In the Midwestern US in 1938 with the Great Depression still affecting the lives of everyone, people made do with what they had. Almost everyone who could had a garden and perhaps a few chickens for eggs. Pork was cheap, but still used sparingly. Chicken was for Sunday dinner or special occasions.
This cookbook published by a church group in 1938 gives us a glimpse into the dietary fare of the time.
Helpful Hints
Breads
Meats
Sandwiches
Vegetables
Salads
Sweet Salads
Puddings
Ginger Bread and Muffins
Place the amount of cream or milK needed in jar, add the desired amount of flour, tighten lid on jar and shake well. This is a great improvement over stirring with a spoon, and may be made in larger quantity to last one or two days.
2 Cups Milk 2-5/6 Cups granulated cornmeal 2 Cups Butter 2-2/3 Cups oatmeal 2 Cups chopped meat 6 Cups rolled oats 2 Cups granulated sugar 4-1/3 Cups Rye meal 2-2/3 Cups brown sugar 1-7/8 Cups rice 2-2/3 Cups powdered sugar 2-1/3 Cups dry beans 3-1/2 Cups confectioners sugar 4-1/3 Cups coffee 4 Cups patent flour 8 large eggs 4 Cups entire wheat flour 9 medium eggs 4-1/2 Cups Graham flour 10 small eggs
Note: Read tablespoons in place of cups in the above and the weight is about an ounce.
Note: T is used in this book for tablespoon and t for teaspooon.
1 Cup shortening 3/4 Cup granulated sugar 1 Cup boiling water 1 Cup milk 2 cakes yeast 8 cups flour 2 t salt 1 egg
Mix shortening, sugar and hot water. Let cool and add yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water. Add beaten egg and milk gradually, add the flour mixed with the salt. Place in bowl and put in refrigerator until wanted. Mold into rolls and let rise until double in size. (Presumably one should bake them until done ed.)
Anna Poer
Banana Bread
2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup nuts (cut fine) 1/2 cup butter or lard 1-1/2 t soda 2 unbeaten eggs 10 t sour milk pinch salt 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 bananas creamed
Cream shortening, sugar, add eggs and other ingredients. Use soda in milk. Last, mix in flour. Bake in two loaves in slow oven for one hour. Spread slices with butter for sandwiches.
Pearl Scott
Check in any good cookbook like “The Joy of Cooking” for a translation of terms like slow oven, moderate oven etc. ed.
Corn Bread
1 cup corn meal 2 T sugar 1 cup flour 1 t salt 1 cup sweet milk 3 t baking powder 1 egg well beaten 2 T melted butter
Mix the dry ingredients together and add the milk and egg, then butter. Last of all the baking powder. Bake from 20-30 minutes in a hot oven.
Agnes Anderson
1-1/2 quarts water 1 bay leaf 1 cup vinegar 1 t salt 2 slices onion 1 beef tongue
Bring to a boil, then add the tongue. Simmer for one hour for each pound of tongue. Remove skin and slice. (excellent sliced cold for sandwiches ed.)
Carolyn Browne
Baked Hash
2 cups chopped cold meat 1 T scraped onion 1 cup mashed potatoes 1/2 cup boiling water or stock 1 cup cracker or bread crumbs salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients except crumbs and butter. Place mixture in buttered baking dish or pan and cover with buttered crumbs. Bake slowly until meat is cooked thoroughly and crumbs are browned.
Mattie Peed
Mock Chicken Dumplings
1 pound pork chops 2 eggs, hard-cooked Dumplings: 1 quart flour 1/2 t baking powder 1 egg water to make a stiff dough pinch salt
Put chops on to boil in enough water to cover. Chop eggs fine and add to pork chops when about half done. Next add dumplings, rolled one-fourth inch thick and cut into squares. Add to pork chops and season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until done.
Mrs. Krausbaur
Jellied Veal
1 veal knuckle 2 bay leaves 1 small onion 2 pimientos 3 cloves boiled eggs if desired
Cook (boil) until meat is tender and remove from broth. There should be about 1 cup of broth. Strain and let cool. Skim grease from top. Grind or cut meat up and add pimientos; add eggs, if used. Combine meat and broth. Heat and pour into pan to jell.
Blanch Ellis
Sandwiches2 eggs 1 pint boiling water 1-1/2 T flour 1 10 cent can pimiento 2 T butter 1 10 cent cream cheese 2 T sugar
Mix eggs with flour, sugar and butter. Stir in boiling water and set it on flame until it thickens, stirring well. add pimientos, chopped fine and grated cheese. Use vinegar to taste. spread on thin slices of buttered bread, using lettuce leaf, if desired.
Beatrice Daniel
Ideal Sandwich
1/2 pound boiled ham 4 tender stalks of celery 3 hard-cooked eggs salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup nut meats
Grind ham and mix with riced eggs, chopped nuts and the chopped celery. Lettuce leaves or thin slice of pickles may be placed between bread.
Mollie Hardesty
Sandwich Combinations
1 quart potatoes 1 t salt 1 small onion 1/2 t pepper 1/2 can pimiento 1 pint milk 2 T flour 1/2 pound cheese 2 T butter
Cube potatoes, add onions, cook in salt water until tender. Cut pimiento into fine pieces, add and cook 5 minutes longer. Drain and put into baking dish. Blend flour, butter, salt and pepper smoothly. Add milk and cheese. Cook until it bubbles, then pour over potatoes and bake until a golden brown.
Mrs. L.L. Montacuel
Cheese Strata
1-1/2 cups finely cut or grated cheese 1 t salt 4 T butter 2 cups milk 4 T flour thin slices of bread
Make a white sauce. (The white sauce is the key to many sauces and gravies. It’s surprising how many cooks are afraid of this simple starting point, trying such devices as the granular flours like “Wondra®” to try and avoid lumps. Even this old cookbook recommends adding flour and water in a jar shaking and adding the mixture to the soups and gravies as a thickener. The basic formula is 2:2:1 butter or drippings, to flour to liquid. The secret <shhhh!> is to melt the butter or heat the drippings, add the flour all-at-once and blend this roux with the back of a wooden spoon until smooth. Let the mixture stay on the heat a few sconds until it bubbles gently–This cooks the flour and removes any raw uncooked flavor from the flour. Remove from heat. Add the cold liquid all at once and stir continuously with a figure eight motion over a low heat until the sauce just starts to bubble. Perfect white sauce or gravy every time. ed.) </shhhh!>Place a layer of bread in a buttered baking dish and pour some of the white sauce on it, then a layer of cheese alternately. Finish with white sauceand sprinkle with chese. Bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Florence Brenneke
Cabbage Au Gratin
2 cups shredded cabbage 1/2 t salt 1-1/2 cups boiling water seasoned bread crumbs Sauce: 3 T flour 1/8 t pepper 3 T flour 1-1/3 cups grated cheese 1-1/3 cups milk 1 cup grated cheese 1/4 t salt
Cook cabbage in salt water 10 minutes. Alternate layers in baking dish and cover with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake 5 minutes at 475 degrees then lower to 275 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Minnie I. Ammen
Harvard Beets
6 medium sized beets 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup vinegar 1 T corn starch 1/8 t salt
Cook beets, remove skins and slice. Make a sauce by cooking sugar, corn starch, water and vinegar together for 5 minutes. Add salt. Pour over beets. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Anon.
Sweet Potato Balls
2 Lb sweet potatoes 1-1/2 cups brown sugar 15 marshmallows butter size of egg bran flakes
Boil sweet potatoes in salt water. Drain, mash and cool potatoes. Then make small cakes, place a marshmallow in center. Make into ball, then roll in bran flakes. place in a pan and add the syrup.
Syrup: Boil sugar and butter to a heavy syrup, cool. Pour over the potato balls. Place in oven until they begin to pop open.
Edna Wilkinson
1 can tomato soup 1 cup mayonaise 2 pkgs cream cheese 1-1/2 cups celery, diced 2 T gelatin 1 cup peas 1/2 cup green pepper, minced 3/4 cup cold water
Heat soup, blend in the cheese and gelatin, which has been soaked in the water. Cool and add other ingredients and put in molds. 1 T grated onion and 1/4 cup stuffed olives may be added if desired. Serves 12.
Jennie E. Wright
Hot German Potato Salad
6 Medium potatoes 1 egg, beaten 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 4 T vinegar 4 slices bacon, diced 1-3/4 t salt 1/4 cup mined onion lettuce
Cook the potatoes with the skins on until tender, drain. Peel and slice while still hot, then add the hard-cooked eggs. Meanwhile, fry the bacon and onion until delicately browned; strain, reserving the bacon fat. Add the onion and bacon to the potato mixture, then add the bacon fat slowly to the beaten egg, beating meanwhile. Add the vinegar and salt (try 1 T sugar, more or less to taste ed.) to the egg mixture and pour over the potato mixture. Mix well and heat in a double boiler. Serve on a platter garnished with lettuce. Serves 6. For a hearty group, make twice this recipe.
Jennie E. Wright
Hot Slaw
Head of cabbage Dressing: 1 egg 1/2 cup cream 1/2 cup sugar 1 T butter 1/2 cup vinegar 1 T flour
Cut cabbage fine and cook in a small amount of water, salted to taste. When cabbage is tender, drain off water and add dressing made as follows:
Beat up egg and add sugar, vinegar, flour, cream and butter and pour over cabbage. Return to fire and cook until dressing thickens.
Achie Williams
6 large bananas Butter size of egg 1-1/2 cups roasted peanuts Yolks of 2 eggs 1 heaping cup brown/white sugar 1/2 pint milk mixed heaping T cornstarch
Put sugar and butter on fire and dissolve slowly, let brown slightly. Add eggs, milk and corn starch, beaten together, stirring constantly while cooking. Have dressing cold before using. Roll nut meats fine. Cut bananas in halves and slice lengthwise in medium slices. Place layer of bananas, then dressing, sprinkle with nuts. make as many layers as needed.
Letha Field
Pineapple Tapioca
1 cup pearl tapioca 1-1/2 cups sugar juice of 2 lemons 3 egg whites 1 #2 can pineapple w/juice 1/2 cup water
Soak tapioca overnight in plenty of water. Drain and add lemon juice, pineapple, sugar and water. Cook until tapioca is clear. Fold in well beaten egg whites. Serve ice cold with whipped cream.
Mrs. Freeman Dickey
2 cups milk raisins 1 egg apples 1 T butter toasted bread
Put 1 T butter in pudding pan and add a layer of buttered toastn then a layer of sliced apples. Sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg and add a layer of raisins. Repeat until dish is full, with toast on top. Beat 1 egg and add 2 cups of milk and pour over above. Bake until apples are tender and serve with cream and sugar.
Bertha Redding
Persimmon Pudding
2 boxes persimmons * 1/2 t salt 4 eggs 3 cups sugar 1 t soda 4 cups flour 2 quarts milk butter size of an egg
*Note: The persimmons described here are the small American ones, not the large Japanese ones and they should be ripe (i.e. soft). A box as described here is about the size of a strawberry box. Japanese persimmons can be used here, but, they should be steamed until soft first. ed.
Rub the fruit through colander. Take out seeds and any peeling left. Stir sugar into persimmons. Beat eggs light and add to mixture. Then, add 2 cups of flour and about 1 pint of the milk. Stir until there are no lumps, then stir in the remainder of flour and milk. Dissolve soda in small quantity of milk and add to mixture. Cut butter and put on top before putting in oven. When it begins to rise, take from oven and stir down. Do this three or four times during the baking. Do not stir for the last 15 minutes. Bake 1 hour. Top with whipped cream. serves 12 or more.
Lilian Morrell
Suet Pudding
1 cup chopped suet 3 cups flour 1 cup molasses 1 pint raisins 1 cup sweet milk 1 t soda
Mix thoroughly and steam for two hours.
Minnie Johnson
Cherry Pudding
1 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1 t soda 1/4 t salt 1 cup drained cherries 1 egg 1 T butter
Mix together all ingredients and put in 8″ square pan. Bake at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes.
M. Bartel
3 eggs 1 cup molasses 1 cup brown sugar 1 T soda 3-1/2 cups flour 1 cup melted butter or lard 1 T cloves 1 cup hot water 1 T ginger
Mix all ingredients. This sponge will keep for weeks regrigerated and a portion of it may be baked fresh for any meal.
Inez Kimbrough
Graham Date Muffins
1 cup flour (sifted) 1 to 1-1/4 cups milk 1 cup graham flour (unsifted) 3 T melted fat 4 t baking powder 1 egg 1 t salt 1/3 package dates (cut up) 2 T sugar
Sift dry ingredients together. Add the dates mixing them through the dry ingredients. Drop in egg, unbeaten, and then add milk and fat. Stir until well mixed. Fill oiled muffin pans about two-thirds full of batter and bake.
Mrs. Nina Thompson
Next month we will have a selection of desserts from “The Gleaners Cookbook”