A blog dedicated to Early American History Lovers, Civil War Reenactors, Living Historians, and people that love the past. Lots of Historical Recipes and Patterns!
Retired Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart Jr. passed away at 101. Stewart was one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, a group of Black pilots who shattered racial barriers while fighting in World War II. Born in 1924 in Virginia, Stewart had dreams of flying from a young age. In 1943, he joined the U.S. Army Air Forces and became a fighter pilot with the 332nd Fighter Group—better known as the Red Tails.
During the war, Stewart flew 43 combat missions over Europe, escorting bombers and taking down enemy aircraft. His skill as a pilot earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross, a prestigious military honor. Despite proving their capabilities, Stewart and his fellow airmen faced discrimination both during and after the war. After the war, Stewart was denied jobs in the commercial airline industry due to his race.
After his military service, Stewart earned an engineering degree and became a successful business executive. His legacy stands as a testament to perseverance, excellence, and breaking racial barriers in aviation and beyond.
For Black History Month, learn more about the story of Harry Stewart Jr. and others like him who helped pave the way for future generations.
The weather outside is frightful. No really, we just got that pandemic blizzard. I tried to find something fun to do inside and stumbled upon this candy recipe in the December 1941 issue of Woman's Day Magazine. I liked that it's candy made from real fruit instead of the flavorings we're used to.
These ended up being the consistency of fruit snacks and had a similar taste. I was hoping they'd be a bit spicy, but it's a very tasty but mild flavor.
Cook apple sauce, sugar, and cinnamon candies in a heavy saucepan on medium heat, until thick, about an hour. Let cool about 15 minutes. Prepare a cookie sheet with wax paper. Pour the candy onto the cookie sheet, let it cool and use a spoon to flatten it to 1/4 and inch thick. Let stand overnight to dry. Once dry, cut into shapes and dip in powdered sugar. Let dry one more night on powdered sugar. Keep stored in a tin.
Tips: Mine wasn't fully dry after one night, but I couldn't stop due to time constraints. If I was to make this again, I would plan it out to have at least 2 days of drying before cutting. I would also use more candies. These would be very fun as holiday cake decorations.
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This recipe is from the Settlement Cook Book (1921). Written by progressive reformer, Elizabeth Black Kander, the book was so popular, it went through 35 editions from 1901 to 1940.
Kander, was the daughter of Jewish, English and Bavarian immigrants. She was a member of many charity organizations, such as the Ladies Relief Sewing Society, the National Council of Jewish Women, and founded the Settlement House in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Settlement House was part of the Settlement Movement which was a philanthropic response to Nativism, racism, and calls for restrictive immigration policies in the early 20th century. Followers of the movement lived and worked among the poor with an aim to reform society by working for better labor standards, education, living conditions, and healthcare. The Settlement House provided Eastern European immigrants, classes on English, sewing, and cooking. The Settlement Cook book was used in their cooking classes and also raised money to fund their mission.
The earlier editions of the cook book were focused on helping immigrants assimilate and contained many Eastern European recipes, but specifically Jewish and Kosher recipes were added in later editions including holiday recipes.
I was interested in trying this recipe because "bagel pretzel rolls" intrigued me. I always thought making bagels was too hard but it ended up being easy and it cost less that a $1 for 12 bagels. Seeing the process done in the home and not in a bagel shop really demystifies the process.
Vintage Jewish Bagel Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup warm Milk - 1 Yeast Cake or 1 Tablespoon of Yeast - 1/4 Cup Butter, melted but cool - 1 Egg, seperated - 1 1/2 Tablespoons Sugar - 3 3/4 Cups Flour - 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Instructions:
Stir the sugar into the warm milk . Pour yeast on top of the warm milk, let sit a minute and stir in. Pour Flour, yeast, egg white, butter, and salt into a mixing bowl. Mix until it is too hard to mix with a spoon then use hands. Knead for about 6 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and let rise, covered for 1 hour. Punch the dough down, cut it in two. Set aside half covered. Cut the other half into 6 pieces and roll into bagel shapes. Seal with water and place on a greased baking pan.
For the cinnamon version, roll out the other half of the dough, coat the dough with water and sprinkle with a mixture of 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of Cinnamon. Cut into 6 pieces an roll into bagel shapes and put on a greased cookie sheet.
Preheat your oven to 375 F.
Bring a large, shallow pot of water to just below simmering. Put your bagels in a few at a time and cook for 20 seconds. Flip them over and cook another 20 seconds. Remove to a greased cookie pan. Lightly brush the bagels with a mixture of egg yolk and water. Add your toppings ( I used poppy seeds and almonds on top of the cinnamon ones as the recipes called for). Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
For those asking where I got my tray, it's this one painted.
This is an early version of The Settlement Cook Book:
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This year has been weird, to say the least. My sister is a nurse so I have been spending most of my time being Nanny-Auntie to my nephew who is bouncing-off-the-walls energetic and starting 3rd grade next week.
It’s been mostly exhausting and I’m sure others are feeling this way. We have been finding crafts and projects from the past to stay busy and paper poppers was a fast, easy history craft that kept him busy for hours. All you need is a sheet of paper.
Everyone who knows me know I LOVE tacos. I was excited and intrigued to find this early recipe for guacamole. The recipe is from Ramona's Spanish-Mexican Cookery. The author spent 20 years in Mexico learning Mexican recipes and sharing American ones. She wrote this cookbook for Americans who visited Mexico and missed the mouthwatering food.
This recipe was so good! I've literally made it 3 times since first trying it a few weeks ago and it looks so cute served in the shells and made it easy for everyone to have a personal bowl of guacamole by their plates without dirtying more bowls.
Ramona's Spanish-Mexican cookery: the first complete and authentic Spanish-Mexican cook book in English (1929).
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil - Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste - Tomato slices and quartered Lemons for garnish
Instructions:
Cut avocados in half and remove the pits. Set peels aside. Mash the avocado meat. Mix in the tomato, onion, jalapeños, cilantro. Salt to taste. Spoon the avocado filling into the avocado shells and garnish with a slice of tomato, slice of lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper. Refrigerate until time to serve.
You can skip the olive oil and not notice the flavor difference. I added another tablespoon of cilantro and onion, and a bit more jalapeño. Click here to watch Tanya Muñeton make a very similar recipe in Spanish.
***This post is for the WW2 Ration Cook-in (#wwiirationcookin on Instagram). We're stuck at home but that doesn't mean we aren't working! For the next 7 days we will be attempting a new ration recipe from World War 2. Be sure to check out @victorykitchenpodcast, @history.in.the.kitchen, and @missfashionistageek on Instagram to see what they cook up this week.***
This is for day #3: Dinner. I've seen this exact recipe in a Pyrex cookbook from 1925 and in the Maritime Cookbook (1939.) It sounded pretty good.
My companion liked it and said they would eat it again. I was not at all into the texture of this. Baked Dreams or Vomit Sandwich? It tasted like cheese flavored bread pudding with toast on top. There are two possibilities. 1. I wasn't supposed to use all 2 cups of the milk and just "coat the tops" of the sandwiches or 2. I didn't bake it long enough. It's also possible it's just supposed to taste like this. The world may never know.
I have seen other recipes for "cheese dreams" that are similar and just coat the bread and fry in a frying pan. I think that's more my preference.
Butter the bread. Place 4 pieces in a buttered casserole dish. Place cheese on the slices of bread, sprinkle with paprika then top with the remaining bread slices. Scramble the eggs and mix with the paprika, salt and cayenne pepper and pour over the "sandwiches."Bake at 425 °F for around 45 minutes or until browned.
This post is for the WW2 Ration Cook-in (#wwiirationcookin on Instagram). We're stuck at home but that doesn't mean we aren't working! For the next 7 days we will be attempting a new ration recipe from World War 2. Be sure to check out @victorykitchenpodcast, @history.in.the.kitchen, and @missfashionistageek on Instagram to see what they cook up this week.
We're navigating the quarantine with a little help from our foremothers. Limitations are the theme today as we can't venture to the supermarkets right now and I am not with my (perfectly rationally sized) cookbook collection at the moment, so I have to make do with what's in the pantry. Today I will be using carrots to make marmalade!
Carrot marmalade became popular in WW1 as a substitution for orange marmalade. Similar recipes had a resurgence during WW2. During the war, carrots were one thing that were not in short supply. They were easy to grow at home, were a compact plant giving a large yield, and stored well.
It was during WW2 that the myth that carrots helped you see in the dark was spread by the British Ministry to hide the new on-board Airborne Interception Radar technology that helped the RAF locate bombers. The Ministry told newspapers that British Airmen ate a lot of carrots and could see better in the dark.
How to Eat Well Though Rationed (Canada) 1943
How to Eat Well Though Rationed (Canada) 1943
As suggested in wartime recipe books, we served the marmalade with cooked oatmeal, milk, and toast.
Carrot Marmalade 1 lb. Carrots; 4 Lemons (6 if small), 4 lb. Sugar; 7 tumblers Water. Grate carrots and lemon rind. Squeeze lemon juice, and add water. Boil all together for 3/4 hour. Then add sugar, and boil for a further 20 to 30 minutes, or until set. - War Time Recipes, Ambrose Heath (1941)
1 Pound of Carrots, shredded
4 (or 6 small) Lemons, rinded and juiced
9 Cups white Sugar
6 Cups Water
Instructions:
In a large sauce pan on medium to high heat, add the shredded carrots, lemon rind, juice and water. Boil for 45 minutes or until the pieces are soft. Add the sugar and boil for 30 minutes or until it passes the wrinkle test.(A good sign is foamy bubbles.) Carefully, pour into your sanitized jars while hot to avoid sticking. Let cool with lids off.
I'm not a fan of eggnog but it is mostly the texture that I don't like. This piqued my interest. Would I like the flavor with a different texture? By chance, I had everything at home to make this so I did, even though I had no event to serve it at. This recipe is from Good Housekeeping Magazine Party Cook Book (1941) and is quite tasty.
I would highly recommend topping this with candied or maraschino cherries. I only had some of these leftover cranberries in the house but boy, are they sour! If I was to make this again, I would add about 1/3 a cup of sugar to the whipped cream and cover the whole pie with it, then top with some cinnamon and nutmeg. The custard was a little less sweet than I prefer but a second opinion said that they appreciated it was not sweet. It ended up having a flan like consistency that's actually quite nice and light. Even this vintage santa came down the chimney to steal a slice.
Ingredients:
Crust:
-1 1/4 Cup Graham Crackers, finely rolled
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Combine graham crackers crumbs and sugar. gradually add to soften butter and stir in water. Press into a 9 inch pie plate and bake in a preheated oven at 325 °F for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Filling:
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Gelatin
- 2 Cups Milk
- 2 Eggs
- 1/8 teaspoon Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Brandy or Brandy Flavoring (I used Rum)
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
Soak the gelatin in 1/4 cup of the milk and set aside. In a double boiler on medium heat, scald the rest of the milk.
Warm your eggs in a bowl of warm water. Separate the whites from the yolks into two bowls. Beat the yolks slightly and mix in 1/3 cup sugar and salt. Pour the scaled milk over the yolk mixture while stirring. Return the mixture to the double boiler and stir constantly until the custard coats the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the the soaked gelatin until dissolved.
Beat the egg whites stiff and stir into the custard. Fold them into the custard and add the brandy/rum and the nutmeg. Chill until the mixture begins to stiffen. Pour into the baked crust and chill in the refrigerator until set.
Topping:
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1-2 Tablespoons Brandy (Rum) if desired.
Mix the cream with the flavoring and whip until whipped cream. Coat the top of the pie with it. Serve chilled.
**To simplified this recipe you can buy a premade graham cracker pie shell and premade whipped cream. I won't judge. If you have never made a custard before, it's helpful to read this guide.**
"OH NO! That looks nothing like the picture!" Yes, that happens sometimes but everyone said to bring it to the event anyway. It wouldn't be right if I didn't share the failures as well as the successes. It tasted fine but wasn't as pretty as it could have been.
I kneaded the biscuit dough about 5 minutes before I realized it was only supposed to be for 30 seconds. The damage had been done. It was near impossible to roll it out to a nice 1/8 of an inch dough. No pretty swirly rolls for me. The flavour was there but the result turned out to be kind of blobby. It wouldn't have been in the spirit of World War II if I threw it out and started over. All that flour and butter!
I ended up making and using apple jelly instead of raspberry as I had apples browning in my fruit bowl and was trying to keep the costs down. It might not look as pretty as it should but it tasted good. It was less sweet than we're used to but that could be fixed by an extra sprinkle of sugar over the jelly before rolling.
Mix flour, salt and baking powder and sift. Cut in the butter or shortening and add milk slowly until a dough is formed. Flour your hands and knead for 30 seconds or until all is combined. Roll out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet until the dough is a rectangle about 1/8 of an inch thick.
Filling
-1/2 Cup Raspberry Jam
Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Raspberry Jam
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400° F. Spread a thin coat of raspberry jam on the dough. If you make it thick, it will slide out and make a mess. Starting at one long side of the dough, carefully roll it up until you have a log. Bend the two ends together to form a circle and cut 1 inch slices (leaving some dough to keep it in a ring). Twist each slice so the cut edges are facing up. Bake for 30 minutes on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Remove to a cake rack. Combine jam, sugar and milk to make a glaze. Drizzle glaze on the top with a spoon and serve warm.
A bunch of us looked at the original photo and aren't entirely convinced that the hole in the center wasn't cut out after it was baked. Some theorized it might have been baked in a bundt pan. My ring baked solid so I did what you're supposed to do when you cook a blob: covered it in gaze. I'd love to see what you end up with if you try it. If I make it again, I'll update with the results. This recipe is from 10 Steps to Perfect Baking (1937.)
I'm still a beginning pie baker and my grandma had no tips. She never learned to make crust and I've never been very good at it either. The 1940s baker could be economical and make pie crust from scratch but packaged pie crust mix was available. We may or may not have cheated.
This recipe is from Recipes for Good Eating (1944). The booklet suggested pre-making bulk crust mix and using as needed, as their recipe called for Crisco instead of butter and would not spoil in a container in the cupboard. The texture is less firm than modern pie but still has a good flavor.
Nearly 20 million Americans grew Victory Gardens to help with food shortages. The Us Department of Agriculture estimates that citizen growers grew over 40% of the vegetables grown in the US at the time. I was going to make a victory garden on the pie but it ended up being a big pumpkin patch, which is okay because pumpkins are easy to grow and feed a lot of people. The Victory Garden Handbook (1944) by the Pennsylvania State Council of Defense recommended them as a good source of Vitamin A, Thiamin, Calcium, Vitamin B and Iron. I recommend them because they are delicious.
Rosskam, Louise, photographer. Washington, D.C. Victory gardening in the Northwest section.
District of Columbia United States Washington D.C. Washington D.C,
1943. May. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017853905/.
World War II Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Cloves
- 1 1/2 Cups Pumpkin Puree(canned or homemade)
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups Hot Milk - Pie Crust
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line your 9" pie pan with a crust.
In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, spices salt, pumpkin.
Beat the eggs and add them to the mix. Then stir in the hot milk.
Pour the mixture into your pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes
Reduce heat to 350 °F. and bake for 30 minutes or until done in the middle. Let cool in the open oven for 15 minutes, then on a counter for 4 hours. Drizzle with chopped nuts and honey before serving.
I baked the crust decorations on parchment paper in a separate pans. Modern custards that use heavy cream can hold decorations during baking but I didn't want to risk it here as the batter was very thin before baking.
Wee used a 0 calorie sweetener for a second pie. Here are the nutrition facts if you want to do that.
The Old Herb Doctor is an advertising book published in 1941. The aim was to sell prepared tinctures but the book includes many herbal remedies submitted by readers all over the US. Food was not the only thing rationed during WWII. Medicines were being produced in bulk for use overseas, leaving people on the home front to make-do or find another way. This book likely sparked interest in those trying to fill the gap left open once some of the chemical medicines no longer available to the general public.
Herbal Remedy Excerpts from the book The Old Herb Doctor:
For Diarrhea -- Take Allspice and boil in water, take when cold 1/2 teaspoonful of the spice to half cupful of water. Writes Mrs. F.E., Munday, Tex. For Cramps, bathe the feet in Wintergreen Leaves, with a handful of Common Salt, using water just as warm as the flesh will stand, but don't wipe the water off; just let it dry. This was given to me by an Indian Woman 86 years old and a wonderful woman. Writes N. W., Alma Center, Wis. Cramps-- Here is a recipe for Cramps and ailments of the stomach, also for Colds when you can not sleep. I am sure anyone will find it useful. Two teaspoons of Catnip. Pour on 1 cup of boiling water, and let stand a few minutes. Then drink contents hot, sweetened with sugar to suit yourself, at bedtime. Writes Mr. W. D., Matawan, N.J.
Catnip
Old-Fashioned Fruit Laxative -- 1 pound Prunes, 1/2 pound Figs, and the same amount of Dates and an ounce of Senna Leaves. Remove pits from fruit and chop altogether, mold into bars or small sticks and dry. Dose--a piece the size of a hickory nut for an adult, less for a child. This formula will keep all winter. Writes Mrs. M.P., Cleveland Ohio. Bull Nettle Cough Syrup- Take a large handful of the dried roots of Bull Nettle, put in a quart of water, boil down to a pint and strain. Add enough sugar and boil to a syrup. Take a tablespoon every hour until relieved. Dose--for children, 1 teaspoon every hour. Writes Miss T.R., Henryville, Tenn. To Break Up a Cold-- Take 4 lemons and roast in oven until the juice comes through the skin, remove all the juice from them, and strain. Take 3 Tablespoonfuls of Horehound and steep in water, then strain and add enough water to make a thin syrup. When cold add the lemon juice and bottle. Writes Mrs. G. L. Pontiac Mich.
Horehound
During the epidemic I contracted the Flu and could not obtain a doctor. I ordered a strong brew of Boneset tea, mixed with lemon juice and sugar, and in the meantine I wrapped up in a blanket, then drank it as hot as possible. Writes M.E.S., Englishtown, N.J. Here is a recipe for colds, coughs and hoarseness. The following is soothing, and healing to most ordinary coughs and colds. One pint of boiling water, two ounces whole flaxseed and the juice of two lemons and sugar. Writes Mrs. A.B., Harper, Wash. Coughs-- Take a double handful of Pine Needles to a quart of water, boil for 15 minutes, strain and add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, boil to a thin syrup. This is excellent for coughs: take 2 teaspoonfuls night and morning. Writes F. S., Mena Ark. For Earache-- Pour hot Olive Oil in ear and in a short while the pain will have vanished. Writes M.K., boston, Mass. My Recipe for Burns-- Use linseed Oil on burns of any kind. Have used it for years, and there will be no blister. Writes Mrs. M. B., Manchester, Tenn.
And a few you might want to pass on:
For Congested Bowels-- Warm half pint or very near that amount of the best Olive Oil. Put in a fountain syringe and inject to bowel. It is best to raise the person a little so the oil will stay in the bowel, but if the pack is low down it won't stay. This is a sure remedy that will do the work. It takes a few hours for the oil to soften the stools, but if it stays in the bowel it will. I relieved many a person with this. Writes L.W., Cold Springs, Mo. Take skunk oil, be sure it is genuine. Warm three or four drops and put in ear, let run down good and then put in cotton loose. I have never heard of a case where it did not stop the earache. Writes A. D. D., Sedalia, Mo. DISCLAIMER: All information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as medical advice or take the place of a doctor. Use at your own risk. For further research please check: Web MD. All of the excerpts above are quoted directly and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the webmistress.
This is another recipe from The Chinese Cook Book (1936.) You can see the Shrimp Fried Rice I made from this book here. This was a cookbook by a Chinese-American woman meant for American cooks wishing to recreate the dishes they were eating in popular "Chop Suey" Houses. Chop Suey Houses were popular for their cheap and delicious food, elegant decor and live music.
You might ask why Chinese food would be popular during a time of war that emphasised nationalism. In the early 1900s, labor unions felt that nonunion Chop Suey houses were bad for business and pushed for laws that would shut them down. Many of these laws focused on disallowing live music and not allowing young people to enter them late at night. We know how well that works. Chop Suey Houses gained a reputation for being exotic and a part of a wild lifestyle. By the 1940s they were still fashionable places to see and be seen. It's interesting to note how the dish, Chop Suey has fallen out of fashion so much that few people have ever tried it.
Egg Foo Young is another great way to use up leftover vegetables and protein. Celery, green onions, carrots and any sort of leftover meat would be delicious in this. In modern times it is served with a gravy but the Chinese Cook Book emphasised Soy Sauce, which was then called "Chinese Sauce" due to its ubiquity in Chinese American dishes.
Egg Foo Young
Ingredients:
- 5 Eggs
-1/2 Cup Chopped Shrimp
- 1/2 Cup Onion, shredded
- 1 Cup Bean Sprouts
- Bamboo Shoots (cut in matchsticks)
- 1/4 Cup Water Chestnuts, chopped
- 5 Tablespoons Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil
Beat eggs together and mix in chopped vegetables and shredded onions . Pour some oil in a large wok or frying pan and heat to medium-high heat. Using a ladle, scoop out one patty's worth of mixture in the hot oil. Create as many of these "patties" as can fit in the pan without touching. Fry until you it is lightly browned on one side, then flip and fry on the other side until lightly browned.
In modern times, Egg Foo Young is deep fried and foodies scoff at the idea of pan frying. You can deep fry this is about 2 inches of oil. Make sure to use a metal ladle and hold it in the oil in the ladle for a few seconds before pouring it in. Frying takes about 5 minutes and you'll have to flip it.
When I was younger, my grandmother made cabbage weekly. Cabbage fried in soy sauce and topped with ketchup or cabbage stuffed with ground beef, cabbage soups, and coleslaw. Always with that particular smell that accompanied a hot, steamy kitchen.
Everytime I see I recipe that calls for cabbage, I remember how much I like it and wonder why I don't cook it. In fact, I couldn't even remember the last time I had cabbage short of coleslaw. It was something that fell off my food radar as an adult. My diet has gotten bland, relying heavily on foods flavored with sugar and salt. Many fermented foods were dropped so I'm now making a more conscious attempt to add them back in again because they're delicious and provide good health benefits.
Fermented foods can improve digestion, boost immune systems and have inflammatory properties among other benefits. For this recipe, I replaced the sour cream with plain yogurt to really up the probiotic count (okay, so I just happened to have a ton in the fridge I needed to use up.). Any kind of sausage would go good in this but kielbasa is amazing, I used Field Roast Italian with good results. This recipe is from 500 Delicious Dishes from Leftovers, 1940.
WW2 Sauerkraut Viennese
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups Sauerkraut
- 1 Pound Link Sausage
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Bay Leaf
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place sausage in a casserole dish and make until browned.
While the sausage is baking, add sauerkraut, bay leaf, and cloves to a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Stir periodically to avoid burning. Remove from heat when the water from the sauerkraut has cooked off.
Remove the bay leaf and the cloves and stir in the sour cream. Serve on a platter, topped with the sausage.
It's no secret that I love historical cookbooks and Asian food. I was ecstatic to find The Chinese Cook Book printed in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1936.
Historical Cookbook? Asian Food? Local Food History? Take my money!
This book was in print from 1934 all the way until the 1970s. Man Sing Au was a Chinese-American born in 1910. She married Kam Chow Tom in 1928. In 1940s she was living in Honolulu, Hawaii with her brother in law Major, Man Sing Au. Not much is known about her life but she was widowed by 1940.
Depression Era Chinese-American Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients:
- 5 Cups leftover White Rice
- 1 Pound Shrimp, washed and peeled
- 1 medium sized Onion, diced
- 1 stalk of Celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup White Mushrooms
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 5 Eggs
- 3 Tablespoons Peanut or Cooking Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- Pepper to taste.
Instructions:
Clean and wash your shrimp. Heat your cooking oil in a large frying pan on wok on high heat. Fry your protein until half done. Add the onions and celery until and fry about 5 minutes. Add the rice, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden turner until well mixed. Crack 5 eggs over the rice and stir until firm. Serve warm.
Breaking eggs directly over rice has been a point of contention in my family for years. My dad did this when he made Kao Pad (Thai fried rice) a recipe he became accustomed to during the Vietnam War. He insisted he cooked it perfectly, 15 year old me was sure he was doing it wrong. It definitely couldn't be the "authentic" way. It coated the rice and made it all sticky and didn't taste anything like any fried rice I got from restaurants.
I preferred to wait until the rice was cooked, make a divot in the center of the rice in the frying pan, add a little oil and scramble the egg in the divot in the pan until it was done, then quickly incorporating it into the rice. I've asked around to see which way is "most authentic" and, as you'd imagine, people do both. But I was so sure as a kid that a separate egg must be the more authentic way. I cooked this while my family was away and have seemed to have forgotten to mention this discovery to my dad. :)
For this recipe, I ended up using some fake crab that I had on hand instead of the shrimp. The book mentions you can use bacon, ham, "Chicken, beef, pork, lobster or crab.. Also, any left-over meats, cut up in small pieces, can be utilized in the same manner and will make a very appetizing dish." It's a great way to use up leftover onion, celery, mushrooms and proteins that would otherwise go to waste. I will probably be cooking and sharing a few more recipes from this book. I've been eyeing up the Chop Suey and some of the tofu recipes.
Back from the WWII, Berwick, PA event hosted by the Stuart Tank Memorial Association! Despite the rain, everyone had a great time. I brought these muffins to share and while they were a little dry when I made them, they ended up moist after a day of being under saran wrap. Saran wrap didn't hit the shelves until after the war but the plastic used for saran wrap was developed during the war to make ventilated insoles for combat boots. I think a tupperware container would have the same effect. The boys ate them up at the event.
This recipe is from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook (1942.) In accordance with the wartime shortages, this recipe has less butter and eggs than we're used to in modern times.
WWII Blueberry Muffin Recipe
- 2 Cups all-purpose Flour
- 3 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 Tbs Sugar
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 Cup Milk (or 1/2 Cup of Evaporated Milk + 1/2 Cup Water)
- 4 Tbs Vegetable Oil or Melted Shortening
- Canned or Frozen Blueberries, well rinsed and drained
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients. Slowly stir in the oil, milk, and eggs and mix until it has a lumpy appearance but no longer. Grease cupcake pan (I found it better to grease and flour it.) Place 2 tablespoons of batter in each cup, cover with 1 tsp of blueberries and then top with 1 tablespoon of batter. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the tops are golden. Makes about 14 muffins.
But now it's here: The Gap Crud, The Barracks Plague, The Soldier's Sickness! Everyone is sick now. This post isn't going to be very in-depth because I'm typing from my bed, under a mound of crumpled tissues. I'm leaving it up to sleep and the science of Chicken Soup to fix this.
Chicken soup has been a staple in homes since chicken became a thing, although it wasn't until 1934 when Campbell's released their "Noodle with Chicken Soup" that Americans began buying and stocking their pantries with it. The 1930 and 40s were the start of being able to buy this previously homemade dish at the store, a luxury to anyone who has had to cook three meals a day from scratch.
Although many people erroneously think a Campbell's Soup name mix-up on the radio in the 1930s is the origin of the name, the name "Chicken Noodle Soup" was in use at least since WWI. The mix-up did; however, prompt Campbell's to change the name of their soup to "Chicken Noodle," and it's a popular name for the dish today.
1947 Advertisement
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs of Celery. chopped
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- Handful of noodles (fresh or store bought, we're sick so I'm doing store bought.)
- Chopped parsley, optional
- Cooked shredded chicken, optional
Instructions:
In a large saucepan, boil the carrots, celery and onion in the chicken broth until tender. Add the noodles and chicken, serve with a garnish of parsley.
Some recipes recommended making broth using a whole chicken. If you used a chicken to make broth, it was likely only a few shreds would find their way into the soup, the boiled chicken would likely be served in other dishes to stretch it. Chicken soup is a great way to use the chicken bones though.
I was hoping to get this out before FIG because I hear it's supposed to snow! O.O I also here there will be a fair amount of knitting going on next weekend. Hopefully I'll have a female pattern up by then. I have an easy and fun one in mind but I might have to post it after the event.
This pattern comes from the booklet Knit for Defense (1941) which encouraged women to knit for the troops. It advertised this cap as "A practical cap for winter wear in any branch of the Service." It suggested Chadwick's Red Heart Knitting Worsted, which you can still find on occasion on etsy, but Lion Brand Collection Pure Wool is very similar.
This pattern is very easy but I had to frog it about 6 times because I couldn't keep focused. :D I've included some extra instructions if you also need a little help on the decreases.
CAP
GAUGE: 5½ sts make 1 inch; 7 rnds make 1 inch.
Cast on 108 sts on 3 needles (36 sts on each needle). Join, being careful not to twist stitches. Work 2 inches in ribbing of k 1, p 1. Now work in stockinette stitch (k each rnd) for 4 inches.
To Shape Crown: 1st rnd: * Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 12, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (96 sts remaining). 2nd and 3rd rnds: Knit around. 4th rnd: * Sl 1, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 10, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (84 sts remaining). 5th and 6th rnds: Knit around. Continue decreasing 12 sts in this manner on every 3rd rnd, until 24 sts remain.
Break yarn, leaving an 8-inch end. Thread needle with this end and run through remaining sts. Draw up tight and fasten securely on wrong side. Turn back cuff.
To Shape Crown for the Pattern Unfortunate:
Round 1: * Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 12, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (96 sts remaining).
Round 2: Knit All
Round 3: Knit All
Round 4: * Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 10, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (84 sts remaining).
Round 5:Knit All
Round 6: Knit All
Round 7: * Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 8, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (72 sts remaining).
Round 8: Knit All
Round 9: Knit All
Round 10: * Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 6, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (60 sts remaining).
Round 11: Knit All
Round 12: Knit All
Round 13: * Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 4, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (48 sts remaining).
Round 14: Knit All
Round 15: Knit All
Round 16: * Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 2, k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (36 sts remaining).
Round 17: Knit All
Round 18: Knit All
Round 19:* Sl 1 as if to knit, k 1, p.s.s.o., k 2 tog., k 2. Repeat from * around (24 sts remaining).
Break yarn, leaving an 8-inch end. Thread needle with this end and run through remaining sts. Draw up tight and fasten securely on wrong side. Turn back cuff.
Suggested Colors:
Khaki, Navy, Maroon, Lt. Oxford, Oxford Gray, Air Force Blue.
I'll get a guy to model it at the next event but for now, I'm tooling around town like Lea Salonga in Les Miserables. Hope you enjoy! If you end up knitting this, I'd love to see a picture of the finished cap.
