethnicity or. I don't it's whatever I'm in the mood for my mom in my travels have prepared me to cook anything from Thai and Thai food to Korean to Chinese to just down home

southern cooking I enjoy them all. And who eats what you cook we're talking about the soul that if you cooked every recipe in here that's a lot of cooking you're very much in shape. How do you feed it all to family friends. The mistakes used to go to my dog Missy who never complained she'd take a bite and sample it. But mostly friends and neighbors. You have lots of dinner parties and invite them over and have them test the recipe and say how do you like it when I have a book in production I certainly do. I have several dinner parties. Now is your job with US Central Command full time. It's a full time. It's called the Family Readiness Program tell us what you do there prepare families for all phases of deployment with information and information that enhanced says the quality of their life is. Members of the mobo military lifestyle we make sure that when they arrive to the base they have information about the surrounding area as well as programs and

services available to them as members of the military. What do you find that is unique to the spouse of today. What have you seen changed over the 30 years. Probably the availability of support programs online there is one called Military one source that I particularly favor available 24 hours a day seven days a week. A military spouse who happens to have a job which 98 percent of our spouses do as opposed to 30 years ago when 98 percent of the spouses were at home she he or she can get on line and find services and programs that they need. Had a really interesting varied career if you had to pick one highlight out of everything that you've done. Do you have one. A Probably graduating from law school and my husband is very supportive of that and it was again a MOBA. Note that while

he was on duty he took a remote so that I could stay and finish law school so that was a lifelong dream of mine and despite being part of the military I was able to achieve that in the military helped me do it well and have done a lot of pressure to appreciate you taking the time to be here. Well thank you it was a pleasure. Thanks Carolyn. For more information on Carolyn Quick tell me and the military wives cookbook you can visit Cumberland House dot com. All her titles are also available on Amazon Dot com. This episode of up close might be viewed in its entirety at you dot org. I'm Kathy Andre. Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time. On Up Close.