Carlinville Christmas Market seeking recipes for its “20th Anniversary” Cookbook

CARLINVILLE, ILL – The Carlinville Christmas Market Foundation announced that it is compiling a recipe book in honor of the festival’s 20th anniversary, which will take place on December 4, 5, and 6 of this year.

The Christmas Market is focusing its efforts on recipes submitted by residents of Carlinville and the immediate vicinity. “We will give preference to Carlinville, since the Market is a Carlinville tradition,” said CCMF President Debbie Zilm. “But we also invite other ‘friends’ of the festival to submit recipes – such as non-resident volunteers and sponsors, as well as out-of-town vendors and entertainers who have worked with us in past years.”

Recipes should be typed, clearly printed, or photocopied from originals and should include the name, address, and phone number of the person who submitted it. They can be mailed to the Carlinville Christmas Market Foundation office – P.O. Box 18, Carlinville, IL 62626 – or dropped off at the Carlinville Chamber of Commerce on the north side of the square. There is no limit to the number of recipes any one person submits, but the deadline for submitting them is July 20. The cookbooks should be ready for sale by early November.

“We hope to collect recipes for a variety of dishes,” Zilm added. “We’re looking for appetizers, soups, salads, meat and vegetarian entrees, vegetable side dishes, breads and rolls, and desserts, naturally. If you have a great recipe that doesn’t quite fit one of those categories, send it to us anyway. We’ll find a place for it.”

Each recipe in the cookbook will include the name of the person who submitted it, as well as the name of the dish, which can include the original source: e.g., “Grandma Thelma’s pecan pie.”

“Great food is like great music; it’s universal,” explained CCMF Vice President Doug Downey. “Recipe books are always popular because people can use them all year long. For those who like to cook, it’s a great gift to receive. For those who like to eat, it’s a great gift to give . . . to whomever does the cooking.

“This collection will have special meaning for Carlinville and Central Illinois buyers, because they have an attachment to the Christmas Market. But even someone visiting from Alaska or Florida is going to appreciate recipes that put really good food on their table. And we have a lot of good amateur and professional cooks in our area.”