Dishing with Mark and Carrie Dec 19, 2013

December 17, 2013

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Nephew of the Week: Andrew Sessions

When he’s not spending time with his husband Anthony, Andrew can be found behind the bar at Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor City. This hot hunk has one of the biggest hearts you will ever find.

Ybor City’s Molly Ferrara Historical Dedication

I was told that Molly would have really liked us. Molly Ferrara was elected Alcaldesa (Spanish Municipal Magistrate) of Ybor City in 1954. She was a proud Yborite business woman, political activist and spokesperson for over 40 years. She passed away in 1979.

The Distinguished Dedication Historical Marker is in Centro Ybor on 7th Avenue. Her lists of accomplishments were brought to the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council, on which I am a member of the board, by family members back in August. She is the first woman to have this historic distinction on a marker in Tampa. She was Tampa’s first woman tax collector in addition to running her Columbia Music and Appliance Store (which was next to Czar on 7th).

Ybor City Chamber of Commerce’s Anna Ramos told us that she had worked all through high school for Molly Ferrara at the music store. “She was a very good friend and boss,” she said.

In attendance was a very impressive line-up of Tampa leaders. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, attorney Barry Cohen, retired Appellate Judge E.J. Salcines, YCDC Manager Vince Pardo, retired Tampa Tribune photographer Tony Zappone (who also took the famous pictures of President John F. Kennedy in Tampa in November 1963), Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern, Tampa City Clerk and HCHAC Chair Shirley Foxx-Knowles, and family members.

I love historic preservation and she was truly a historic preservationist, community friend and Tampa Bay leader.

You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up!

In 1980 it was our first Christmas in Florida and we were students at USF. Carrie was working in the pharmacy at the VA Hospital. Mark was the photographer at the Sears Portrait Studio in University Square Mall and was a bartender across the street at Casa Gallardo Mexican Restaurant. Just outside the mall entrance to Sears was a Waldenbooks bookstore. There on the $1.00 table, as if it was telling us “just have it,” was an “Ideals Christmas Cookbook” (Ideals Publishing Corporation 602-1).

We took the book home and spent many hours planning out the Christmas Eve party. We gave a open invitation to everybody at Casa Gallardo Mexican Restaurant. To our surprise over 50 people showed up. Most were students like us and had no place to go. It was one of the best Christmas Eves ever.

That $1.00 book became our favorite cookbook over the years. Now every holiday we turn to this book, which is full of other recipes stuffed into it as well. There was one recipe that was our favorite that we have made every year since. We actually make it for every Thanksgiving as well as Christmas. It is our “pickled shrimp” family recipe. Here is a copy from the recipe from the book, complete with a gold star from Carrie! What is your favorite holiday recipe? Write and tell us and we will share to the world!