No Gateau for You!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.

Crab Imperial Quickie

I chose this one because the story mentions a dinner for President Eisenhower.

Plus I love that she advises us all to roll our own cracker crumbs.

Not to mention the name.

New Cookbook Day! Who Says We Can't Cook!

Hip hip hooray, it's new cookbook day! In coming weeks I will be posting recipes from Who Says We Can't Cook!, published in 1955 by the Women's National Press Club.

Many of the stories are about interesting historical events, others are more personal or familial in nature.

Hope you enjoy them!

The inscription below states that the book was given following the ASNE Week in Washington DC in 1972. ASNE stands for the American Society of News Editors.

Here's the title page.

Check out a closeup of the picture:

I love how this little lady is typing away industriously, pertly perched atop her travel worn trunk.
The Foreword opens:

This Women's National Press Club Cook Book is not so much a defense of the culinary talents of newspaper women as it is a profit-making venture. We want a clubhouse of our own. With the help of this book, we expect to have a clubhouse, sooner.

Who Says We Can't Cook!" bears the trademark of our profession--a story accompanies each recipe. This joint journalistic venture, a cook book with more than 140 authors, reflects the kaleidoscopic personalities of our profession."

(In fact, this book may indeed include more famous by-lines--over more exclusive copy--than any other volume in history.)

Many of the stories describe significant historical or cultural events, others are more personal or familial in nature.

Hope you enjoy them!

Pork Cake. Let Mikey Try It.

In case the Sea Moss Pudding didn't cut it for you, perhaps you'll be a bigger fan of this recipe.

Just look at all the prettily decorated petit fours on the adjacent picture! Don't they look yummy?

Surely the recipes must be delicious. Surely.

Where the heck is Mikey when we need him???

Potency Pudding: the Sea Moss Advantage

I know that I've been advocating for homemade puddings, but I think I might have to draw the line at this one:

I like the part about removing discolored pieces. No one wants wrongfully colored moss bits in their parfait dish.

Sea moss must have a gelatinous quality, given that their are no eggs, corn starch, or other thickeners in the pudding.

Here's a delicious looking picture. It does look pretty gelatinous to me.

I wanted to know more about sea moss desserts, and so I Googled it. (Viva la Google!)

This provider's page includes a puzzling comment. It says that when rinsing the moss you shouldn't leave it in water too long or it will lose nutrients. Think about it. The stuff GROWS in water. How could rinsing it remove nutrients?

Another online article says "Most Caribbean men are not afraid to admit that sea moss is one of their secrets to sexual potency and virility."

Apparently there's more to this recipe than meets the eye...

Tricky Stuffing

I'll be honest with you. I don't know why this stuffing is tricky.

Granted, it doesn't include cooking directions. Maybe that's the tricky part: figuring out what it goes well with, and how to cook it.

Got Milk?

Since we are on the topic of beverages, let's talk milk.

Turns out it's not just for mustaches anymore.

Here's what The New American Cook Book had to say:

In spending the food money, milk should be considered first, as it is necessary for every one and is the best building food for children. It also supplies the body with fuel, minerals, and Vitamins A, B, and G.

Pasteurized milk is safer than raw milk, because complete pasteurization kills germs that might be present, such as those that cause tuberculosis, infantile diarrhea, septic sore throat, typhoid fever, diphtheria, and scarlet fever. If raw milk is used or advised, it should, of course, be certified.

Milk should be covered and kept cold; that will keep it clean, sweet, and free from strange flavors and odors.

If there is no ice in the home, it may be necessary in hot weather to buy milk twice a day, letting the dealer keep it cold. A temperature between 45-50 degrees F. keeps milk from spoiling.

Thirsty yet?

Summertime, and the living is thirsty.

In case you've been sweating and need a bevvie, here are some options you may not have noodled through on your own.

My personal favorites?

• Albumen Beverages
• Toast Water
• Raw Beef Tea

Fear Not, Intrepid Reader!

One of my faithful readers recently called Cookbook Love "frightening", Tuna Jello having pushed her over the edge. I suppose that for some, peptonized milk, beet and tuna salad, and pig's foot jelly could be off putting.

I confess to having a bit of a macabre streak when it comes to these old books. In my view, the weirder the recipe, the better. But take heart! For those of you with less intestinal fortitude than mine, not to mention a more easily triggered gag reflex, change is coming!

In a few days posts will be pulled from Who Says We Can't Cook!, containing recipes from members of the Women's National Press Club in the 1950s. Each of the recipes in this book is accompanied by an interesting story about a press event related to the dish. Some of the recipes are weird, but mostly they are simply interesting.

Until then, hang on to your airsick bag because the ride ain't over quite yet!

Rollmops I say

Today's recipe may also leave you feeling ripped off. I'm sorry about that, but if your Mama hasn't broken it to you yet, let me do her dirty work:

Life isn't fair.

The "recipe" comes from the Appetizer section. Not sure why the editors thought a recipe was called for, but who am I to judge?

Rollmops

What is a rollmop you may well ask?

Here's a pic:

Roly Poly fish mops, eat them up, yum!

Switched at Birth. Or at Least at Editing.

It's BOGO Monday, though you may feel a bit gypped by this set.

Orange Date Dumplings

Orange Date Rolls

Near as I can figure, there are only two differences between these recipes:

1) The first uses homemade Bisquick rather than listing the biscuit ingredients.
2) The second produces a much more substantial amount of syrup.

Item 2 leads me to believe that the recipes were switched at birth. The "Orange Date Rolls" which include about a cup of syrup must actually be the dumplings.

And vice versa.

Can't pull a sweater over MY face. Oh no you can't.

There's Always Room for Tuna Jello

Caption: "A real treat for lunch. For guests--jellied tuna fish."

I suppose it's safer to feed it to guests than to the children of the house.

Mechanically Frozen Fruit Salad

The evolution of salads over the last century is interesting to study. Jellied salads were common, both sweet and savory, containing fruit, vegetables, and meats. Some of these concoctions sound delicious, others faintly (or even overtly) disgusting.

The New American Cook Book contains many of these recipes, such as the one below, titled Frozen Fruit Salad:

The caption for this photo reads "A loaf salad to feature your finest dinner."

Here's the recipe. I love that it refers to a "mechanical refrigerator." Similar recipes in the book refer to the "automatic refrigerator". Obviously refrigerators were still relatively newfangled even in the early 1940s.

Frozen Fruit Salad

6 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise (recipe No. 701)

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 1/2 cups canned fruit cocktail

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Few grains salt

Mash cheese. Add mayonnaise. Whip cream. Fold into cheese mixture. Drain fruit cocktail. Fold fruit, nuts, and salt into first mixture. Pack into freezing tray of mechanical refrigerator. Freeze firm. Serve on lettuce. Serves 8.

Cream of Cucumber Soup

I typically think of cucumbers as cool, crisp, and refreshing. Very summery.

But this rich preparation speaks more to cold weather, with it's white sauce, egg yolks, and butter.

Not my cup of soup, but interesting.

Mock Turtle Soup

At first I thought one might make mock turtle soup to protect the poor little guys. That's what we do in 2011; we think about protecting species such as green turtles. But of course this was a different day and age. Turtle soup was prestigious; turtles were expensive. The thrifty cook did what she could to imitate the upper crust without having to dip into her pin money.

So I started out thinking that making this soup verged on saving the ecosystem, or was at the very least a random act of turtle kindness. But then I actually read the recipe.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about mock turtle soup:

Mock turtle soup is an English soup that was created in the mid-18th century as a cheaper imitation of green turtle soup. It often uses brains and organ meats such as calf's head or a calf's foot to duplicate the texture and flavour of the original's turtle meat.

Mrs. Fowle's Mock Turtle Soup: "Take a large calf's head. Scald off the hair. Boil it until the horn is tender, then cut it into slices about the size of your finger, with as little lean as possible. Have ready three pints of good mutton or veal broth, put in it half a pint of Madeira wine, half a teaspoonful of thyme, pepper, a large onion, and the peel of a lemon chop't very small. A ¼ of a pint of oysters chop't very small, and their liquor; a little salt, the juice of two large onions, some sweet herbs, and the brains chop't. Stand all these together for about an hour, and send it up to the table with the forcemeat balls made small and the yolks of hard eggs."

Now I'm no vegetarian. Beef is good food. I love steak, and burgers, and roast beef, and shepherd's pie. But there is something about taking the head of a poor little cow tyke and boiling it until the meat falls off that makes me feel worse for it than I might for a turtle.

I think I'll have a veggie burger for lunch...

Always Peptonize Before You Enema-ize

So many mysterious things can be found in old cook books. Take this "recipe" for example:

What the heck is peptonizing powder? you might well ask.

Or Why might one wish to drink milk once it has been added?

Good questions.

Here's what I discovered after a bit of judicious Googling:

"Peptonized milk is used in many conditions in which it is thought that the gastric digestion is too feeble to digest ordinary milk, or in which it is desired, as sometimes, in typhoid fever, for instance, to avoid the curdling of milk in the stomach. Milk should always be peptonized before being introduced into an enema."

(From "Materia Medica Pharmacy, Pharmacology And Therapeutics", by W. Hale White, 1911)

Silencing Solution for Critical Guests: Gaily Colored Ice Cubes

One of the interesting things in this introduction is the mention of people flocking to soda fountains. If it were written today I suppose it would talk about coffee shops, and the resurgence in popularity of tea.

The other thing that strikes me is how worried the author is about critics. Personally I don't believe in inviting critical people for dinner and drinks. But that's just me. If you like the kind of sniping criticism that these people bring to the table, be my guest. Just consider your ice cubes, as advised below:

Beverages probably furnish more pleasure at meals or between meals than any other single course. The early morning aroma of fine coffee makes a day start right. Beautifully colored and delightfully flavored cold drinks bring joy and happiness to meals served in hot weather. It is the punch bowl that forms one of the chief attractions at parties. The large numbers of men and women--old and young--who swarm into the soda bars in every part of the world provide ample testimony to the craving of everyone for fine drinks. The clever homemaker can serve in her home as delicious and refreshing drinks as can be found at the best-equipped fountains.

A good general rule to follow in serving beverages is, "Serve hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold." Never serve lukewarm hot drinks nor slightly cool cold drinks.

Make all beverages as lovely and colorful as possible. Select garnishes and ingredients in beverages for color as well as taste. Your critical guests will remember the beauty of your punch bowl long after the flavor of the punch is forgotten. Particularly study the possibilities of gaily-colored and garnished ice cubes as an accompaniment of cold drinks.