This article written by Rita Heikenfeld appeared in the Community Press papers and is now on Cincinnati.com (part of USA Today network):

Return to the lost tea rooms of downtown Cincinnati

Reminisce with me for a moment, won’t you, about the lost tea rooms of downtown Cincinnati?

“It was a different time. Ladies wore gloves, hats and nice attire to luncheons at the Woman’s Exchange. Shillito’s provided a cosmopolitan environment for its patrons, while Mullane’s was the perfect place to sip and socialize. The popular Good Morning Show radio program hosted by charming Bob Braun, and later Nick Clooney, was broadcast from McAlpin’s Tea Room. Women gathered at Pogue’s and Mabley & Carew tea rooms to celebrate birthdays, as well as wedding and baby showers, over dainty tea sandwiches.”

That’s what is written on the back of Cynthia Kuhn Beischel’s latest book titled Lost Tea Rooms of Downtown Cincinnati (American Palate Press, $21.99).

You may remember Cynthia as the author of the now iconic book Virginia Bakery Remembered. Well, her latest book on the lost tea rooms of downtown Cincinnati is a delightful and insightful history lesson of our beloved downtown in an era when folks actually got dressed up to go downtown, even to shop. And it’s chock full of recipes and the stories behind them. It even includes beautiful photos of some of the food, along with photos of the actual menu covers and historical black and white pictures.

From mock turtle soup to Maurice salad to cucumber sandwiches to nectar sodas, the recipes will time morph you back to a mid-century bustling downtown Cincinnati.

My Mom and Dad started married life downtown and I like to think as a young couple they may have stopped into one of the tea rooms. If they did, they had plenty of places to choose from.

One of the most popular was the Shillito’s/Lazarus tea room. One of their most requested dishes was this ham loaf. It’s a nice way to use that leftover holiday ham.

Lazarus New England style ham loaf

2 pounds ground ham

1 pound ground pork

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix pork and ham until well blended.

Add the graham cracker crumbs, milk and eggs.

Mix all ingredients until thoroughly blended.

Place into two greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hour.

Slice and serve with pineapple sauce.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Pineapple sauce

20-ounce can crushed pineapple

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Pinch ground cloves

Combine the pineapple, sugar and 3/4 cup of water in a saucepan.

Over medium heat, heat to boiling.

Mix the cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup of water.

Add cornstarch mixture to the hot pineapple mixture and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and becomes clear.

Cucumber tea sandwiches

I adapted this only slightly from the book, adding 2 layers of bread and half-and-half instead of cream. A staple in tea rooms. Makes about 3 dozen.

3 ounces cream cheese

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 dash Tabasco sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

Bread

Finely chopped parsley for garnish

Mash cream cheese and blend with cream. Add everything but cucumbers and bread and blend well. Cut bread in small rounds (the size of your cucumber slice). Spread with cream cheese mixture; place a cucumber slice on top and sprinkle lightly with parsley.

Tip from Rita’s kitchen

English cucumbers work very well in this recipe. I don’t peel them.

Rita Nader Heikenfeld is an herbalist, educator, Jungle Jim’s Eastgate culinary professional and author. Find her blog online at Abouteating.com. Email her at rita@communitypress.com with “Rita’s kitchen” in the subject line.