Darlene Dranda

Cabbage to Cupcakes Darlene Dranda

It was a cold day in February 1966 when I gave notice at the Ohio Power Company. I was 19 years old and moving to New York City to work and study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. There was no office party send off, or cake or cookies. There was $500 in my pocket and one suitcase as my father and I arrived at the railroad station. He watched me board the train and waited until it was out of sight as I looked through the car window. I checked into the YWCA on 38th Street near Madison Avenue. I was within walking distance of 42nd Street and Grand Central Station. A few days later, I began evening classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Within the first week, I was employed by a title insurance company in Midtown Manhattan. I walked to work. Not long after I changed jobs and was commuting from my apartment in Queens. Now I worked for the manager of a Lowe's hotel on Lexington Avenue. I made friends with people who worked in hospitality, hotel management, and food and beverage. Over the years, my interest in food and wine grew. In 1995, I was teaching pasta cooking. My journey begins in the heartland where my parents and their parents had fruit trees in the backyard, grapevines, and large vegetable gardens. Although I did not grow up on a farm, the surrounding area was farmland. One of my relatives owned a small dairy farm nearby with chickens. Stuffed cabbage was one of my favorite dishes made from vegetables grown on this farm. When I returned to Ohio not so long ago, I decided to have my own vegetable garden. The soil and climate conditions in SE Ohio are ideal for growing cabbage, tomatoes, and other vegetables. In 2013, I started writing feature stories for Zanesville Life magazine. The stories in this book are about my favorite dishes and wine.