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What's
Cooking? Recipes from the ’30s |
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In the ’30s, cooking experienced a revolution. Forced to let their cooks and servants go in hard times due to the depression, women returned to the kitchen to do the cooking themselves. Kitchen budgets need to be stretched. People entertained at home rather than going out. Sunday suppers, afternoon teas and luncheons for the ladies, and potluck suppers were ways to socialize inexpensively and resulted in their own unique type of recipes. Electric appliances provided the focus for many "Sunday Night Dinners," a cozy, thrifty form of entertaining. Waffles irons, automatic toasters, chafing dishes, coffeemakers, and electric roasters took center stage in the dining room, with food preparation done in front of guests, rather than behind closed doors in the kitchen. One dish was likely to be the centerpiece of the meal, such as Welsh Rarebit on toast, or creamed chicken on waffles. Tea parties were a way for the 1936 hostess to "express her innermost feelings of daintiness" with tiny crustless sandwiches, sand tarts and cakes, delicate cookies, and other daintily nibbled tidbits. At the zenith of this type of entertaining, The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook recommended using food coloring to paint tiny flowers on sugar cubes to accompany brewed tea! Women organized luncheon clubs to discuss books or gardening, to sew, for charity events, or just to socialize. Cooks could showcase their skills at these gatherings with creamed meats in pastry shells, topiary salads, radish roses, and the crowning glory, the sandwich loaf—two types of bread with two fillings "frosted" with cream cheese to look like a cake. The ’30s style of cooking embraced forming and shaping food into something it was not. Dishes were presented with flair in a variety of shapes, color schemes, and disguises. Cookbooks of the day gave instructions for such things as cream cheese "mushrooms," an "Indian" salad that resembled a feather headdress, and the method for fashioning a "bunny" salad from a canned pear half. Mystery Cake, pigs in a blanket, molded Jell-O salads, and appetizer concoctions of chipped beef and cream cheese were common party fare. Step back to the ’30s and try making some of these recipes. Betty Co-ed Surprise Sandwich Loaf Serves 4 Despite its name, the Americanized version of Welsh Rarebit remains a cheese dish. 1 Tbs. butter 1 Tbs. flour 1/2 c. half-and-half or light cream 1/2 lb. snappy yellow cheese, grated 1/4 tsp. dry mustard 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce Few grains of cayenne pepper Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan or chafing dish.
Stir in the flour and cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly
add the half-and-half, stirring constantly and cook another 5 minutes.
Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the seasonings and serve
over toast. Mystery Cake Makes 1 cake Here is a perfect example of the "clever cooking" so popular in the ’30s. 2 cups sifted cake flour 1 Tbs. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon or mace 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 cup seedless raisins, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs, well beaten 1 can (15 oz.) condensed tomato soup Philly-Vanilly frosting (below) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Sift the flour,
baking powder, baking soda, and spices together in a medium-size
bowl. Toss the raisins to coat with 1/4 cup of the flour mixture.
Cream the shortening in a large bowl. Add the sugar gradually to
the shortening, creaming until light. Beat in the eggs until thoroughly
mixed. Add the flour mixture alternately with the soup to the egg
mixture. Stir until smooth. Fold in the raisins. Pour into two greased
and floured 8-inch layer pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted
in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool.
Frost with Philly-Vanilly Frosting. Philly-Vanilly Frosting 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia brand cream cheese 4 cups confectioner’s sugar 1 Tbs. butter, melted 1 tsp. vanilla extract Beat the cream cheese until soft in a large bowl. Work in the sugar, then beat in the melted butter and vanilla. Continue beating until very light. Betty Co-ed Surprise Sandwich Loaf Makes 12-14 slices 1 loaf unsliced rectangular white bread 3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese 2 Tbs. heavy cream 1 recipe Olive and Cheese Filling (see below) Radish roses, for garnish Trim the crust from the bread. Cut horizontally
into 4 lengthwise slices. In a bowl, cream together the cream cheese
and cream. Spread one slice of bread with one-third of the Olive
and Cheese Filling. Top with another slice of bread and filling.
Repeat once more, then top with the last slice of bread. Spread
top and sides with cream cheese mixture. Garnish with radish roses. Olive Filling Enough filling for 1 loaf bread 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese 1 Tbs. heavy cream 1/2 cup green olives stuffed with pimientos, drained and chopped Mash the cream cheese with the cream until soft enough to spread easily. Mix in the chopped olives. Makes 12 small molds Molded food is one of the hallmarks of the ’30s. The "glow"—and the orange color for the "pumpkins"—comes from the carrots, orange juice, and the pineapple. Gelatin will not jell if fresh pineapple juice or pulp is used. 2 Tbs. unflavored gelatin 1/2 cup cold water 2 cups hot unsweetened canned pineapple juice 6 Tbs. lemon juice 1 cup orange juice 4 cups grated carrots 1 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained Lettuce leaves and green bell pepper strips for garnish Mayonnaise for serving Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water.
Add the hot pineapple juice and stir until the gelatin dissolves.
Stir in the lemon and orange juices. Set in the refrigerator to
chill until the mixture begins to stiffen but is still workable.
Fold in the grated carrots and crushed pineapple. Rinse small jelly
glass molds (in shape of small pumpkins) or a large melon mold in
cold water and fill with the gelatin mixture. Chill until firm.
Unmold onto crisp lettuce leaves. Use the strips of green pepper
to form pumpkin stems. Serve with a bowl of mayonnaise. |
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