Home Cooking

This snack combines healthful peaches with sugar-free Jell-O for a sweet dessert. The recipe is courtesy of June Stolins, a member of Taking Off Pounds Sensibly, Maryland chapter No. 0308. TOPS is a national nonprofit, weight-loss support and wellness education organization, which was founded in 1948. TOPS encourages healthy eating, regular exercise, as well as supplying wellness information, recognizing members and offers weekly chapter support. For more information about TOPS, call June at 301-582-4821.

This is typically a Mauritian condiment that can be served with rice, fried fish or lentil stew. - Kelly L. Rajahpillay, office manager for The Presbyterian Church of Hagerstown. For more information about the church, call 301-739-6337. Pickled mixed vegetables 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/2 to 3/4 cup of olive oil, or more as needed Salt to taste 3 tablespoons ground turmeric 1 1/2 tablespoons ground mustard 3 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into florets 1/2 pound of green beans, sliced lengthwise into thin strips 1 small head of cabbage, finely shredded 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced lengthwise (see cook's note)

Harriet Muldowney has been a member of the Singer Society for a decade. The Singer Society is a volunteer organization that supports the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, providing refreshments at exhibit receptions, leading tours and helping around the museum. Muldowney brought this recipe to a Singer Society event, and the recipe subsequently appeared in the Society's newsletter. People interested in volunteering with the Singer Society should contact the museum at 301-739-5727.

I come from a Pakistani and Indian background when it comes to cooking. Every aspect of my culture has a food related to it. For the monsoon season, for example, we prepare fruit- and floral-inspired dishes with lots of colors to remind us of the coming of the harvest. I learned to cook when I was about 13. We were a big family. As my mother and aunts would prepare traditional foods for celebrations, or even regular Tuesday night meals, my sisters and I would help. It was communal and fun. My Catholic faith is a direct reflection of why being a chef appeals to me. The food-artistry is inspiring, and breaking bread together, sharing it and receiving it brings us closer to serving God and one another.

This recipe was given to Jerry Rowe's mother many years ago by a lady she did housecleaning for. The lady knew Rowe's mom was always looking for good recipes to feed a large family on a limited budget, and this was one of them. Johnny M Casserole, sometimes called Johnny Marzetti, is a baked pasta dish rumored to have originated at Marzetti's restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. But Kate Hill, a T. Marzetti Co. spokeswoman, said that is not the case. "According to the company historian (and one of the original T. Marzetti Company employees)

One of my best friends, Jean Holliway, makes this dessert. A group of women get together once a month at a group member's home. She makes this cheesecake. It's a very dense, rich cheesecake. I commented to her how I liked it. She gave the recipe to me. I make this every Christmas for our dinner. My family every year says, "Are you going to make that cheesecake?" My one son eats about half of it. To decorate, I buy a can of cherry pie filling and spoon some over each piece as I serve it. You could also use a raspberry pie filling.

Debbie Hardin is a fixture at the City Farmers Market in downtown Hagerstown, where she has sold homemade hard candy for 22 years at her vendor's stall, Deb's Delights. Hardin says she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother, and she always cooks from scratch. A couple of her specialties are banana bread and macaroni and cheese. This vegetable recipe features fresh, garden produce and bacon or ham, all available at the City Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. Hardin is a vendor at both City markets - the historic City Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings and Market Faire on Thursdays.

Heather Carter lives in Cascade. She is a member of One Mountain Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote educational programs, historical preservation, community improvements, cultural activities and projects that benefit the greater Cascade-Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., area. Carter was born in Hagerstown, but grew up on or near U.S. Navy bases across the country. Her family came back to Hagerstown for holidays to visit relatives. She said she remembered her aunts' cooking - cold pickles, molded salads and shrimp casseroles.