Judith Van Ness Recipe Collection

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: 2022-009

Staff Only

Content Description

This collection consists of recipes collected by Rochester resident Judith Van Ness. The receipes reflect her personal interest in low-sugar and vegetarian cooking at a time when these approaches to eating were first entering the American diet. The collection includes both recipes clipped from various sources and those written out longhand. A guide to the handwriting of various recipe writers is included with the collection.

Dates

Creation: Majority of material found within 1950-2010

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use in any current or future manifestations must be obtained in writing from the Rochester Public Library Local History and Genealogy Division.

Biographical Note

The donor provided the following biographical information on the creator of this collection:

Judith Lamb Van Ness (born 1932 in South Haven, MI) possibly started this recipe collection upon her marriage to Paul D. Van Ness, December 1953, in Jackson, MI. They moved to Rochester in 1966 and divorced in 1976. Judith’s cooking was heavily shaped by her diagnosis of hypoglycemia around 1969. Her father, Charles Lamb, died of diabetes at age 47. She considered herself pre-diabetic and strove to reduce sugars and carbohydrates in her cooking from then on. Sugary treats (cake, cookies, soda pop) were not permitted in the house.

Though she remained a lifelong omnivore, she was strongly influenced by Diet for a Small Planet (1971) and was an early adopter of vegetarian cooking, whole grains, soy products, and home bread baking. Later on, she began reducing sodium because of osteoarthritis. She added gluten-free recipes to her repertoire as well. The recipe box was donated by her youngest daughter, Cynthia Van Ness, after Judith’s move to assisted living in the Boston, MA area in July 2022.