Isaac McQuesten is pictured here in his lawyer robes. City of Hamilton.

Walking by Whitehern on your way to the Central Branch of Hamilton Public Library, City Hall, or the TD Coliseum, you might notice how extravagant the house itself is. While this is true, Isaac McQuesten made some poor business decisions prior to his death ruined the family’s finances. This meant the family could not afford to employ any kitchen staff at Whitehern for decades. During this time, the McQuestens cooked for themselves with affordable ingredients that were available locally. First using the original basement kitchen, then moving upstairs to the modern kitchen installed in the 1930s, they cooked and ate a variety of soups, breads, meats, side dishes, and sweets – even brains!

Hilda-Belle McQuesten was the lead cook for the family for decades. City of Hamilton.

Whitehern Historic House & Garden, when it was the McQuesten family home. City of Hamilton.

A scan of Hilda-Belle's writing in her copy of  The Manuscript Receipt Book and Household Treasury, a notebook to record recipes in. City of Hamilton, 974.B.54.i3.1278 (8).

While modern grocery stores offer us a wider variety of foods to choose from on a regular basis in 2026, it’s still a great idea to become comfortable with cooking at home to save money for your and your family’s other expenses. On a visit to Whitehern, you will be able to see the family’s dining room, their “modern” kitchen built in the 1930s, and all sorts of artifacts the McQuestens used to cook or to eat – such as the family’s monogrammed China, their silver tea set, their dumbwaiter, or an early electric toaster.

The basement service kitchen, used for about 100 years, was replaced with a lounge around 1937. While visiting the original kitchen is no longer possible, its recipes survive, and you can bring some of McQuestens’ history into your own kitchen! Below is Hilda’s “Campbell’s Tomato Soup,” which she learned from her friend Mrs. Turnbull. First, find her original recipe below for a bulk batch. Following that, we’ve created a modernized version for a smaller quantity. Hilda’s recipe contains some interesting ingredients not often seen in a modern Canadian tomato soup. Try interpreting Hilda’s recipe with a friend and see if you can make the same final product. What is different from a tomato soup you’d normally make?

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1 peck tomatoes, 1 dozen small onions

1 head celery, 1 bay leaf, 1 bunch parsley

6 cloves – simmer 1 hour and strain
Add – 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup each –

½ cup flour scant ½ teaspoon cayenne or

1 red pepper mixed with cold water

When using add a little butter and soda

when hot – add hot milk

About ¼ teaspoon soda to 1 pt. liquid tomato. 1 qt. milk

Ingredients 

• 4 lbs of tomatoes
• 4 small onions
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1 small bay leaf
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• Water
• 2 cloves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• Cooking oil

Method 

1. Finely chop tomatoes, celery and onions. Add to a large pot with oil and sauté until both are soft.
2. Add parsley, bay leaf, and cloves. Stir and let sit for 60 seconds.
3. Add enough water to cover everything in the pot, plus 1 cm. Let simmer on low and strain the pot after 60 minutes.
4. In a separate pan, add the butter and let it melt. Once completely melted, add flour and mix very well. Cook until bubbly and foamy around the edges, then add mixture to hot soup. Stir very well until completely dissolved.
5. Add sugar and cayenne. Mix well.
6. Bring to boil, and add hot milk. Mix well and serve hot.

Enjoy!