Tiny New York Kitchen: May Day

May Day

By Victoria Hart Glavin of Tiny New York Kitchen

Happy May Day! For me, growing up in the Midwest, May Day was always a special day. It was the first day that I was allowed to go barefoot, which meant the beginning of summer fun. The pavement was still always a bit chilly, but I didn’t care because it meant summer freedom. On May Day it was customary to make homemade May baskets, which consisted of large

Dixie cups filled with popcorn, gumdrops, and lilacs that were fastened with colorful pipe cleaners. I would take dozens of May baskets to my neighborhood friends’ doorsteps, ring doorbells, and run away. When I returned to my own home there would be similar baskets on my doorstep that my friends had delivered to me as well.

At school we would dance around the May pole and sing songs. It was always fun to dance, and sing, and wrap the colored ribbons around the pole. So, for me, today is a special day to remember beautiful childhood memories that will forever live in my heart.


Victoria Hart Glavin has been cooking and writing recipes since she was a teenager. Originally from Nebraska, her appreciation for culinary technique took off when she moved to Lyon, France.

While living in France, Victoria studied French cooking from an expert Lyonnais chef. Victoria learned to love the local culture of preparing and enjoying fresh, seasonal foods. While in France, Victoria experienced the joys of shopping for local produce at the market and preparing fresh foods simply and beautifully in order to enhance the experience of the table. During her time in France, she says she “learned how to squeeze tomatoes at the local market” and “took everything in by osmosis.”

Currently, Victoria creates tasty treats in her tiny kitchen, in New York City, for all to enjoy and on weekends she explores Fairfield County where has a second home. Victoria has shared her recipes with others and now you can enjoy the Tiny New York Kitchen recipe collection, too!  Victoria is a member of Culinary Historians of New York and a member of the Association for the Study of Food and Society.
“Work With What You Got!”