Honoring Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart Jr.: Tuskegee Airman, War Hero, and Trailblazer

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.

Books:

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Videos:

Websites:

Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen

His Storied Life: James Wiley, Tuskegee Airman and American War Hero

The Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum

World War 2 Era Butterscotch Pecan Rolls

 

Wait, there's not even butterscotch in this recipe! Oh yeah, forgot you can make that yourself. I made these for an event some time ago and the plate barely hit the table before they all disappeared. The beauty of this recipe is that it uses baking powder instead of yeast, which reduces the rise time. The recipe is also versatile. Lard, shortening or butter can be used as the fat and nuts can be omitted or substituted with raisins or dried fruit pieces. 

Biscuit Dough

- 2 Cups sifted Flour

- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

- 1/2 teaspoon Salt

- 4 Tablespoons Butter or Shortening

- 3/4 Cups Milk

Filling:

- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed

- 3 Tablespoons Butter 

- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans + Extra for garnish 

Preheat the oven to 375 ° F.  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.

Cream together  the filling butter, sugar and pecans and spread in an even layer over the top. Leave a little empty at the end so there is room for the filling to move around. Starting at one end, roll the dough into a loaf and cut the loaf into 1 inch slices. Lay the slices on a clean piece of parchment on a baking sheet, leaving space between each roll. Bake for 22-26 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove from the oven and top with the extra pecans.   

This recipe is from 10 Steps to Perfect Baking (1937.)  

World War 2 Baked Cheese Dreams Recipe

***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.

The Maritime Cookbook (Montreal) 1939

World War 2 Baked Cheese Dreams Recipe 

Ingredients:

- 8 slices of Bread
- 4 slices of Cheese
- 2 Cups Milk
- 2 Eggs, slightly beaten
- Butter (Margarine, lard, butter substitutes)
- 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Pinch Cayenne Pepper
- Pinch of Paprika

Directions:

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.

3 Ingredient, WW2 Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

***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.***

Today's prompt was "Lunch." There's not too much to this recipe to the point I was considering not writing a post but thought this is one recipe that might help people scrambling to make meals without being about to restock their normal foodstuffs.

We had this with a little bit of black pepper on unbuttered wheat toast. It was very tasty and decided we would eat this under normal circumstances. Wheat bread was pushed during the war as more nutritious.

The Maritime Cookbook (Montreal) 1939

World War 2 Egg and Olive Sandwich

Ingredients:

- 2 Eggs, Hard Boiled
- 12 Stuffed Olives
- Mayonnaise

Instructions:

Chop the hard boiled eggs and olives together. Add a spoonful of mayonnaise or enough to wet the mixture. Serve sandwiched between slices of buttered bread. 

World War 2 Ration Recipe Carrot Marmalade

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)

The original recipe can be seen here at The World Carrot Museum.

WW2 Carrot Marmalade 

Ingredients:

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.

Stuck at Home? Here are 10 History Resources to Check Out

If you like many others are stuck at home the next few weeks you might want to check out these free history resources. I tried to pick a varied selection but most of the sites have other resources you also might be interested in checking out. I hope everyone stays safe and uses this time to reset and do the things they haven't had time for.

Please remember that museums are struggling during the quarantine. If you are extra bored or motivated please consider contacting your legislators to include museums in the COVID-19 Relief to help museums survive through this tough time and be there for future generations.  


1.The Civil War and Reconstruction 

This is a Yale course taught by David W. Blight. This one is famous and still very good. There is a good reading list and 27,  hour long lectures.

2.  African American History from Emancipation to the Present. 

This is also a Yale course. It contains 25, hour long sessions and covers the development modern Civil Rights movement.

3. Epidemics in Western Society Since 1600 

I don't have to mention why this one might be of interest. It contains 25, 1 hour lessons, ending at the SARS, Bird and Swine Flu epidemics.

4. The Holocaust - An Introduction (I): Nazi Germany: Ideology, The Jews and the World

This one is a timed course from Tel Aviv University. The current session starts on March 16, 2020. new sessions start frequently. There is free access to all course materials and an option to purchase a certificate.  

5. Victory Kitchen

 A podcast by author and reenactor, Sarah Creviston Lee that covers WWII food rationing. There are only 4 episodes so far but this is a good 30 minute podcast if you are interested in foodways. 

6. The Tattooed Historian

A podcast by reenactor and independent historian, John Heckman. Lots of episodes on here. 

7. Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century: The Camera Never Lies

A course on the interpretation of images in history from the University of London on Coursera. The current session starts on March 16, 2020. new sessions start frequently. There is free access to all course materials and an option to purchase a certificate.  

9. Seeking Women’s Rights: Colonial Period to the Civil War

A course from Columbia University. There is a free audit option. 

10.PredictionX: John Snow and the Cholera Epidemic of 1854

This is a course from Harvard University. It is a one week course. There is free access or a paid certificate option. "In 1854, a cholera epidemic swept through the London neighborhood of Soho. In the course of about three weeks, over 600 people died. This incident was, tragically, not unusual in London or the rest of the 19th century world as a whole. The scourge of cholera seemed unstoppable and, even worse, unpredictable. But one doctor -- ignored by the scientific community at large -- set out to prove that he knew how cholera was spread."

Let me know what you will be doing the next few weeks. Have any other podcasts, books, videos etc. that you think people should check out? Leave a comment below. 

Chewable Eggnog? World War II Era Eggnog Pie Recipe, Old Fashioned Taste

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.**