Cookbook Love

Guest Post: Mom's Cinnamon Buns

2012-02-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I asked my Mom to do a guest post about the cinnamon rolls she used to make when I was growing up. She agreed, and her recipe is below.

Thanks Mom!

It's funny how your mind plays memory tricks on you though. I could have sworn her rolls were made of biscuit dough, but apparently not. That just might explain why mine never turn out like hers... Ya think?

Cinnamon Buns　

One of the things I enjoyed doing in the 1970's was, making homemade yeast cinnamon buns.

In order to bake something that took hours to make, involved a strategy on my part.

1. There would have to be enough uninterrupted hours
2. The laundry would have to be caught up
3. The antique kitchen hutch would have to be ready for bread making.

Editorial Note: Here's a picture of a hutch that looks a lot like the one we had:

I used to sit at the hutch with an old mechanical adding machine and pretend I was a secratary. Très glamorous!

I’m sure this list will seem strange (to the average baker) but, alas, as a working mother & wife (who also worked Saturday mornings). This is how I figured that... Sunday was The Day.

I think any yeast bread recipe would do for cinnamon buns; I just needed to make a sweeter dough, by adding 3 tablespoons additional sugar with the other ingredients. ( I used the recipe for bread from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.)

Here’s a tip for using the yeast. One package of yeast is dissolved in ½ cup of warm water 110-115 degrees; let this wait for about five minutes before proceeding.

After all the ingredients were mixed together, it was time to manually knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, I shaped the dough into a ball, and place in greased bowl, covered by a hot, wet, clean dish towel. I needed a nice warm spot, for the dough to rise, so I placed it on the floor next to the floor furnace. Depending on how warm the spot was, the dough would rise enough between an hour to an hour and a half.

After the dough had risen to about double in size, it was time to punch it down. Then I rolled the dough into a large rectangle, about 24 inches long and 16 inches wide. Next I buttered the dough throughly with softened butter and sprinkled a mixture of brown sugar (about 1/2 cup) and cinnamon (about 2 tablespoons,) and raisins (about one cup) over the top (this is the time to add chopped nuts, if you like, although I never used any nuts.) I then rolled up the rectangle, starting with one long side and working toward the other long side. I pinched the edge, and the ends of the rectangle to keep the filling from falling out.

Now it is time to cut this dough into the cinnamon buns. I found that a long thin bread knife, makes a nice clean cut. I made the cuts about one inch wide, placing the cut side down touching each other on a large cookie sheet. The buns are now ready to rise for another hour, so I covered them with a hot wet cloth, as before, and then down next to the furnace to rise for the last time.

When the rolls had risen for an hour, I lightly touched a roll to check to make sure it does not dent in when touched. Time to bake. 425 for 20-25 minutes.

As the buns baked, the smell in the house and outside the house was so wonderful; voices were often heard asking, "Are they done yet?"

Time to eat cinnamon buns!

There's No Place Like Home

2012-02-25T18:16:00.001-05:00

I've been traveling, with no time for posts. Or not enough discipline for posts. Not sure which.

It was a good trip, with much that was accomplished. But it is so very good to be home.

Big news! My Mom sent me her cinnamon roll recipe, which I'll be posting shortly. YAY!

In Honor of National Plum Pudding Day: Jell-O Plum Pudding!

2012-02-12T19:27:00.001-05:00

I picked up this little cookbook just in time for today! National Plum Pudding Day!

While it doesn't contain a publication date, I'm guessing it came out in the early 1970s. Maybe late 1960s.

As luck would have it, I came across a plum pudding recipe in it. Who woulda thunk it?

Not me. It would never occur to me to put plum pudding and Jell-O together. But turns out it's been a thing for a century.

First, here's the recipe in my booklet:

Jello-O Plum Pudding

A make-ahead holiday dessert that's simple to prepare.

1 package (3 oz.) Jell-O Lemon or Orange Gelatin
Dash of salt
1 cup boiling water
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1cup cold water
3/4 cup finely cut raisins
3/4 cup finely cut cooked prunes
1/4 cup finely cut citron
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
3/4 cup Post Grape-Nuts Cereal

Dissolve Jell-O Gelatin and salt in boiling water. Add spices and cold water. Chill until very thick. Fold in fruits, nuts, and cereal. Spoon into a 1-quart mold. Chill until firm. Un-mold. Serve with a custard or hard sauce, if desired. Makes bout 4 cups, or 8 to 10 servings.

NOTE: If desired, 1/34 cups cooked dried figs may be substituted for the raisins, prunes, and citron, and 3/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers for the cereal.

I found an ad from the early 1900s which highlights Jell-O plum pudding, apparently for children's parties:

And here's one from the 1940s, starring Kate Smith:

Some people still make it. Here's a nice young lady from Missouri making the pudding.

Apparently it's her grandmother's recipe. Cool, no?

She uses raspberry Jell-O, which is something I saw in other recipes around the interweb. These versions claim that it makes the pudding a lovely shade of pinkish.

So there you have it. Jell-O Plum Pudding. I only wish I'd had one more day lead time so that you could have made it for today.

What better way to celebrate National Plum Pudding Day? There's always room for Jell-O. Especially when it contains prunes and Grape-Nuts.

Sack O' Sauce in a Can O' Meat

2012-02-10T18:22:00.000-05:00

All due thanks to the Cathy Peters and the Gallery of Regrettable Foods for this image:

Just wow.

Of course I had to find more examples for your culinary(?) enjoyment.

This one may be my favorite. Apparently wieners in a can were just the thing to have on hand in case the doorbell rings when you least expect it. It even comes with recipe suggestions, such as "Barbecue wieners stuffed with dressing".

WHAT?

This picture has slightly better image quality so that you can really see the juicy meaty chunks:

Plus check out the little egg shaped guy holding a huge wiener in the lower right corner.

What do you suppose his story is?

The ghost of sack o' sauce past?

Chocolate Fluffernutter Cake

2012-02-09T18:07:00.000-05:00

DiDi asked me to make a cake yesterday. She'd bought a Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix and a container of Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White Frosting.

Being a self-sacrificing sort, I complied.

I'd feel like a poser if I made a cake from a box without kicking things up a notch, so I substituted sour cream for the oil in the recipe and threw in 1/4 bag of mini chocolate chips.

She'd asked for coconut in the icing. Unfortunately I didn't have any, which is a mystery, because the last I knew there were two bags in the cabinet. Is shredded coconut like socks in the laundry, disappearing without a trace?

I wouldn't think so. But I can't explain it.

After accepting my apologies graciously, DiDi's second request was that I melt some peanut butter flavored chocolate chips and spread it around on top.

(I don't suppose I should call them chocolate chips when they aren't chocolate. But "baking chips" sounds a bit snooty, and this way you all know what I mean.)

Turns out the Whipped Fluffy White frosting is rather marshmallowy, and reminds me of Fluff.

I melted the chips with a bit of oil to help with consistency, and poured it in stripes atop the frosted cake, then pulled a spatula through in an attempt to make it look fancy. The peanut butter goo was a bit thick to cooperate fully, but the marbling wasn't bad. And the flavor combo is an absolute winner!

Yum! DiDi's suggestion was brilliant! It was like a fluffernutter sandwich with chocolate cake as the bread!

Next time I might just mix peanut butter with confectioners sugar and milk to make a softer consistency... the chip goo hardened back up so that the prettiness factor is disrupted in the cutting. But other than that, the combination is fabulous.

Luckily we had guests last night so we aren't forced to eat the whole thing ourselves. Because that would be sad.

Wouldn't it?

Two Super Bowl Menus. One Lesson Learned.

2012-02-03T18:27:00.001-05:00

I was told that since I am now a resident of New England, I am required to be a fan of the Sox, the Pats, and the Celtics.

(Celts?)

Given that the Patriots are playing in the Super Bowl this weekend, I figured I should develop a menu which proves my allegiance. Thought it should have an appropriate color scheme and use signature New England ingredients like cranberries, maple syrup, clams, and blueberries.

Here's what I came up with.

Snacky

Ranch Style Oyster Crackers

Patriotic Chips and North Shore Clam Dip

Red, White and Blue Nachos

Meaty

Spicy Cranberry Meatballs

Cranberry Glazed Bacon Jalapeno Bites

Mini Ballpark Dogs

Desserty

Blueberry, Blackberry, and Strawberry Skewers with MapleNilla Sauce

Nantucket Cranberry Pie

Believe it or not, I even considered forcing in some baked beans and brown bread, in the form of a finger sandwich.

And then I realized: No. Just No.

Issues of this great an import need to be left to the experts.

So this is what I'll be serving on Sunday:

Buffalo Chicken Wings
Helluva Good French Onion Dip with wavy potato chips
Some sort of frozen bread pocket appetizer thingy that's supposed to taste like potato skins
Red, White, and Blue Nachos (These are apparently standard enough to stay on the list.)
Mini hot dogs in grape jelly and barbecue sauce
Veggies and dip (as a nod to actual nutrition)

I think even Tebow would approve of the change. Hopefully he prayed for me.

Happy Groundhog Day, Country Style!

2012-02-02T11:41:00.003-05:00

Hope you planned ahead, because this little guy needs to a cure for a few days before cooking.

Country Style Groundhog

1 groundhog
1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/2 tsp. sugar

NOTE: Clean and skin as soon as possible. Remove all scent glands. Cut off head, feet and tail. Cure in cool place by suspending from hook approximately 4 days. When ready to cook, lard according to recipe.

Dress groundhog as for rabbit, removing the small sacs in the back and under the forearm. Soak groundhog overnight in salted water to remove wild flavor. Combine flour, salt, pepper and soda; rub into groundhog pieces. Brown groundhog in hot oil in skillet; sprinkle with sugar. Reduce heat; add 1/2 cup water. Cover; simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Remove cover; cook for 10 minutes longer.

Valentine Luncheon Menus: Veal Croquettes, Sunshine Sauce, and Gay Garnishes!

2012-02-01T16:37:00.000-05:00

Planning lunch for your honey on Valentine's Day? Here are a few menus suggested in Meals Tested Tasted and Approved, published by the Good Housekeeping Institute in 1933.

..... 1 .....

Tomato Bouillon

Jellied Crab Meat Salad

Clover Biscuits

Steamed Chocolate Pudding

Sunshine Sauce (Recipe at the bottom of this post)

Coffee

..... 2 .....

Fruit Cocktail

Veal Croquettes with Tomato Sauce

Baking Powder Biscuits

Celery stuffed with Cheese

Strawberry Ice Cream in Heart Molds

Cake

..... 3 .....

Chicken Bouillon

Creamed Scallops and Mushrooms on Toast

Pimiento Sandwiches

Radish Roses

Celery Hearts

Tangerine Tapioca

Sponge Drops

Candy Hearts

Coffee

..... 4 .....

Cream of Celery Soup

Croutons cut in Heart Shapes

Chicken Mousse

Green Peas

Potato Chips

Raspberry Ice Cream

Cake

Coffee

Sunshine Sauce

2 egg yolks
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

Beat the egg yolks, add sugar and vanilla and beat together. Just before serving add the cream which has been whipped until stiff.

What IS it About Buffalo Wings?

2012-01-31T14:50:00.002-05:00

It's time for a snack food revolution. Something new for sports-related high holidays such as the Super Bowl.

All the food Facebook pages, blogs, etc. are talking about chicken wings, so I'm trying to break down what makes them so darned popular. Not to mention delicious.

The wings themselves are crispy, unctious, chewy, salty, spicy, and vinegary. The typical accompaniament of blue cheese sauce adds creaminess, additional saltiness, and a touch of bitter tartness. Celery contrasts everything with its palate cleansingly cool crunch.

In other words, Buffalo wings provide every flavor profile except sweet. (Some versions even add that, though I can't approve of them. Nor should they include the word "Buffalo" in their name.)

Have a look at the birthplace of these tangy treats:

You can learn more about their history at the bar's website: http://www.anchorbar.com/.

When discussing Buffalo wings, you can't not talk about hot sauce. In this case, the king of hot sauces. Frank's RedHot Sauce.

Apparently some people put the stuff on EVERYTHING.

But back to my initial premise. The combination of hot, spicy, crunchy, tart, crispy, smooth, cool and creamy is obviously a winner.

Now to come up with an alternative and start the next big Super Bowl snacking craze...

No pressure. I've got four days.

Veggie Valentines and Sauteed Tomatoes

2012-01-27T13:13:00.001-05:00

Valentine cards were made in all sorts of themes, including fruits and vegetables. Here are some samples for you, followed by a simple recipe appropriate for a St. Valentines Day themed meal.

Sauteed Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

1 pt grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil or garlic herb basting oil
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet, and add rinsed tomatoes. Saute over medium heat, turning often. Tomatoes will split as they cook, some sides browning and caramelizing into sweet goodness. Pierce with the tip of a knife any stubborn tomatoes that refuse to pop on their own. When tomatoes are uniformly softened and popped, add basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for another few minutes to blend flavors. If using fresh basil, add just before serving.

Serve as a side dish for red meats or roast chicken. Crusty bread is wonderful for scooping up the warm, salty, sweet tomato flesh.

Valentine Countown: for Adult Eyes Only

2012-01-24T13:31:00.001-05:00

I found these Valentines and thought they should be passed along immediately.

But first, kick all the little ones out of the room. I mean it.

Are they gone?

If the coast is clear, just look at this:

What sort of insane person creates cards for kids to pass out, which show other kids inside of refrigerators???

Believe it or not, that card isn't the only one.

Not quite so scary, you might think. But wait.

Look what happens when you open the ice box door:

GET LITTLE JIMMY OUT OF THERE, PRONTO!!!

I want you to run out and find some children right now, and tell them to never, ever climb in a refrigerator. Not for love, nor money, nor even cake.

After I recovered from the initial outrage, I figured I should see how widespread a phenomenon fridge-related Valentines had become. Turns out it wasn't much of a movement. Thank goodness.

What I did find were some interesting refrigerator advertisements, many of which did involve children. Some are more innocent than others.

(For some reason this last one makes me want to cry a little bit.)

Not all ads were focused on the family however. Some companies decided to go glamorous. Check these beauties out.

And eventually, along came Space Glamor!

I blame Star Trek for this. Or thank them. Depending on my mood.

Regardless, I'm grateful to see that kids and refrigerators are no longer popular images for Valentines. Today's are so much saner; with little monsters, vampires, zombies, and undersea pineapple houses.

Ah, progress.

Join a Pig Club for Valentine Circus Fun Every Day!

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I know we live in an age when twisted, nonsensical humor is hot. And I like it. Ridiculous imagery and word pairings tickle me.

But this valentine...

I just don't know what to think. And I don't know what the designers were thinking.

But there's one thing I DO know. Pigs in Blankets are the perfect dish to go along with this disturbing Valentine.

These little guys, a box of chocolates, and a bottle of bubbly... Need I say more?

Ok, I'll say one thing more. Did you know there was an effort in World War I to get kids to raise pigs? (Me either.)

Don't delay. Join a pig club today.

Valentines to Relish!

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Four our second day of the valentine countdown, I figured we might as well not waste time, and jump right into the hot dog cards.

No commentary. Just lots of weiners, wurst, and relish.

Valentine's Day Countdown! Heart Shaped Fish Croquettes

2012-01-21T14:44:00.004-05:00

It's only a few weeks from Valentines Day, so there's no time like RIGHT NOW to start thinking about VD goodies!Especially all you wives out there.

Wilma said it best.

Apparently Pet Milk agreed that the fastest way to a man's heart was through his stomach, and so they published this booklet in the 1940s.

It was FREE if you can believe such a thing, and apparently contained recipes like this one:

"Love it? Of course he will! It's a man's idea of really good eating."

Check back soon for more Valentines Day meal ideas!

Product Recommendation: Betty Crocker Gingerbread Mix

2012-01-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be thinking I'm a month or so late with this post, and I admit: those some have a point.

For the record, I did write a post about gingerbread in that most gingerbready of seasons. But since the weather here is only beginning to get frightful, it's still a great time of year for warm, spicy cake, fresh out of the oven.

And that's what I made this afternoon.

My oh my was it good.

I don't usually do product recommendations, but in this case I have to make an exception. Here's why.

The mix only requires water and 1 egg. (True confession time: I was out of eggs, and so substituted an egg-sized dollop of mayonnaise.)
The directions call for mixing it together right in the baking pan. No extra dishes to wash! LOVE!
The smell was heavenly, and the gingerbread is moist, flavorful, soft, spicy, and tender.

It almost literally could not be easier. And I don't mean virtually. I mean literally.

I think this mix is going to become a pantry staple. Not only is it great for whipping together something warm and sweet on a snowy, blowy day, I'm already thinking up ways it could be glammed up when I need an easy to prepare dessert to complete a meal I've fussed over for friends.

Give it a try. You just might love it.

Shooting's Fun for Everyone... Except the Squirrels

2012-01-14T12:40:00.003-05:00

Just for the record, this is not a political statement. I'm neither for nor against guns. But golly gee, this is just such a great picture that I had to post it!

Just in case you've been out having some fun and it is squirrel hunting season in your neck of the woods, here's a recipe for you.

That danged squirrel practically cooks itself!

Serve with rice, especially if you need to feed a crowd.

Random Acts of Cookery

2012-01-12T15:03:00.002-05:00

It's rainy and blustery, gray and daunting outside.

I'm making guacamole, thawing a cheap steak, roasting a winter squash, and cooking down a ham bone for stock. None of these activities as yet has any connection to any of the others.

Random acts of cookery. That's what a gray day can do to a soul.

You Had Me at "Imitation Flavor"

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

I do believe I could devote an entire blog to Jell-o in all its vintage goodness.

Take this fine specimen:

As if mixed vegetable isn't enough, this is imitation flavor.

I don't understand. How on earth could it be easier to create a fake version of the flavor of mixed veggies than to cook or dehydrate them down and distill their essence?

Better eating through chemistry I suppose.

Here are some pictures of what used to be made from this stuff. Be inspired.

I like this last one best of all. Nothing says loving like eyeball, celery, and American cheese Jell-o.

Saved by Celery!

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Finally help for the rheumatic sole.

Imagine: 26 pounds of celery power in each tiny perle! Who has time to eat that much celery? My jaws would be tired after the first seven.

To heck with buying decent shoes. I'm off to find some Fuller Celery Perles.

Two Great Hates that Go Great Together!

2012-01-05T18:15:00.002-05:00

I happen to love both Spam and Lima beans, but I am, admittedly, in the minority.

And what better way to make the combination of Spam and Lima beans even more objectionable to the average Joe? Spice it up with a "Spanish" sauce containing sugar and lard!

Oh Spam. You are so very ah-inspiring.

Magical Tricks with Flavor!

2011-12-30T16:21:00.002-05:00

I just discovered a goldmine! The Minute Rice website offers a collection of vintage recipes, including this one, which I thought was appropriate given the holiday season:

Recipes on the ads include such beauties as Thrifty Drumstick Surprise (made with hamburger), Minute Rice and Tuna Treat, and Hot Diggity Stew.

Yes. I said it. Hot Diggity Stew.

That's where the magic happens.

Christmas Wishes

2011-12-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

I've been too busy working and baking to post over the past few days!

My guess is that you've been too busy to read, so it probably all works out for the best.

Hoping you have the very merriest of Christmases.

Brazilian Colonel Cake

2011-12-20T12:20:00.001-05:00

This recipe makes me very, very happy.

Just look at its Brazil-nutty goodness!

I love Brazil nuts. Before moving to New England I would buy them pre-shelled in the bulk section of a nearby Wegmans über grocery store (go Wegmans!). The stores in my new little town don't carry them.

But now, thanks to THIS recipe, I can stock up while the nuts are plentiful at Christmas time, and shell them in a big batch!

Can you say WOOT?!?

And while I'm nattering on about nuts, I've got a complaint to make.

When I Google Brazil nut recipes, it comes up with a measly 271,000 results. Contrast that with pecan recipes which get 13,800,000. Walnut recipes come in at 14,400,000.

Why, oh why?

Yes, they are a bit hard to shell. But I'm sure it's more an issue of cost and availability. Brazil nuts are grown in rain forests, of which the U.S. has few. They also apparently require special bee-attracting orchids for pollination.

Sigh...

Guess it's time to build a bio-dome in the back yard. Can't put it off forever.

And while I'm waiting for it to be finished, and for the trees to reach maturity, and for the orchids to thrive, I'll read this little booklet and plan what to make from the fruits of all this labor:

Colonel Nut, I salute you!

Jell-o Cranberries -n- Cream?

2011-12-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

I think I'm going to turn this into a holiday recipe by adding a can of cranberry sauce:

I might substitute raspberry Jell-o though. Or cranberry.

And I don't dig the shape, so I'd probably make them in foil mini cupcake papers instead of an ice cube tray.

Now what could I use as a garnish?

On Gingerbread and One Humped Camels

2011-12-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

My how things have changed.

According to the Food Timeline, gingerbread has been around for centuries, but has shifted and changed with the times, as most things do.

For example, in the 1930s it was credited with saving marriages.

All Alice had to do was buy a little black satin number and make the dessert her questionably devoted husband enjoyed as a boy in his plantation home. Whoosh! All lustful thoughts of Bonbon Betty Thornton fly out the window!

Here's another happy couple thanking Brer Rabbit for their marital bliss.

The creepy bunny seems to have pulled the kids in too.

Rabbits are not the only animals to be associated with molasses, and therefore, with gingerbread.

Enter the dromedary.

And not just ANY one humped camel. This one is an angelic dromedary who talks to pictures of the mothers of dead presidents.

Good old George just can't resist Momma Washington's gingerbread.

Apparently Queen Elizabeth liked gingerbread men, which eventually increased their popularity, and changed the recipe. This waving gingie interested me because of the mysterious holes in his hands:

Why does he have holes in his hands?

Gingerbread houses appeared on the scene after Hansel and Gretel were popularized. What child wouldn't love a book with a cover like this:

(Night terrors anyone?)

Here's a version that I might really try:

It's made from the real stuff rather than the cardboard slabs of "gingerbread" bought in a kit at Le Boutique Big Box.

Humans could actually consume it.

And that brings us to today. Or at least, to 2006, when the world's largest gingerbread house was constructed.

I brought a plus-sized roll of Pillsbury Gingerbread Cookie dough the other day, with no plans for what to do with it. Maybe I'll create a mini replica. I think Brer Rabbit, the Dromedary, and the Doughboy would all be proud.

Candle Lit Crown Head Bread (Thank you St. Lucy!)

2011-12-16T12:27:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I missed St. Lucia Day! It was December 13, but in my view it's never too late to celebrate a cool saint, and to bake something delicious.

First, a tribute to Lucy from the King.

Next, a bit about the saint. She was born into a wealthy family in about 283 and consecrated her virginity to God. She was killed during the Diocletion persecution, after refusing to wed her pagan betrothed. Prior to her death, Lucia either plucked her own eyes out as a gift to her fiance in hope of being allowed to live and worship her God in peace, or had them torn out with a fork by guards.

Because of this, she is the patron saint of the blind, and is frequently depicted carrying her eyes in a platter or vessel. Check it out:

Wow.

She is honored in many places, including Sweden and Sicily.

There are a variety of recipes associated with St. Lucy, including cookies formed by special eye shaped presses, and a wheat-berry pudding (la cuccìa) that has been eaten traditionally ever since she provided assistance during a famine by sending a ship full of wheat into a starving port town.

You can Google those if you'd like to do a complete St. Lucia's Day feast, or if you'd like to try something a bit better suited to American tastes, here's a recipe for :

Sicilian St. Lucy's Day CrownSanta Lucia Crown

[Makes 1 crown.]

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon saffron powder
4 1/4 to 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
powdered sugar frosting, optional (recipe follows)
red and green candied cherry halves, optional
6 candles, optional

Place 1/4 cup warm water in large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add remaining water, warm milk, sugar, butter, salt, saffron, and 1 1/2 cups flour; blend well. Stir in 2 eggs and enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6--8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.Punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; reserve 1/3 of dough for top of crown. Divide remaining dough into 3 equal pieces; roll each to 25-inch rope. Braid ropes. Place braid on greased baking sheet. Form braid into circle; pinch ends together to seal. To shape top of crown, divide reserved dough into 3 equal pieces; roll each to 16-inch rope. Braid ropes. Place braid on separate greased baking sheet. Form braid into circle; pinch ends together to seal. Cover braids; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.Lightly beat remaining egg; brush on braids. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or until done (small braid) and 25 minutes or until done (large braid), covering large braid with foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excess browning. Remove braids from baking sheets; let cool on wire racks.To decorate, make 6 holes for candles in small braid. Place small braid on top of large braid. If desired, drizzle with powdered sugar frosting and garnish with candied cherry halves. Insert candles in prepared holes.

Powdered Sugar Frosting: In small bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted; 4 to 5 teaspoons milk; and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

Angel Pie with a Bite

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Cranberry that is!

I'm beginning to think the term "Angel Pie" is used for a wide variety of pie types.

This recipe has several of my favorite flavors; orange, cranberry, and walnuts.

Here's a blown up version of the recipe:

When I make this, I think I'll substitute orange juice for the boiling water and added some orange zest to boost the orangeyness. And I'm not sure I'd want to disrupt the filling with the texture of walnuts.

Soaking in Jell-o does weird things to nuts.

I think I'd just work the nuts into the crumb crust instead.

But that's the way I roll; if a recipe ain't broke, mess with it.

Creamy Green Beany Oniony Goodness

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

One word:

Green bean casserole!

Just a few simple ingredients plus pepper and you are good to go!

Three great tastes that go great together.

Make some for your next holiday gathering. Throw in some chopped water chestnuts or canned mushrooms if you feel the need to switch it up.

But do it. You won't be sorry.

The Most Beautiful Oven I've Ever Seen!

2011-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

A toy which transformed Christmas gifting for girls forever! A way to bake their very own cakes without the danger of getting burned!

(Wait. I managed to burn myself. And my survey of one other person proves that this is a statistically significant occurrence.)

With Easy-Bake's advent, training for being the perfect little wife could start earlier than ever before.

Enjoy these pictures of Easy-Bake ads from the past. Then rush out and buy your little trainee one.

Chocolate Nut Drops? You Decide.

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

This recipe is undoubtedly tasty. How can you go wrong with chocolate, walnuts, and icing?

But I have to admit, in a week in which my naughty puppy unscrewed the lid of a 1/2 full jar of dry roasted peanuts and consumed them, the picture brought to mind something else:

Go reindeer!

Sack Posset Pie

2011-12-11T13:21:00.001-05:00

Calling all egg nog lovers!

(You can tell this is a recipe from the fifties; just look at the candied fruit!)

I'm not a big fan of cooking with egg nog. I like to drink it, in moderation of course; even without rum, it is rich stuff. I once used it for french toast because there was till some in the house after the Yule Tide went back out. It worked, though the result tasted strongly, and not surprisingly, like chewy egg nog.

(Speaking of which, the egg nog purchased in cartons from the grocery store lasts a disturbingly long time. Not sure what they put in there to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth, but it works.)

As I typed the title of this post, I wondered: are there other kinds of nog? In case questions like this trouble you too, here's what I discovered: nog can be a strong ale brewed in Norfolk, England, a psychedelic novel, and a Firengi character from Star Trek.

The food timeline says that the term "egg nog" wasn't used until the 1700s, but that the stuff itself was around well before hand. The term for it back in the 1600s was "Egg Caudle" or "Sack Posset", which I think explains the name change.

Here's a 1685 version you may not have tried:

Egg Caudle

Boil ale or beer, scum it, and put to it two or three blades of large mace, some sliced manchet and sugar; then dissolve four or five yolks of eggs with some sack, claret or white-wine, and put into the rest with a little grated nutmeg; fire to a warm and serve it.

Don't forget to scum it. That really is the most important step.

You can sip it while watching this:

Happy nogging!

Who Knew He was a Pole Dancer?

2011-12-06T18:27:00.001-05:00

I found this while researching the history of green bean casserole.My BFF DiDi used to have nightmares about this fella, but this takes it to a whole new level.

I don't even know what to say. Village people meets Chippendales meets Captain Kirk's Green Lady?

Sorry DiDi. I just had to.

Poll Feature is Now Working!

2011-12-06T17:53:00.001-05:00

Eureka! I figured out what was wrong with the polling feature that I added a few weeks ago! The new one works. Give it a try!

Rejoice! Saltine Toffee Crispy Bits

2011-12-05T12:22:00.001-05:00

I got this recipe from a church lady years back, and made it with my kids in the early 2000's to give as Christmas gifts. It is easy, and absolutely delicious.

Saltine Toffee Crispy Bits

1 1/2 sleeves of saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Arrange the crackers to completely cover the cookie sheet. Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan until foamy (about 3 minutes). Pour the syrup over the crackers and spread with a spatula to coat.Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Do not overcook! Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Return to oven for another few minutes to soften the chips, then spread to cover the entire top. While chocolate is still soft, sprinkle nuts over top and press in lightly.Let cool and refrigerate until hardened.

Admittedly, I am afraid of boiling sugar, I but pushed through it, and it was worth the confrontation. Several steps are not suited for little kidlets, but they can certainly help with measuring, arranging the saltines, and breaking up the candy when it's done.

Variations of this recipe substitute pecans or almonds for the walnuts, or use varying amounts of chocolate, toffee bits, etc. My advice: try this version once and you'll be addicted, then move on to variants.

I couldn't find an old-timey version of the recipe, but I did find some groovy saltine ads for you.

Happy candy making!

Jack Frost Frozen Squeeze Cheese

2011-12-04T17:46:00.001-05:00

I found a recipe called Frozen Nippy Cheese on another blog. It was just a typed recipe, and so I hunted down something similar in this 1929 cookbooklet:

Check out the introduction:

I'm puzzled about why these recipes were developed for apartment dwellers. There must have been a socioeconomic trend to justify creating something this targeted, but I'm not sure what it was. I'd love to research it, but I've already jumped down too many Kraft cheese rabbit holes because of this recipe, and it's time to call it quits for the day.

Here's the recipe.

The original version I found was called "Frozen Nippy Cheese" which is what drew my attention. The idea of freezing cheese spread seemed odd, but apparently the idea stuck around for a while. Here's a version which appeared in the June 28, 1940 issue of the Toledo Blade:

(In case you are wondering, bar le duc jelly turns out to be a highfalutin currant jelly named for a town in France. It is a luxury item served with things like foie gras, or in this case, adulterated processed cheese spread. )

My first question was "What is nippy cheese, and where do I get some?"

One web forum discussion said that nippy cheese was a Kraft product that came in a tube, and perhaps later in a jar. And so off I went on a quest to find an image to share.

All I came up with was this one:

It's not from Kraft. But I like it. The dog and the fox and the hunter, all hanging out together around a box of good old Nippy Cheese, forks held high.

What I did find were some amazing old Kraft cheese food ads. Take a look.

First off, cheese in a can (but not the spray kind).

Finally a more sanitary cheese! (To serve hard, chill before opening.)

Then we have this little gem, from 1932.

During this hectic season, who doesn't need a few quick cheese tricks up their sleeve?

Here are two color ads from the 1930s:

Let's all cheer along with them! I'm joining in for the neat transparent wrapper!

The Saturday Evening Post proclaims that it's more than delicious. And who can disagree when tempted by green olive topped macaroni and cheese timbales?:

While we are talking about cheesy mounds of goodness, here's an example from the 1940s:

Velveeta is born! Viva la Velveeta!

Sometime soon Kraft branched out into all sorts of varieties:

(Sadly, I still don't see "Nippy" in the lineup. But Smo-kay is okay.)

Next come Swankyswigs!

Ladies choice includes Limburger, and my personal favorite, TEEZ.

Of course Kraft also cranked out other products:

Why oh why can we no longer find dehydrated American cheese on our grocer's shelves? No Nippy, no powdered American...

Unless of course you open a box of Kraft Dinner:

Apparently people just snapped jars off the shelves and ignored the cheese-muffled sound of shattering glass:

This guy probably also brought lots of sliced cheese for Dagwoodesque sandwiches like this one:

You can buy cheaper slices. But none that go better with hard boiled eggs and raw green peppers.

Kids love it too:

Especially when paired with olive-pimento loaf. My kids just couldn't get enough of that stuff. Make your favorite child a spicy cheese sammy with red onion. The kids in the cafetorium will line up to trade their Ho Hos for one of those babies.

Any way you slice it, Kraft does cheese, and they do it right.

But I can't find Nippy anywhere.

Sigh...

Luckily for you, they do still make cheese in jars. If you want to try Frozen Nippy Cheese, just grab one of those and let me know how it turns out.

While You are Waiting: Whiz Burgers!

2011-12-04T17:10:00.004-05:00

I'm working on a fantabulous holiday appetizer post for you, and in the process, came across the following that I just had to get out pronto:

I'll be back with more Kraft fun shortly!

Rich Guy Plum Pudding

2011-12-03T08:00:00.014-05:00

Look, it's a one pudding open sleigh!

This morning's offering comes from Favorite Old Recipes. The book was produced by speculator rich boy Joseph Leiter, and subtitled "Being a Comprehensive and Diverse Collection of Favorite Recipes Diligently Gathered from Many Sources".

Publication of the title was such big news that the Milwaukee sentinel from April 15, 1928 offered an article on the subject:

The article states:

"Time and expense do not enter into the mind when giving directions for the proper way of preparing a dish. Ingredients are marshaled from every country and every season, and liberal use is made of wines and brandies. But the wealthy author, who maintains a famous wine cellar, explains that in place of the rare vintages called for in the recipes, the non-alcoholic wines and cordials sold at the grocery stores may be sued with satisfactory results.

Mr. Leiter is the son of the late Levi Z. Leiter, early partner of Marshall Field, the Chicago merchant prince, who left an estate of $30,000,000, of which Joseph is trustee. One of his sisters married Marquis Curzon, formerly Viceroy of India, and another is the Countess of Suffolk."

Here's a better picture of old Joe:

Only 1,000 copies of the book were printed, and I'm a lucky girl to get one!

You'll be seeing more of this title in days to come. Today you get a look at the second of two plum pudding recipes Mr. Leiter cooked on his yacht or one of several homes around the country. You can tell it is an oldie by the way the ingredients are handled: small glasses of this, "some milk", etc.

Now run off to the store to get some beef marrow, and cook like a tycoon!

Plum Pudding--No. 2

Have two pounds of beef marrow or suet, chop it well and put it into a large pot; seed a pound and a half of package raisins, wash and clean half a pound of Corinthian raisins, and mix these raisins with the suet; add to this three pounds of bread crumbs, a good glass of Malaga wine, two small glasses of Cognac brandy, the rind of half a lemon, chopped fine, a handful of preserved lemon cut in pieces, a good handful of flour, some salt and eight whole eggs; moisten the lot with some milk; mix it with the hands, so that it will be thoroughly mixed; form a liquid paste. Tie this mixture in a sack and put this sack into a pot of previously boiling water. Let it cook six or seven hours, making sure that the sack is always covered with water and that the water is boiling. While it is cooking, make the following sauce:

Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a casserole, a pinch of flour, a pinch of lemon rind, and candied lemon chopped fine, a pinch of salt and a spoonful of sugar; moisten the lot with some Malaga wine, let cook as you would any ordinary sauce. At time of serving strain your plum pudding for a few minutes, take it from the sack, set on a plate and glaze it with this sauce. Serve.

Sugar Plums Oh Sugar Plums, What Pray Tell Art Thou?

2011-12-01T17:14:00.018-05:00

The first recipe in this month's holiday extravaganza led me on a quest.

Not being much of a candy maker (I'm afraid of boiling sugar), I can't quite tell what the texture of the candies is like, but their snowy whiteness makes a great backdrop for the neon-colored candied fruit of the era.

We always had little plastic tubs of the stuff in my childhood kitchen. I never liked it, but it was a holiday staple, as you will see from recipes to come throughout the month.

I imagine this candy to be very sweet, slightly chewy, and studded with the weirdly textured candied fruit flavors of the past. But they aren't what I ever imagined sugar plums to be.

And so I set out to find out what a sugar plum is. Turns out this is not a straight forward question.

Here are a few examples of the most common version found on the interwebs today:

Sugar Plums avec Saveur

Sugar Plums from Nourished Kitchen

Sugar Plums from Alton Brown

In contrast, Epicurious says that they are candied or dried fruits surrounded by fondant.

Other sources say they are a comfit; a confectionary item usually small in size which is arduously coated in multiple layers of sugar:

The Christmas Food Timeline

A Boke of Gode Cookery

So I'm still confused.

Perhaps I should ask the Patron Fairy for answers:

Look! She's wearing candied cherries! Surely she will know.

I'm off to Google her contact info...

Happy December!

2011-12-01T08:00:00.005-05:00

Christmas makes you feel emotional

it may bring parties or thoughts devotional

whatever happens or what may be

here is what Christmas time means to me...

(Or rather, to Cookbook Love)

That's right! The month of December will be devoted to Christmas recipes. I'll be on the hunt for vintage Hanukkah recipes as well, and will post interesting examples of anything I find after the 20th.

(I wonder if Spry ever had Aunt Jenny make latkes?)

Only one way to find out! Stick around for ideas about how to jingle bell rock your holiday kitchen, old school style.

The Devil Made Them Heat It

2011-11-30T14:37:00.012-05:00

Taste of Home magazine's email newsletter today listed a recipe that I thought sounded a little disgusting: Mulled Dr. Pepper.

I'm not sure I understand the recipe (particularly adding more sugar, and heating for 2 hours in a slow cooker), but that's not the point.

The point is to wonder why someone would want hot soda? The bubbles would surely be killed in the making, and you would be left with nothing to cut the syrupy sweetness. All the carbonated joy would be removed.

Upon Googling I discovered that Dr. Pepper is really the only soda that people seem to want to heat. The other big names in soft drinks leave well enough alone. (Mostly.)

But not Dr. Pepper.

Some might think it could be a plot of...

But clearly the company itself started the craze....

and continued it throughout the years.

Ok we get it. It's devilishly different. But I'm not convinced it's hot in a good way.

Let me know if you've tried it and think otherwise.

Night Night Little Piggies

2011-11-29T22:02:00.006-05:00

I started a new job this week, and I'm tired tired tired.

So before this little piggy trots off to bed, here are a few creepy vintage pork images found around the interwebs for your twisted viewing pleasure:

FRANKARONI LOAF!

2011-11-28T08:00:00.005-05:00

For those of us who can never get enough hot dog recipes, here's an entry to keep in mind for next year's Thanksgiving table:

That's right, it's Frankaroni Loaf!

(Shakespeare just may have been wrong about the whole name thing...)

You probably noticed that this is a recipe card. It's part of a fantastic set that I'll be unveiling in detail in December.

In the meantime, happy hot-dog-olive-macaroni-pickle-cheese-tomato-sauce loaf!

Impossibly Easy Update

2011-11-24T19:29:00.003-05:00

I just had a piece of the Impossibly Easy Pumpkin Pie mentioned yesterday.

Here's what I think.

It was easy. And it is very much like the traditional stuff but firmer and less custardy.

Unfortunately I don't think I can evaluate the recipe objectively; the canned pumpkin I used was quite grainy. The grit interrupted the velvety smoothness you expect from pumpkin pie.

I'll be honest; the three of us who tasted it missed the crust. But I think we would have missed it less if the creaminess had been there.

I'm guessing most people would choose traditional pie in a taste test. But the Easy version is handy if you:

a) Don't have time to make crust.

b) Forgot to buy refrigerated crust (like me).

c) Want to cut back on the fat level.

One big advantage is that you can make it on the spur of the moment if you just keep pumpkin and Bisquick in the pantry.

Thanks Bisquick. This year, you saved Turkey Day.

Happy Impossibly Easy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T17:58:00.015-05:00

For the sake of nostalgia I'm making Impossibly Easy Pumpkin Pie for tomorrow's feast. I've always wanted to try it, and since I forgot to pick up some refrigerator pie crust, I figured there's no time like the present!

And what does one need for Impossibly Easy Pie? Bisquick!

Luckily there are gigantic boxes all ready to help.

Here are some vintage Bisquick boxes, ads, etc.

These are fun, though I have to admit that the item below confuses me.

Apparently it is from the 1930s, and is a collection of recipes from stars as told to Betty herself.

But the name? That I don't get. "Turn a trick" I understand, but I don't think it fits in this case. And if it does? For biscuits, you should pay extra.

While trying to find out when Betty Crocker began marketing through their "Impossibly Easy" pie concept, I came across this page:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpies.html#impossible

The site is a gem! Take a look at this timeline when you have a minute:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/

I haven't researched who writes the site or how accurate it is, but my first reaction is COOL!

Back to the pie. It is out of the oven and looks pretty.

(Ok, so this shot comes from the Betty Crocker website, but why make you look at my shoddy photography when you can see the work of pros instead?)

I'll let you know how it tastes tomorrow. Unless I'm too drunk on tryptophan to log on blogger once the feasting is done.

In the meantime, I hope that your holiday be filled with thanks, that your family be on good behavior, and that all your cooking be done with love.

All Things Chicken

2011-11-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

I don't think Frank Marcello likes chickens.

Either that, or he loves them but applies the writing axiom that you have to let bad things happen to your favorite characters.

Just look at this series, apparently featuring Hanna Bell Lecter:

She chased him down, held him up like a victory bouquet, and then proceeded to get him drunk, meanwhile planning a coq au vin with some nice fava beans on the side.

And here he is at the last, bald scalp now covered by a hat, comb set aside for a garnish.

Bubbling away as if all is well, when clearly, that inner tube is not going to save him.

Poor chicken.

I wonder if Frank was a vegetarian, trying to make a point?

New Feature: Polls!

2011-11-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Cookbook Love has added a new feature for my enjoyment and edification, and hopefully yours.

Polls!

The first poll is about turkey. To brine or not to brine, THAT is the question.

What do you do?

Check it out, over there on the right. (Your right. My left.)

Let's talk turkey!

Oh, Horseradish!

2011-11-21T08:00:00.008-05:00

Turns out you can't always count on Frank Marcello, factually speaking.

First off, that's no horseradish. That's a reg'lar radish. Or maybe even a turnip.

Horseradish looks like this:

Just kidding.

It really looks like this:

So that's problem number one.

Problem number two is that horses are allergic to the stuff. It can cause all sorts of problems, some of which are quite embarrassing. It's downright irresponsible to create illustrations like this which could cause people to poison their prize ponies.

He's lucky I'm not litigious.

And that I don't own a horse.

Problem number three is that this critter looks more like a donkey than a horse. OK, so his ears aren't that big, but check out his attitude. That's a donk-eyed look if I ever saw one.

That is of course unless the horse is the famous Mr. Ed.

Run, Beef, RUN!

2011-11-20T20:52:00.005-05:00

One question.

What IS this cowboy holding?

Does he have an armful of Christmas packages, while forming an invisible snowball to throw at the beef?

Ok, two questions.

Is he winking at said beef?

That cow might think about hoofing it pronto. And that's no bull.

Viva le Hot Dog!

2011-11-18T20:43:00.010-05:00

Cookbook Love loves hot dogs!

And so does Cutco. And so does their illustrator, Frank Marcello. Just look at this fine fellow fencing, confident in his meat selection:

Why he's parried and thrust her burger nearly down to the handle!

Consider his form. And his jaunty shirt. Wish I could find curtains in that fabric.

But on to the recipe:

Check out the loooong arm of this Pisan!

I like that Frank Marcello put the leaning tower in the picture, as a play on "pizza". But he must not have read the recipe because it includes no bun, and his illustration includes no bacon.

Which is a major violation: BACON MUST BE RESPECTED.

Or maybe he was on to something. After all, putting the canino in a bun after grilling would make it more pizza-like.

I guess Frank knows franks.

Shortcake: It's Not Just for Dessert Anymore

2011-11-18T08:00:00.004-05:00

I have no idea why, but Diane Sawyer seems to have an opinion about this dish. Check it out:

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/page?id=13811704

She doesn't really seem the type to me. Not that I watch her much, but I picture her lunching on something like jicama salad on a bed of edamame ragu topped with candied free-range chicken.

Or does that seem harsh?

No offense to Ms. Sawyer intended. It's just a dish that sounds like it would be peddled to the stars. For all I know, she's a porkaholic.

As for the recipe, I must object. How can it be called SHORTCAKE if the ham goo is poured over toast? Really? Shouldn't it be titled Ham Rarebit sans Fromage?

And, in case you wondered if I hadn't noticed, what in blue blazes is "condiment sauce"???

Please comment if you have a clue. I have none.

Crusty Sausage Cakes

2011-11-17T08:00:00.007-05:00

Ya gotta love the title.

The title is so great, I almost don't need to add a thing.

In fact, I don't think I will.

Oh Frank. You are Such a Ham.

2011-11-16T08:00:00.022-05:00

Here are a variety of pig pictures from Cutco Meat and Poultry Cookery. Clearly Frank, the illustrator, thinks that swine are just thrilled to pieces to offer themselves up for our feasting pleasure.

Just look at them frolicking in various settings.

1. Juggling:2. Drunk:3. Crowned king of all swine:

4. Getting high?5. Starring in minor theatrics:

6. Tanning:7. Acting as chief pillow and butt rest:

You'll find some of these illustrations in recipes to come. Others will simply stand on their own merits.

Pork out.

20th Century Wieners! The Dogs Kids Love to Sprinkle with Parmesan

2011-11-15T08:00:00.007-05:00

Everyone loves hotdogs. Fat kids, skinny kids, kids who climb on rocks. (Click it. You know you want to.)

Armor says it. Oscar Mayer says it. It must be true.

Cutco obviously believed it as well; it includes a whole chapter titled "Wieners."

Here are some kids enjoying a string, as if to prove the songs.

And here's a recipe in case your kids are bored with the same old dog in a bun. (Or cut up into unchokable chunks if they are little.)

If they are anything like my kids when they were young, they'll want nothing to do with this dish. But then, I was a bad parent and didn't teach them to eat what was placed before them. Hopefully you can learn from my mistake and tell them to clean their plate or lose out on the Jello.

I wonder what the 21st Century Weiner will be like?

Suggestions appreciated.

Nothing Says Variety Like Spiced Tongue

2011-11-14T08:00:00.011-05:00

Oh, Cutco. I do so love you.

Take their handling of variety meats. It's just offal. They include pictures in case you find yourself in a market looking at stacks of unlabeled flesh, and need to tell the difference between sweetbreads and brains.

Obviously, the page is useful. You just might want to ignore the illustration of the animals dancing happily at the top, prior to their thymus glands, livers, kidneys, brains, et. al. having been, shall we say, removed.

(Try especially hard not to look at the little guy in the front. I think he's a veal, though he reads more like a cross between a kangaroo and a baby dinosaur.)

But on to a recipe!

From the looks of the picture, I'm guessing that hubby thinks she bears a spiced tongue, but not in a good way. He looks like he'd be happy to boil it, let it soak overnight, and then peel the skin off himself.

Perhaps then he could get back to his paper.

Damn it. Tongue night again?

That's Just Wrong

2011-11-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

Frank Marcello, the Cutco cookbook illustrator, cracks me up. He would SO not get away with these illustrations today.

Take a gander into the way his mind pictures the world, and its people.

Brontosaurus ribs anyone?

Cornelius's Favorite: K-E-double-L-O-double-good Every Day Hamburgers

2011-11-12T08:00:00.022-05:00

The Cutco cookbook includes six recipes for hamburgers. This one is the every day version, containing, of course, corn flakes.

Note to cook: I'd use the sugar free variety if I were you.

Here's the recipe.

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a little walk down corn flake memory lane:

New Cookbook Day! Cutco Meat and Poultry Cookery

2011-11-11T08:00:00.013-05:00

It's time for a new cookbook!

DiDi found this little beauty for my birthday, and I can't begin to tell you how much joy it gave me.

Best $1.50 she ever spent.

It's a promotional piece produced for the cutlery division of Wear-Ever Aluminum, Inc. in 1961.

Here's what it looks like on the inside front cover:

All the meat you could ever hope for in one place!

The best thing about this book is the illustrations. Oh, the illustrations!

The drawings are done by one Frank Marcello. Unfortunately, I can't find much about him.

He's got quite a sense of humor. I'm surprised that Wear-Ever let him get away with half the stuff he put in. Here are a few classic examples:

You'll be hearing more about the illustrations in coming posts, so for now I'll just comment on this last one.

What the heck is going on in this kitchen? Look at the position of mom's feet. Is she pigeon toed, or is there more to the story? They both seem to be happy about it, though the girl's smile looks just the tiniest bit more genuine to me.

Hmmm.... Let me know what YOU think.

Stay tuned for more meat and illustrated hilarity, 1960s style!

Special Guest Blogger: Mama K on Boiled Dinners!

2011-11-10T14:22:00.010-05:00

I wanted my Mom to write a guest blogger post, and thought about the dishes that most represented the cooking from my childhood during the 1970s. What came to mind? Boiled dinners!

While Googling about these culinary creations I stumbled across a cool cookbook mentioned in the Cookbook of the Day blog:

Now it's on my wishlist.

My memories of these dinners was that they were simple but had complexity of flavor (not that I knew what that meant at the time). Mom's versions were very straight forward. No Old Bay or garlic. No herbs. The smell would be enticing, filling the house with the promise of something good to come.

But let's hear what Mama K. has to say.

As a young girl growing up in California, I had no idea what a boiled dinner was. Eventually, a person from the East showed me his version of a Boiled Dinner. It consisted of a piece of beef, vegetables, lots of liquid and cooked in the oven.

Several years later, I was married with two children. The four of us arrived in Hornell, New York, from France, after my husband (at that time) was discharged from the U.S. Army.

There were many differences for this California girl to get used to, after landing in New York. Boiled Dinner was my favorite.

So, this is what I learned about a Boiled Dinner:

The ham (at that time) was so salty, that it was ALWAYS boiled in a large pot on the the top of the stove for a few hours, until the ham was falling off the bone. At that time, chunky cut-up vegetables such as, cabbage, carrots, turnips (optional), and onions are added. When vegetables are about half done, the potatoes are added; as they cook fairly quickly, they will totally fall apart if added too soon.

The ham provides a lot of flavor (and salt) to the vegetables. Each person at the meal can decide if butter, pepper and salt needs to be add to the dish. This dish can be served with or without the liquid.

(Editor comment: I don't remember a single turnip.)

I hadn't realized that the hams of the day were saltier than the ones we find now, but it helps explain why you'd want to boil the daylights out of it. Today's hams are so lean and tender that I hate to think what a few hours in bubbling water would do to the texture. I'll have to try it with a smoked picnic shoulder, assuming I can find one.

The other style of ham I remember from the era is canned.

Fortunately for me, time heals all memories, and my recollection of them was significantly more appealing than this.

(BONUS LINK: Turns out canned ham is strongly associated with camping trailers, at least according to Google images. Click here to check it out.)

Potential Additions to Cookbook Love

2011-11-07T17:59:00.004-05:00

BREAKING NEWS: I'm working on adding two special-guest segments to Cookbook Love periodically. The first is a Guest Blogger feature, where a home cook tells us about cooking a particular dish from the past. (Hoping my mom will do one soon on the fine art of boiled dinners.)

The second is a Featured Blogger interview, which will focus on the favorite cookbooks and vintage recipes from top food bloggers around the interwebs.

Yippee! Stay tune for fun times to come!

More Sundries: Feather Curling!

2011-11-06T08:00:00.002-05:00

Don't even try pretending your feathers never got tumbled.

It happens.

The trick is to know how to handle it once it does.

Rotten Glass, Irish Potatoes, Slovenly Domestics, and Soap Shakers

2011-11-05T08:00:00.001-04:00

The last chapter in Common Sense in the Household is titled Sundries, and includes advice on how to clean all sorts of things, including cloth coats, carpets, "doubtful calicoes", knives, and "very dirty black dresses".

(I get the black dress bit; I've owned many in varying stages of dirtiness. But "doubtful calicoes" still has me wondering.)

A suggestion for all who have been washing knives with the rest of the dishes:

Knives

Clean with a soft flannel and Bath brick. If rusty, use wood-ashes, rubbed on with a newly cut bit of Irish potato. This will removes spots when nothing else will. Keep your best set wrapped in soft white paper; then in linen, in a drawer out of damp and dust.

What's a Bath brick you may well ask? Turns out it is a precursor to Brillo pads. Here's a visual for you:

Speaking of washing dishes, turns out there is a lot to learn about how to do it right. Not to mention the difficulty of training the household help. Check it out:

The next page continues the author's diatribe, describing the slovenly methods that many domestics of the day employed.

She concludes with a long description of proper dish washing. I'll spare you most of the details, but I loved that the author recommended using a device she calls a "soap-shaker", produced by the Dover Stamping Co., because I have one!

Somewhere.

I dug up this picture on Google so that you can see what it looks like:

I think you'll enjoy the closing sentences of this piece:

A lady did once explain the dinginess of her goblets to me by saying that she was "afraid to put them in hot water. It rots glass and makes it so tender! I prefer to have them a little cloudy." This is literally true--that she said it, I mean. Certainly not that a year's soak in hot water could make glass tender.

Certainly not?

Calf's Foot Jelly Part 2

2011-11-04T08:00:00.004-04:00

Silly me. My birthday post on Calf's Foot Jelly did not include the second page. Apologies for the time delay, but I think it is still worth posting.

Who would really question the belief that the beauty and flavor of jellies made with feet are superior to that made from horn shavings and hoofs?

Let's take a look on the inside to prove the point:

When working with the beloved whole, you get all that delicious subcutaneous connective tissue, navicular bursa, and fetlock joint juice.

How can the pre-packaged powdered stuff possibly compare?

Regardless of the truthfulness of this page, deaf ears seem to have prevailed. JELL-O is king.

READER BONUS: While Googling for calf's foot images, I made an interesting discovery. Turns out some people prefer to wear the feet rather than turning them into tasty gelatin desserts. If you fall into that camp, here's a pair you may enjoy:

Now THOSE are some party shoes! They give the term "jello shots" a whole new meaning.

Recipes for Every Emergency!

2011-11-02T10:31:00.000-04:00

In addition to recipes for food, Common Sense in the Household contains many interesting tidbits related to health and hygiene.

Take these two items. (You may want to print a copy to put in your first aid kit.)

Let's look at the one on blood flow first. Do you think the author stored a collection of cobwebs in a bin somewhere in case of nasty cuts? Or did she scurry around house and barn, grabbing handfuls wherever she found them?

Can you imagine the state of the injury after a few days of being bound up with cobwebs and brown sugar?

Yuck!

Now on to the second remedy.

I'm imagining an ash tray filled with twists of saltpeter encrusted paper, at the bedside of some poor asthmatic. Could the smoke possibly have been helpful, acting as a primitive nebulizer? The author seems to have personal knowledge of efficacy. Perhaps she uses the treatment herself.

I'm no fan of pharmaceutical companies, but reading this stuff sure makes me grateful for the local drug store.

Vote of No Confidence

2011-11-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

I love, love, love this page!!!

Please do yourself the favor of reading it. If the text is too small for you, contact me and I'll send a larger version.

It has everything. Plays on words. Bug parts. Comparisons to dirty clothes. Geology. Mince pies. Dyspepsia.

And last, but hardly least, the intriguing question of what exactly would happen in the mid-night hour if you let your children eat currents immodestly?

A Justly Earned Reputation for Grossness

2011-10-31T08:00:00.011-04:00

I'm a bit fascinated by the idea of "indigestibility", which back in the day typically referred to fat content or greasiness.

For example, Aunt Jenny's cookbook contains numerous claims about how much more digestible Spry is than other shortenings on the market. Take the following passages:

"Fried foods crispier, tastier, and so digestible: But say, when it comes to fryin, I could tell as much as any of 'em! Since I been fryin' with Spry, you should see all the doughnuts, French fries, and fried chicken my husband, Calvin, stows away! And never a twinge of indigestion!"

"Mebbe I mentioned it before, but I want to say over again, so that everybody gets it, how easy to digest foods cooked with Spry are. Grandpa Briggs at the Old Soldiers' Home eats pies and doughnuts and fried foods aplenty. Mrs. Thompson, the matron, uses Spry for everythin'."

"And you'll notice such a difference with fried foods! Why folks are eatin' all they want since Spry came to town. Sleepin' like tops and feelin' real chipper, too. Fact is, foods fried proper in Spry are as digestible as if baked or boiled. Why even a child can eat 'em."

Apparently devoted hubby Calvin, old man Briggs, and even little Tommy are putting away fried stuff like there's no tomorrow. With nary a twinge.

Obviously, the concern about fried foods had more to do with what it does to the tum tum than what it puts around it.

But back to the Bacon and Cabbage.

In this recipe, I'm confused. Looks like you still cook the cabbage in the grease-saturated pot liquor, so it's not like the leaves walk away unbeglistened. In this recipe, you drain off as much of the stuff as you can, so maybe it was the pool of liquor floating with fat globules that turned the author off. If you drain it, merely a gleaming whiff of pork fat would remain on the leaves, which could perhaps be disregarded as you dig in to the bacon.

(And herein lies the mystery.)

Is it the cabbage itself that produces results described as indigestibility, the symptoms of which could be reduced by changing out the cooking water?

My solution, and undoubtedly Aunt Jenny's: do yourself a favor and just fry the cabbage in Spry. You'll justly earn a reputation for refinement.

An Admirable Preventive of Decomposition

2011-10-30T19:29:00.004-04:00

I'm thinking of rubbing some charcoal on my face.

12 Eggs and a Glass Full of Brandy Means it's Time for Divorce. I Mean, Dessert.

2011-10-28T08:00:00.007-04:00

Time for dessert!

First off, apologies for the skewed image. It's a book, after all. An old book. I don't want to press it too flat, nor get my fingers in the shot.

While I'm on the subject, apologies generally for the horrible photography in my blog. I'm no Pioneer Woman. It's true.

Back to the recipe.

Having recently wrapped up a very painful and drawn out divorce, I can't help but love love love (translate <3 <3 <3) the name of this recipe.

I so get it.

With luck, in time, I will view marriage in a more favorable light. I believe in it intellectually,10,000%. Maybe even a million percent.

But.

Given where I am, so recently post-married that my flesh still stings and my emotions wince, the name of this cake is completely logical to me.

Not to mention the brandy. Though I would have included at least three wineglass fulls.

Better stock up on eggs.

Tootsies and Jammies

2011-10-27T08:00:00.002-04:00

Enough about seafood! Where's the beef?!?

Actually, I'm not sure this entry qualifies as beef. But I'll let you be the judge.

Here's the thing: I never realized that calf's foot jelly was jelly. I mean, I've heard of it before, and had the usual shivering "Eeeewwwwww" response that most of us do from our view in this latest millennium.

But I never realized that it was sweet. I'd pictured one of those 1960's aspic affairs, some sort of jellied consume upon which ladies lunched.

But no. This is sweet. Three cups of sugar sweet. (Or to taste. Depending on how sweet you like your cow toes.)

Pay close attention to the first step: clean the feet carefully.

Now I don't know much about raising cattle. But I'm imagining that cows don't exactly tip-toe around the pasture, trying to avoid the patties in their path. They may be smarter than sheep, but even the most cautious bovine must step in poo.

Seriously.

So I like that this is the first step. In case you are the same person who fell for the city eel of previous report.

Wash the darned feet. Carefully. Use an old toothbrush if you must.

I also like the image of the jelly filtering through an old pair of jammies, knotted around an overturned chair.

Heartwarming.

And while the recipe doesn't state it, you should probably wash those as well.

Dexterous Wrenches and Autumn Frolics

2011-10-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

What better way to follow up on an eel post than to show you a page about oysters! Especially apropos on an autumn day such as this.

Helpful advice is, as usual, offered in abundance. For example, one should wash the oysters so as not to offend fastidious guests.

Your own "good man" will be truly heartened by your offering of this pearl of bivalves when he comes home on a wet night, cold, tired, and hungry.

Indeed.

Don't forget your bushel basket. Or your knife. or the pepper pot.

Country Eel Stew. You Know What it Tastes Like.

2011-10-25T08:00:00.009-04:00

I love the earthy practicality of Common Sense in the Home. Here's another fine example:

Let's be honest: who hasn't been duped by one of those city slicker eel merchants? And who really has time to consider the diets of urban eels compared to those of more pastoral climes?

It's not just us. Even Freud had eel issues.

"Since eels do not keep diaries," the investigator, 19-year-old Sigmund Freud, wrote to a friend in the spring of 1876, the only way to determine gender was to cut and slice, "but in vain, all the eels which I cut open are of the fairer sex."

Poor Sigmund appears to be the victim of his own envy.

But I digress.

The advice is just so darned useful. For example, the suggestion about avoiding a three pound eel, despite the obvious draw.

(Three pounds is a big fella by anyone's reckoning.)

But I digress again.

So you start with a one pound country eel and THEN you add butter.

This affirms one of my culinary beliefs: add butter and anything tastes like chicken.

Stew that is.

Recollection of Perplexities, and Assurance of Safety

2011-10-24T17:53:00.000-04:00

Lard Making 101: Practical Housewifery at it's Finest

2011-10-23T13:54:00.013-04:00

This post is for my friend Carol Douglas, who appears to be in need of the recipe at just such a time as this.

It comes from the book Common Sense in the Household. It is copyrighted 1880 but was printed in 1903.

Just look; the poor thing is falling apart at the seams. Reminds me of what I saw in the mirror some mornings over the past year.

Unlike me, the cracks in this thing probably won't heal, no matter how much cosmeticological lard is spread on it.

Anyhoo, the book has been on my list for presentation to you, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Thanks for the prompting, Carol!

Here's your first taste of Practical Housewifery. Now you too can make your own lard.

Lard

Every housekeeper knows how unfit for really nice cooking is the pressed lard sold in stores as "best and cheapest." It is close and tough, melts slowly, and is sometimes diversified by fibrous lumps. And even when lard has been "tried out" by the usual process, it is often mixed with so much water as to remind us unpleasantly that it is bought by weight.

The best way of preparing the "leaf lard," as it is called, is to skin it carefully, wash, and let it drain; then put it, cut into bits, into a large, clean tin kettle or bucket, and set this in a pot of boiling water. Stir from time to time until it is melted; throw in a very little salt, to make the sediment settle; and when it is hot--(it should not boil fast at any time, but simmer gently until clear)--strain through a close cloth into jars. Do not squeeze the cloth so long as the clear fat will run through, and when you do, press the refuse into a different vessel, to be used for commoner purposes than the other.

Most of the lard in general use is, however, made from the fatty portions of pork lying next the skin of the hog, and are left for this purpose by the butcher. Scrape from the rind, and cut all into dice. Fill a large pot, putting in a teacupful of water to prevent scorching, and melt very slowly, stirring every few minutes. Simmer until there remains nothing of the meat but fibrous bits. Remove these carefully with a perforated skimmer; throw in a little salt, to settle the fat, and when it is clear strain through a fine cullender (sic), a sieve, or a coarse cloth. Tip the latter in boiling water, should it become clogged by the cooling lard. Observe the directions about squeezing the strainer. If your family is small, bear in mind that the lard keeps longer in small than large vessels. Set away the jars, closely covered, in a cool, dry cellar or store room.

In trying out lard, the chief danger is of burning. Simmer gently over a steady fire, and give it your whole attention until it is done. A moment's neglect will ruin all. Stir very often--almost constantly at the last--and from the bottom, until the salt is thrown in to settle it, when withdraw to a less hot part of the fire. Bladders tied over lard jars are the best protection; next to these, paper, and outside of this, cloths dipped in melted grease.

Aunt Jenny Gems: Calvin's favorite chicken

2011-10-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Calvin also loves Jenny's crispy Spryed chicken!

Aunt Jenny Gems: Calvin's favorite shortcake

2011-10-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

Calvin just can't get enough... SPRY that is!

Aunt Jenny Gems: on boys and cookies

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just look at the face on this innocent little darling!

Aunt Jenny Gems: on boys and spoons

2011-10-17T08:00:00.005-04:00

This little book is so full of gems that I think I'll just post a few pictures and let your mind do the rest.

Here's the first, wherein Jenny comments about her husband's love of spoon licking.

Spry! Best Wedding Gift Ever!

2011-10-13T15:51:00.000-04:00

Spry Pure Vegetable Shortening did an amazing job with marketing during the mid 1930s through the mid 1950s. They created a character named Aunt Jenny who appeared in print advertisements and hosted a radio show/soap opera.

(In this case, I guess it would be called a shortening opera.)

DiDi found for me a trippy old recipe booklet called Aunt Jenny's Favorite Recipes which of course all demand Spry.

Check out the front cover:

That handsome fella with his arm around Jenny is the ever dashing DH Calvin. For some reason, he's not referred to as "Uncle", which makes me question the nature of their relationship.

The back cover is equally fun.

The book is filled with techniques and tips for the aspiring homemaker. The back cover tips you off that Jenny likes to help newlyweds.

Who wouldn't want a paper advertocookbooklet and an economy sized can of shortening as a wedding present!

Ain't Spry grand?

Oh, butter...

2011-10-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

Butter rocks. It is the mayonnaise of the cow world.

Hot Gazpacho ala Alice B. Toklas

2011-09-27T11:34:00.008-04:00

I've been reading The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book which I bought a few months ago at an estate sale. I thought the title sounded familiar, but had no idea what I was actually buying.

The book is a fascinating memoir about Alice's life as friend, lover, and aide-de-camp to Gertrude Stein. Each chapter centers around a set of their adventures, transporting medical supplies during war time, wrangling persnickety vehicles named Aunt Pauline and Godiva, and traveling here and there around the Continent and elsewhere. All the stories conclude with a description of a meal they ate on these travels, along with a recipe or two.

There are many interesting things about the book. Alice always refers to her companion as "Gertrude Stein", never as merely Gertrude. Use of punctuation is spotty. Questions are often ended with periods rather than question marks. Recipes are introduced in the middle of sentences. Names like Picasso are dropped in the midst of stories about friends and acquaintances.

I'm not sure how many of the recipes I'll include in this blog. It tends not to be my style of cooking. Most of it is very French, both literally and by my own use of the term, meaning: multi-stepped and fussy. But I did want to include this passage on gazpacho. It concludes a chapter on variations of this cold soup, and was added as a sort of epilogue. She writes:

Senora Marta Brunet, a distinguished Chilean writer, is of Spanish or rather Catalan descent and she describes gazpacho as a meal of the Spanish muleteers. And meal it seems, in this version, rather than soup. These muleteers, she says, carry with them on their journeyings a flat earthenware dish--and garlic, olive, oil, tomatoes and cucumbers, also dry bread which they crumble. Between two stones by the wayside they grind the garlic with a little salt and then add the oil. This mixture is rubbed all round the inside of the earthenware vessel. Then they slice the tomatoes and cucumbers and put alternating layers of each in the dish, interspersing the layers with layers of breadcrumbs and topping off the four tiers with more breadcrubms and more oil. This done and prepared, they take a wet cloth, wrap it round the dish and leave it in a sunny place. The evaporation cooks the contents and when the cloth is dry the meal is ready. Too simple, my dear Watson.

Now I don't claim to be a scientist of any kind. Brain or otherwise. But my understanding of the evaporation process is that it cools, rather than heats. A quick googling confirmed that, and led me to an interesting link about a self-cooling Spanish clay water vessel called a Botijo.

So that leaves me wondering if the word "cooks" in the passage was a typo inflicted during the publishing process, or if Alice simply got the story wrong.

Interesting, no?

This little book is a priceless window into a particular era, social milieu, and personality. Definitely worth the read.

Mug Musings

2011-09-26T16:54:00.012-04:00

I've been contemplating the difference in coffee cup sizes from the 1950s to today. They seem to have gotten quite a bit larger in the last half century or more.

Just look at the size of the cup this fella hoists, obviously forced on him by a loved one hoping to sober him up:

DiDi and I tend to like mid-century modern dishware, and so have a small collection of cups from that era.

We have some like this:

And like this:

We don't have these but I wish we did because they are very cool:

We have a number of other styles as well, but Google images isn't helping me find them and I can't be bothered to take some real pictures and deal with all the images currently on the memory stick.

(True Confession Time: If I don't get to them quickly, they add up and I procrastinate.)

The mid-century cups typically hold about 8 oz if you've got a steady hand or don't mind a periodic morning scald. 6 oz is better if you prefer to play it safe.

Contrast that with today's mugs:

Ok so this is a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I'm talking about. Walk into your local AstroDollars Coffee Shop and take a look at their options. Assuming you understand the language they use to make you feel hip, the smallest one is typically 12oz, and the large is 20oz.

That's a lot of joe, no matter how much they've frothed the milk and decorated the top with hearts and flowers.

The mugs most people use at home are similarly ginormous.

What happened in the intervening years? Do we really need that much more caffeine now?

Did the coffee mob strong arm cup manufacturers?

Here's what I discovered. When I'm at home, the amount I drink in a small cup is satisfying. When I'm on the road and pull over for a jolt, I still tend to go for the 16 oz medium.

Which is weird. Somehow just looking at the larger cups make me think I need more.

But I don't.

Aunt Jenny's Dumplings

2011-09-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

It's apple season, so here's a blast from the past to get you started. It comes from Who Says We Can't Cook, and submitted by cookbook author Florence Brobeck of "Press Relations".

Florence writes:

My aunt Jenny was oen of the most famous cooks in central Ohio forty years ago. Her kitchen was a huge room dominated by a coal range from which came aromas which touched off a stampede of children from all parts of the house.

Best of all, especially in winter, were the big pans of apple dumplings, steaming at the top with apple jelly oozing out. They were supposed to be served cold, or nearly so. But we couldn't wait. We ate them hot with very cold, very thick cream.

Here is her recipe. (Today's busy housekeepers may use ready mixed pie crust.)

Ohio Apple Dumplings

6 cooking apples

Pastry for two pie crusts

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

1/2 cup dried currants (soaked and drained)

1/4 cup apple jelly

1/4 cup butter or margarine

Wash, pare and core apples. Roll pastry about 1/4 inch thick. Cut in circles large enough to cover apples. Mix sugars, cinnamon, peel, currants, and jelly. Spoon mixture into apples. Dot each with butter. Wrap each apple in dough, crimping edges togeter at the top. Place on baking sheet or in shallow baking pan. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) about 30 minutes, or until apples are soft and pastry golden. Serve warm or cold, with cream, lemon sauce, or hard sauce. Six servings.

What's for Dessert: Lemon Coconut Balls

2011-08-29T11:13:00.003-04:00

I've been playing with variants of a recipe unimaginatively called "Cake Balls". Last night's version was a play on lemon meringue pie. I should have used lemon curd rather than lemon pie filling for additional tartness. Plus I'm still thinking about what to use for "crust" rather than coconut, something that won't get soggy.

Even so, they are delicious!

(Can't post the recipe here as I'm hoping to submit it to a few contests. I'll post it after it wins a million dollar bake off. Promise.)

Cheesy Tuna to Tame that Man-Child Brute

2011-08-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

Here's the last entry I'll be posting from Who Says We Can't Cook!, this one filled with savvy advice for today's modern miss and would-be fascinator.

"It is wisdom as old as the hills that the way to get along with a man-child is to feed the brute," Mary Haworth advises readers of our WNPC cook book. "Lots of famous fascinators can't cook but I am convinced that nothing gives a woman greater self-confidence as a woman than the ability to cook well."

Analyzing females and foods, she believes "The womanly woman has a congenital urge to cook well. She cooks to please her man almost as instinctively as the vamp powders her nose."

And, as a final warning, Mary points out, "The lovable woman is a nurturing woman and men don't leave them because 'you can't hardly get them kind no more'."

Her preferred Lenten dish, good any Friday, and heavy enough to please the most masculine appetite is:

Tuna and Mushrooms with Cheese Sauce

Wash and slice 1 3/4 pounds fresh mushrooms and saute in butter or margarine 5 minutes. (Or use canned button mushrooms instead--4 or 5 small cans well drained.) Get approximately 3 pounds white canned tuna, drain off oil and break or cut into fairly large bite-size pieces.

To make the sauce, melt 1/4 pound butter or margarine, blend in 10 tablespoons flour and cook two minutes, stirring constantly. Add to 5 cups heated milk, tablespoon Ac'cent, 1/4 teaspoon saffron, and 2/3 pound very sharp cheese cut into small pieces. If you like, substitute 2/3 cup of sherry for 2/3 cup mil. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese has melted and the sauce begins to bubble.

Add tuna and mushrooms to sauce. Now season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve in chafing dish or casserole. This serves 13, so reduce ingredients proportionately for smaller number. Incidentally, the saffron makes the dish.

Tricky Dick Likes HOT Tamales!

2011-08-17T08:00:00.003-04:00

I wonder if Michelle O has her own book of recipes?

Dinner at home, with mother cooking, is an important event now in the lives of Tricia and Julie Nixon, whose parents, the Vice President and Mrs. Nixon, are so busy with official duties that dining at home with the youngsters is a rare event. Mrs. Nixon has compiled a book of recipes that her husband and the children especially like, and she selects from them on the infrequent occasions when she can prepare the family dinner. Here are two Nixon specials:

Glorified Rice

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup cubed pineapple

1 chopped apple

25 marshmallows

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whipped cream

Mix ingredients, except the whipped cream. Let stand an hour. Fold in the whipped cream before serving.

Hot Tamale Pie

2 cups ground cooked meat

1 cup gravy or meat stock

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 cup tomatoes, canned or fresh

1/2 small onion, minced

black olives

1 teaspoon salt

1 quart cooked corn meal mush, very stiff

Mix meat with the gravy or stock, add chili powder, tomatoes, olives, salt and onion. Line baking dish with cold cooked corn meal mush, fill with the meat mixture and put the balance of the mush over top in broken pieces. Bake 20 minutes in a hot oven.

Mamie's Million Dollar Fudge

2011-08-16T08:00:00.003-04:00

This entry was written when Dwight D. Eisenhower was President. Come back tomorrow to see what Tricky Dick's wife was up to while Mamie made fudge.

Mrs. Eisenhower has never made any pretense at being a cook. But like most people with no flair for food, she has impractical specialties. Hers are fudge and mayonnaise. Fudge is still one of her favorites and this family recipe is popular at the White House.

Million Dollar Fudge

Boil six minutes:

4 1/2 cups of sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 tall can evaporated milk

Put in large bowl:

12 ounces semi sweet chocolate (chocolate bits)

12 ounces German sweet chocolate

1 pint marshmallow cream (2 jars)

2 cups nutmeats

Pour boiling syrup over ingredients in bowl: beat until chocolate isa ll melted, and pour in pan. Let stand a few hours before cutting. Store in tin box.

Caboose Golarki

2011-08-15T15:54:00.002-04:00

This visual, high-impact piece came from Marian H. Jones.

In a Polish Caboose

TIME... October-December 1939
PLACE... Warsaw, Poland
CHARACTERS... Two newspaper Correspondents, Marian H. Jones and Stephanie Steinhaus

Home: former freight caboose, furnished with double bunk, pot-bellied iron stove, switchman's lantern, Aubusson tapestry over the one window. Cannon to the right, cannon to the left, bombs falling everywhere. Sunday nights we were "at home" to newspaper colleagues and other friends. This dish was a favorite.

Polish Golarki

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 cup uncooked rice

1 cup chopped onions

1 medium-size can tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Season meat with half of the salt, pepper, and thyme. Put in deep baking dish, crunch one bay leaf over it. Add rice, then add onions and remainder of salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour tomatoes over, add additional bay leaf, cover and bake 45 minutes.

Suffragette Heavenly Hamburger

2011-08-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

Today's recipe comes from Henrietta Poynter, editor of the Congressional Quarterly.

Mother Left Home

I learned to cook at about 14 when my mother went on a three-month speaking tour for suffrage and left me to keep house. Whatever I saved out of the budget was mine, so I specialized in recipes for making cheap cuts of meat delicious, and managed without starving the family, to indulge in new clothes, theater tickets, and other things not covered by my allowance.

These recipes are quickies that can be made between deadline time and when the guests arrive.

Heavenly Hamburger

1 pound ground chuck or round

1 small onion

1 slice white bread

1 egg

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

To ground meat, add onion, finely chopped, egg, salt and pepper. Soak bread in hot water, squeeze out and crumble into meat mixture. Knead, with your hands, like bread, until thoroughly mixed. Make into thick cutlets: brown on outside, keep inside rare--about five minutes on each side. Makes six hamburgers.

Remove meat from pan, add four to six tablespoons of water, stirring constantly to make thick gravy, add ketchup and mustard, stir for a minute until well mixed and pour over hamburgers.

Eggs Normandy

2011-08-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

This item comes from May Craig, Washington Correspondent for The Guy Gannett Newspapers and Broadcasting Services of Maine, and former WNPC President.

I wonder if our soldiers in the middle east tell similar stories?

Scene: Normandy Beachhead

Camped around edges of Normandy apple orchards in 1944 campaign, cold and muddy and a mile and a half from the mess tent... Swapped off PX cigarettes for shell eggs from nearby farmers--change from powdered eggs... "Liberated" bit of butter or shortening from mess tent, and cheese from rations... "Liberated" a little gasoline from nearest jeep.

Eggs Normandy

To make Eggs Normandy under above conditions: Dig hole in ground between tents and loosen earth in it. Pour in a little gasoline. Put ingredients in mess kit, cover and cook over flame from earth mixed with gasoline. Only do this in daylight because night air raids mean blackout. If small empty tin can is available keep earth in it in tent to keep dry. Can cook over can instead of hole in ground. If no gasoline, bits of corrugated box, or twigs, under small stones to hold heat, and set mess kit on, for cooking.

To make Eggs Normandy for supper at home: Melt dab of butter in small pan; into this break two eggs, add pepper and salt to taste. Lay two slices of cheese on top of eggs. When served as breakfast dish, cover pan and cook over slow fire. For dinner dish, put under broiler until cheese browns. Cheese may be sharp or mild, according to taste, or grated Parmesan. A dash of garlic powder may be added.

What's For Dinner: Tuscan Tomato Soup

2011-08-10T11:38:00.003-04:00

Last night's supper was open faced toasted grilled cheese with homemade tomato soup. The soup is a simple concoction of sauteed onion, crushed and diced canned tomatoes, and lots of basil. Plus pepper.

The tomatoes in this case were pretty acidic, and had to be sweetened with a few tablespoons of sugar.

Simple, satisfying, and delicious.

Best Chili in Washington, or His Name isn't President Truman.

2011-08-10T08:00:00.004-04:00

This entry comes from Sarah McClendon, of "Sarah McClendon Bureau".

Mrs. Eugene Worley laughed when her husband, Federal Judge Worley of Washington, DC said he was bringing the President of hte United States home to dinner.

Speaker Raybuurn, yes, or Chief Justice Vinson or Associate Justice Clark. They were regular chili "customers" at the Worley home. Even Judge Worley himself sort of gulped when President Truman, some years ago, picked him up on an invitation to a chili supper, saying "Why yes, I'll be over tonight."

His wife was still laughing at the joke her husband thought he was playing on her when she began receiving calls from the Secret Service for directions to the Worley home. Frantically, she rushed out to the neighbors to borrow silver, china, and even a spare maid.

Soon she began receiving telephone bulletins on the progress of the party from the Secret Service, saying "we are rounding such-and-such a corner and will arrive in 5 1/2 minutes." To her amazement, Secret Service men immediately dashed to the kitchen to taste the chili--not for flavor, but to make sure it was safe eating for a President.

This is the recipe for Mrs. Worley's s famous chili which former Presendt Truman proclaimed "the best in Washington."

Mrs. Worley's Chili

4 pounds coarsely ground boneless chuck

1 cup chili powder

6 rounded tablespoons flour

2 quarts water

Chopped clove of garlic

Oregano to taste, about 1 teaspoon

1 tablespoon salt

Ground cumin seed to taste, about 1 teaspoon

Mix chili powder and flour. Stir until it makes paste. Brown meat in large skillet with small amount of fat. Mix paste with meat while browning. Add water, garlic, oregano, cumin seed, salt. Simmer two ours slowly. Best if left overnight and reheated the next day. Test-taste. Serves 10. Best with beans, tamales, or rice.

What's for Breakfast: Pineapple Upside Down French Toast

2011-08-09T08:00:00.004-04:00

Today I remembered an old recipe for Pineapple Upside Down French Toast, and made up my own version.

I had chunks of pineapple in the fridge, and so cut them up into smaller pieces and scattered them over butter which I'd melted in a cast iron skillet. Once they had browned a bit, I sprinkled brown sugar and a bit of pineapple juice over the fruit, and let it condense into syrup for a few minutes.

I whisked together 3 eggs with some milk and a splash of vanilla, and broke the last 4 pieces of whole wheat bread into small chunks. (Thought this would be easier than trying to fit full sized-square slices into a round pan.) When the bread had soaked up all that custardy goodness, I plopped the sopping bits into the pan, completely covering the pineapple base. I let it cook on the stove top for a few minutes, then popped it under the broiler to brown up the top.

It was delicious. And easy. And it didn't need syrup.

No Gateau for You!

2011-08-08T08:00:00.003-04:00

This recipe comes from Josephine Ripley who worked for the Christian Science Monitor's Washington Bureau.

Giving dinner to Virginia-born Lady Astor presented an unexpected problem for my editor, Erwin Canham, and his wife. The Canham maid, also from Virginia, held her own opinion of highborn ladies from her State. When informed that Lady Astor was to be a dinner guest, she muttered ominously, "She'll be late." She was.

When Lady Astor complimented the Gateau Fromage, Mrs. Canham rang for the maid to bring another serving to her distinguished guest. To her amazement, the servant announced flatly: "There ain't no more, ma'am."

There was, as Mrs. Canham knew--but not apparently for Lady Astor.

Gateau Fromage

Line pie plate with pastry. Grate into it 1/2 pound cheese--aged, sharp cheddar.

Mix: 1 beaten egg, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 scant cup milk.

Pour over the cheese without stirring. Jiggle plate a bit to mix. Bake in a quick, very hot oven, 450 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.

Let set a few minutes until it will cut neatly, but is still hot. Use as a first course, or a luncheon dish, with tossed salad.

Hollywood Kidney Stew

2011-08-07T08:00:00.008-04:00

This story and recipe come from Gretchen Smith, "Special Writer" (wonder what that means?)

Don't you love the cameraman's outfit? And mustache? I also dig the mid-century modern table legs sticking out from beneath the tablecloth.

The best thing about this entry is getting the inside scoop on what those crazy Hollywood folks like to eat. Serve it to all your A-list guests, and you'll be sure to get rave reviews.

A popular dish for Sunday brunch is kidney stew and waffles. I often entertained friends in Hollywood with this morning repast when I was living not far from Sunset Boulevard.

I won't offer a recipe for waffles; you'll find a good one on every package of waffle flour you buy. But kidney stew is another matter.

Don't buy anything but veal kidneys. They never have that strong taste you frequently find in lamb or beef kidneys. Below is the recipe which will serve two bountifully. Just multiply it for the number you want to entertain.

(Ed. Note: Did YOU know there was such a thing as "waffle flour"? I wonder if it sat on the shelves next to "pancake flour", and if so, what the difference was between them.)

Kidney Stew

1 pair veal kidneys

1/4 pound butter or margarine

1 medium-size onion

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup hot water

1 can consomme

1 can mushroom soup

1/2 cup white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove tissue and core from kidneys. Cut kidneys into medium-size pieces (size of a small mushroom). Melt the butter and when sizzling, add the chopped kidneys, turning them to brown quickly on all sides. This takes about 5 minutes. Remove them at once from the skillet and place to one side. Brown the chopped onion in the "kidney butter". As soon as it is brown, add the flour and brown this also to a deep golden hue. Add the hot water slowly, stirring the onion and flour until you have a thick gravy. Stir the flour constantly while adding the water, not to have it lumpy. Add the consomme to the gravy, stirring constantly to make it smooth. Add the mushroom soup and stir well.Salt and pepper to taste. Then put the sauteed kidneys into the mixture and simmer slowly about 10 minutes. Then add the wine, cover and keep hot until ready to serve. Pour over waffles or hot, crisp toast.

Syndicate Spaghetti

2011-08-06T08:00:00.005-04:00

This morning's recipe comes from the same source as yesterday's.

Here's what she says:

Despite safaris to Italy, my favorite Italian spaghetti is still this American short-cut dish. It was, in fact, the first thing I learned to cook. Married while a reporter on Hearst's Detroit Times, I had never even opened a can. While covering a murder trial a few days after my wedding, a rival reporter asked in a stage-whisper if I knew how to cook.

At the shake of my head, she scribbled this recipe and advised me to concentrate on quick-to-cook meals. I tried it on Bob that evening and it was so foolproof that we've eaten it regularly ever since.

I love the image of two reporter ladies chatting about spaghetti sauce while covering a murder trial. Must have been a mob hit.

Here's the recipe. You may have to go to a specialty to shop to find the long type of spaghetti. I know I did.

Italian Spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1 can Italian tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon oregano (optional)

Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in heavy iron skillet, add onion rings and chopped garlic clove. Saute until golden brown. Add ground beef and brown thoroughly, using fork to separate meat. Add tomato paste and 3 cans hot water. Salt and pepper to taste and let simmer 1/2 hour. Just before serving, add oregano, if desired. Serve with hot Italian spaghetti--the long, extra-thin type--and grated Parmesan cheese. A tossed green salad completes the meal. Makes 2-4 servings.

Post-Pompeii Souffle

2011-08-05T08:00:00.004-04:00

Here's another souffle recipe in case you aren't in a prune mood. This one comes from New York Daily News political columnist and former WNPC president Ruth Montgomery.

She writes:

A highlight of one of the most perfect days I ever spent was this chocolate souffle. Leaving Pompeii,we traveled by car along the Amalfi Drive in Southern Italy. At dusk we reached quaint Ravello (where Greta Garbo once fled from the press for an idyllic sojourn with Leopold Stokowski). At the Hotel Caruso Belvedere, a quaint, ageless inn, we dined luxuriously in the patio with the entire bay of Salerno at our feet. This was the dessert--so superb that I wangled the recipe.

What a story! And what a dessert! So simple. Perhaps it's time for souffles to make a comeback.

Chocolate Souffle

Cherry preserves

2 eggs

1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

Separate the eggs. Beat whites until stiff, then add the yolks and stir gently. Add the cocoa and sugar, little by little, continuing to stir gently. Place in individual buttered baking dish, on the bottom of which has been arranged a thin layer of cherry preserves. Bake in moderate oven until souffle rises, then serve at once. This serves one; increase ingreedeints according to number of servings desired.

Ready or Not, Here Comes the Prune Souffle!

2011-08-04T08:00:00.007-04:00

I am irresistably drawn to prune recipes. Not so much the savory, but the sweet.

This one is brought to you by Helen Hill Miller, who was president of the Women's National Press Club at the time the cook book was produced.

Enjoy!

My cooking life started late. After college, when I went to work, I lived at a club. After marriage, when I went to Geneva, we lived at a hotel. On returning to the United States, I found Emma Smith, who lived with us for seventeen years. After Emma retired, I had to put my shoulder to the can opener. (Note to beginners: a hand is better.) My performance is spotty. But I can make a superb souffle, from an old family recipe.

Prune Souffle

1/2 cup prunes, cooked until soft, pits out

1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar

Whites of 5 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

Whipped cream plus sugar and vanilla--be as generous as you like

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat prunes and cream of tartar together until very smooth; stir in sugar. Beat egg whites stiff. Fold egg whites into prune mixture. Pour into baking dish, preferably a pretty one, since it's going straight to the table from the oven.

Bake half an hour in the moderate oven (without opening door to see how things are coming). Prepare bowl of whipped cream, adding spot of vanilla, dash of sugar and put in ice box.

Disregard all social amenities when the half-hour is up. Serve the souffle then, whether guests or family are ready or not.

What's for Lunch: Salad Marrakesh

2011-08-03T16:32:00.006-04:00

Lunch today was what I'm calling a Moroccan salad. It started with Moroccan chicken and chick pea cakes, leftover from dinner last night. The cakes were based on an appetizer recipe which unfortunately I could not find online to share with you. I substituted cilantro for mint (because I had it), and added crushed sesame crackers to the meat mixture rather than using breadcrumbs as a coating. They were flavored with hot sauce and cumin. I sauteed them rather than deep frying followed by baking as the recipe specified.

I made a dressing from humus, lime and pineapple juice, and herb-flavored oil, with several dashes of cinnamon and cumin. The salad itself was simple; greens, bell pepper, and raisins. The cakes went on top and viola!

The flavors are interesting for a mutt of an American girl like me. Sweet and savory, spicy and tart, soft and crisp.

What's for dinner? Pizza!

Aunt Betty's Sally Lunn

2011-08-03T08:00:00.004-04:00

I couldn't resist the illustration on this page.

Here's a close up.Just look at that smiling cat. Not to mention the amazing African-Americana.

Here's the story and recipe, submitted by Virginia Weldon Kelly of Kelly News Service.

These authentic Deep South recipes, all over 100 years old, have been handed down in my family in hand-written cook books. They have proved simple to prepare, nutritious, and delicious. No exotic ingredients are required.

Aunt Betty's Sally Lunn

Sally Lunn was a favorite hot bread of Colonial Americans. Unfortunately, one seldom tastes it except at Williamsburg and other Southern towns.

Lard, size of large egg

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups flour

2 heaping teaspoons baking powder

1 scant pint sweet milk

Cream lard and sugar. Add well-beaten egg yolks. Add baking powder and salt to flour. Add flour mixture and milk slowly and alternately to creamed lard mixture. Fold in whipped egg whites. Bake in round cake pan or in muffin tins in hot (400 degree) oven. I prefer to use muffin tins, and I halve the recipe. Serve hot.

Angel Pie ala Apology

2011-08-02T08:00:00.008-04:00

Here's another recipe for Angel Pie! Wonder which one is the most authentic?

I think this comes from Ann Ewing, Staff Writer for Science Service. But a certain Violet Faulkner also has credits at the end of the recipe, so I figured I should mention them both.

I like that you don't fuss with a crust at all. That makes me happy. Not to mention my mom.

But I don't get the apologetic tone regarding graham crackers. What gives?

Here's the story, and the recipe. I think I'm going to try it.

Angel Pie has saved many a day for me when I needed a dessert in a hurry. It looks very festive when garnished with a ruff of whipped cream and shaved chocolate curls. You'd never dream it is made with graham cracker crumbs.

Angel Pie

11 graham crackers, crushed fine

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pinch salt

Beat egg yolks until light; add sugar and beat again until mixture is well blended. Add cracker crumbs and baking powder. Add nuts. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into buttered pin pan and bake 30 to 40 minutes in 375 degree oven. Cool. Cut into pie-shaped wedges; flute rum-flavored whipped cream around edges and decorate with shaved unsweetened chocolate. Serves 6.

FDR's Favorite Chicken

2011-08-01T12:46:00.005-04:00

Turns out Franklin Delano Roosevelt liked chicken and he liked it curried.

Here's the story that goes along with the recipe, submitted by Alice A. Dunnigan, Chief of the Associated Negro Press' Washington Bureau.

If you should visit the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, you would see written on the kitchen wall over the oven: "I cooked the first and last meal in this cottage for President Roosevelt." This statement was inscribed on April 12, 1945 by Mrs. Daisy Bonner, who served as cook in the Georgia White House for twenty years. She recalls the breakfast menu the last day, and the choose souffle timed for 1:15 lunch but never eaten.

Mrs. Bonner kept a menu book on the meals served to the President on his last two visits to Warm Springs. "The President had many favorite dishes," said Daisy Bonner, "But the one I htink he liked best was y special Country Captain."

So many questions. Like, why didn't he eat the souffle?

And from the recipe itself, what the heck are "raisins in sauce"?

I was able to answer the first question. Turns out FDR had a stroke before luncheon was served.

Ooops.

Let me know if you have an answer to the saucy raisin conundrum.

Country Captain

1 hen or 2 fryers

2 or 3 green peppers, chopped

1 clove garlic

2 medium onions, chopped

1 can tomatoes

2 cups rice boiled until dry (use white, brown or wild rice)

1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)

1 teaspoon thyme

1/3 cup raisins in sauce

1/4 raisins to garnish

1/4 cup almonds or any nuts (save some to garnish)

1 can mushrooms

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken until done, and bone it. Saute onion, then add all sauce ingredients (everything except green peppers, rice, raisins and nuts for garnish). Add chicken to sauce and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Serve over rice. Garnish with raw green peppers, raisins and nuts. Thin the gravy. Serves 6 or more.