Wilmington, the small wonder
Approximately 30 miles from our area travelling south is Wilmington, Delaware. It is the largest city in Delaware. First occupied and developed by the Lenape Indians, it was built on the site of Fort Christina where the Christina and Brandywine Rivers join, with the Christina River flowing into the Delaware River. It was the first Swedish settlement in North America and named after the Duke of Wilmington
Only one small battle of the Revolutionary War was fought in Delaware in 1777 – the Battle of Brandywine. Thomas Kean of Delaware was the signer of the Declaration of Independence forming the American Colonies.
During the Civil War the Wilmington area was a border to both Confederate and Union causes which enabled the area to flourish. By 1868 Wilmington produced more iron ships than the remainder of the country. It was also first in the production of gun powder followed by the building of carriages.
Wilmington was vital to both World War I and World War II with efforts in ship building, steel and chemical production. In the 1950s the population expanded further outside the city.
Wilmington is actually divided in two. On the west side of Market Street it is rocky and hilly – on the east side it is flat, low-lying and marshy. The 17 square mile area, first a borough, became a city in 1832. The census of 1820 was just under 5,300 – the estimated population in 2015 was 72,000. 58% of Wilmington’s population is African American with the largest ethnic make-up being Irish, Italian, German, English and Polish. Today there are 45 neighborhoods with nine areas designated as historic districts.
Crime and public safety has been an on-going problem in Wilmington. At times it has received some harsh labels. In 2014 Newsweek Magazine called Wilmington “Murder Town U.S.A”. The police force works hard to reduce fear and incidences of crime.
Wilmington is reportedly the longest occupied American city by the National Guard and Delaware State Police -- from April 1968 to January 1969.
Due to the assassination of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King riots and unrest broke out in the city. After one week the mayor was ready to withdraw the troops, but the governor kept them in place until the end of the his (governor’s) term.
Much of Wilmington’s economy is based on the healthcare industry. Here is a list of the top five employers: State of Delaware, Christina Care Health System, DuPont, Bank of America and Walmart.
The city is home to Wilmington Station (railroad hub) where approximated as high as 700,000 have passed through. The 1990s revitalization of a former shipyard was a forerunner of redevelopment in the downtown area.
An active and diversified ethnic population offers festivals, cultural events, heritage celebrations, classics, and marathons. Food to enhance these activities make up the cuisine of the city. In addition the city offers many museums, galleries and gardens, along with the waterfront attractions. The state of Delaware may be small in size (the only state smaller is Rhode Island) but, it has much to offer. Ethnic foods as well as southern influences make for great food and dishes.
Black Friday Bobbie
For some there is never too much turkey – especially great the Thanksgiving weekend or any time for that matter. Following for each sandwich: 1 (9”) hoagie roll 4 oz. thinly sliced cooked turkey
4 oz. prepared turkey filling ¼ cup cranberry sauce Mayonnaise Salt & pepper Split the roll in half lengthwise. Spread each side lightly with mayonnaise. On the bottom half of roll layer the turkey, filling and cranberry sauce – salt & pepper to taste. Cover with top of roll. Cut in half and enjoy.
Watermelon, Tomato & Feta Cheese Salad
Delaware is the largest grower of watermelon in the country.
3 cups – 1” cubed watermelon (about ¼ of 3 lb. melon)
2 large tomatoes, cored & cut into 1” pieces 8 oz. cubed feta cheese 2 ½ Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped mint 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. freshly grounded black pepper
Gently toss watermelon, tomatoes and feta cheese together in a large bowl. Chill for at least one-half hour. Combine remaining ingredients together and drizzle over chilled mixture.
You could run a wooden skewers through watermelon, tomatoes & feta cheese and drizzle dressing of lime juice, mint and oil on top.
Slippery Dumplings
1 cut-up stewing chicken (4 to 5 lbs.) 4 chopped celery ribs 1 medium chopped onion 1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon 2 tsp. poultry seasoning Salt & pepper
For Dumplings
2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 2 Tbsp. shortening ½ cup hot chicken water Season chicken pieces with salt & pepper. Place chicken, celery and onion into a Dutch oven. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender (about 20 minutes per pound). Remove chicken and keep warm. Add water to measure 4 quarts – set aside ½ cup. Add in bouillon and poultry seasoning into water. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt- cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter or two forks – until mixture crumbs. Add in chicken water set a side (a little at a time) to make dough. Bring back the broth to a boil. Roll out dough on floured surface and cut into 2” squares. Drop one at a time into the boiling water/broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook dumplings uncovered for about 15 minutes (until tender). Combine chicken and dumplings together. Serve while hot.
CELEBRATE LIFE EVERY DAY!
Let me hear from you: banjack303@verizon.net. Search YouTube for Look Who’s Cooking as well as phoenixvillenews.com for this column. Find Bette on Facebook by searching “Bette Banjack’s Downtown Kitchen.”