Linda Henley likes her junk food.
While customers at the John Marshall Barber Shop would sit in her chair and get their hair cut, they'd often suggest other things for her to eat. Their suggestions were usually their favorite dishes or old family recipes.
"The guys would come in, and they had all these bright ideas about good recipes, so I told them to bring them in," said Henley, who's been at the barbershop for more than three years.
They did, and now Henley and everyone else can try them.
"Cooking Clips: Stories of and Recipes from the Patrons of the John Marshall Barber Shop" is a cookbook filled with recipes provided by the many loyal customers of the 82-year-old barbershop. It costs $19 and is available at the shop.
Henley and former employee Ebony Talley got the idea for the cookbook after the number of recipes that came to them reached nearly 200.
Henley said at first she thought about creating a calendar with a featured recipe every month. But they had too many recipes, which — like the clientele — run the gamut.
Former Virginia Govs. George Allen and Linwood Holton offered recipes for lasagna and molasses cookies, respectively.
Employees of places like the Federal Reserve and local law firms shared their favorite soups, sides, breads, desserts and main courses.
Henley dedicated the book to Hugh Campbell, the shop's owner for more than 40 years.
"A lot of these recipes were passed down from generations," she said.
Campbell and his staff are scheduled to move back into the barbershop's original space inside the Hotel John Marshall downtown within the next few weeks.
For the past five years, they've been in a temporary location across Franklin Street while the hotel has undergone renovations.
Campbell said he's sold upward of 600 cookbooks so far.
He said they're a wonderful way to preserve the history of the barbershop and share its stories.
"These are family recipes," he said. "That made it special."
Well, almost all are family recipes.
In the front of the book, Henley contributed one: The John Marshall Barber Shop Business Man's Hair Cut.
The ingredient list: 1 top chef (the barber), 1 pair of Andis or Wahl clippers, 1 ounce of a steady hand, 2 cups natural conversation, 30 minutes away from the office, 1 pinch of jokes and 4 spoonfuls of the past.
The directions: Combine all ingredients and when done, the result is a professional haircut.
And for dessert: "The tab."
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