Author: Andi Cohen-Rabiner

I'm a home cook and baker taking on the recipes of old. I collect vintage cookbooks and glassware and combine my collections to cook vintage recipes plated on vintage glassware.
Potatoes Fried with Bacon

Potatoes Fried with Bacon

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A Recipe from Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking (1959)

About the Recipe

The request from my friend was to make a potato dish that would go well with ribs and a veggie dish – so potatoes fried with bacon it was! It’s so simple, but so delicious. I used an extra piece of bacon (because who doesn’t like more bacon?) and a well seasoned cast iron pan to cook the potatoes on the stove top, which worked just fine.

I blanched the potatoes this time around, resulting in the hash-brown look that you see in the photo. The second time around I’ll skip that part which should result in more crispy discs rather than more mushed.

Worth noting – these were also epic leftovers the morning after. Reheat them in the cast iron, and top with a fried egg for the best hangover breakfast.

About the Book

This book is a new acquisition to my collection – and I almost cried when I found it. There are nearly 1,500 pages of recipes gathered together in one spot.

Mary Margaret McBride was a radio show host that focused her content on keeping a good home. Initially these recipes were released in a series of books that were then all pulled into the big encyclopedia. I can’t wait to cook out of it again.

About the Platter

This platter belongs to my good friend at whose house we were enjoying our meal. It belonged to her great-great-aunt who had passed them down to her mother who promptly put it storage. Years later, after her mom had moved to England, the storage was cleared out – and here was this lovely old Wedgwood china!

It’s called Pink Bramble and it’s from about 1949. While not quite appropriate for our barbecue, it’s certainly lovely and might have been used for this very purpose a time ago. Thanks for letting me borrow it, Sara!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

4 slices of bacon
4 large potatoes
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Directions:

Fry bacon in heavy skillet; remove and crumble.

Pare potatoes; slice very thin. Place in bacon drippings; add salt and pepper.

Fry until almost tender and quite brown. Then cover and move to edge of grill (or turn stovetop to low). Add bacon bits and fry until tender. 

Manicotti

Manicotti

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 2 Comments

A Recipe from The Dragon’s Fare, Drexel Women’s Club Cookbook (1972)

About the Recipe

Such a simple and delicious base recipe. Becky and I couldn’t find manicotti at the store (because… pandemic.), but we did find some shells so we just used those instead. We spruced up the filling with a little bit of additional spices (this garlic, rosemary, sea salt combo is delish!), and picked a good marinara for the sauce. And of course added a little bit of extra mozzarella for good measure.

All in all, this is a great recipe to have on hand and build from.

For more recipes from my Weekend at Becky’s click here!

About the book

Becky’s Pop-Pop, Jerry Gaines (my great cousin something something something…) used to own a printing company just outside of Philadelphia. A lot of what he used to print were community cookbooks. Every time he found one that he really liked, he just printed an extra – like this one!

Like any great community cookbook this one is packed with easy to follow home recipes. Whatever these ladies were most proud of landed in this giant binder ring of cards, and we were so thrilled to be able to use it.

About the platter

This was an unmarked glass dish, but another that was passed down through a generation or two. It’s one of those great dishes that was passed from person to person and ultimately mother to daughter and no one can quite remember where in the family it came from.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 pkg chopped spinach, cooked and drained
1 egg
3 T grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Directions:

Combine ricotta, spinach, egg, and cheese. Stuff manicotti shells and arrange in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Using your favorite spaghetti sauce, pour over manicotti, move to be sure shells do not stick to each other or bottom of baking dish. Cover and cook at 350* for 45 minutes.

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Sour Cream Oatmeal Cookies

Sour Cream Oatmeal Cookies

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A Recipe from 50 Wonderful Ways to use Sour Cream (1955)

About the Recipe

This dairy-centric twist on the classic oatmeal cookie results in cookies with the texture of clouds. These come out light and fluffy on top, with a little bit of crunch from the nuts and the bottoms.

I like whole raisins in my cookies, so I didn’t chop them up. For future batches, I would sub out the nutmeg for something a little bit more interesting – maybe half nutmeg half ginger, or some pie spice. All in all – this recipe is easy cookie perfection just as it is.

For more recipes from my Weekend at Becky’s click here!

About the book

When I asked Becky about this book, she said it had come from her mom, Bonnie. When I asked Bonnie about the book she said “oh you know, you just used to send away for them!” I love that this was an original to our family book that’s now been passed down a few generations, and I can’t wait to use it again.

About the platter

This little dome platter came to Becky from her Dossie & Pop-Pop, and was originally used to hold cheese or other such small appetizers. I have no clue what it’s make is as there are no markings on it. But it was so cute and just the right size for the cookies.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sifted flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal

Directions:

Sift dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and blend. Add vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Lastly fold in raisins, nuts, and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cooky sheet and bake in a 425*F oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from cooky sheet and cool on cake racks.

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Potato Kugel (Meat)

Potato Kugel (Meat)

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A Recipe from Grandma’s Kosher Recipes (1968)

About the Recipe

The same way that every Italian family has its own red sauce, every Jewish family has its own kugel recipe. Full disclosure – this is not my family’s recipe, but it is really freaking good.

This is the kind of recipe that could be adapted for any occasion. Do you need it to go with a kosher milk meal? Just use oil instead of smaltz. Do you need it to be kosher for Passover? Substitute the flour for potato starch or a very fine matzo meal and you’re set! This versatile dish is perfect for every table.

For more recipes from my Weekend at Becky’s click here!

About the book

This book belonged to my great-aunt Martha on my mom’s side of the family. It came to Becky by way of her mom. How it got into Becky’s mom’s hands? No idea. But there we go.

Dinners with Aunt Martha and Grandma Koppelman (Abigail or Gail to those who knew her) were full of warmth and joy. Making this dish and smelling the potatoes and smaltz as it cooked brought me back to Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Salisbury, MD.

Two days ago was Grandma’s yartzeit (anniversary of her death). While she passed away 4 years ago, she’s still present in every family meal and gathering. To the Holt sisters in heaven – Abigail, Edith, & Martha – we remember you.

About the glassware

We made the kugel in a vintage Pyrex 232 lasagna pan. It’s one of those great dishes that was passed from person to person and ultimately mother to daughter and no one can quite remember where in the family it came from.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

5 potatoes
1 onion
salt & pepper
3 T smaltz (chicken fat) or oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup oil for pan

Directions:

Grate potatoes and 1 onion, add salt and pepper, melt chicken fat and add, beat eggs and add, then flour. Mix well. Pour oil in bottom of pan and pour kugel in. Bake 1 hour or until brown at 375*F. Serve hot.

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Do-It-Yourself Casserole

Do-It-Yourself Casserole

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A Recipe from Easy Ways to Delicious Meals, A Campbell Cookbook (1970)

About the Recipe

I’ve been making casseroles for years and years, and had never quite been able to articulate what’s been clearly printed in this book – the perfect proportions for a fantastic casserole. And the cardinal rule in vintage cooking applies – when a note says “very good,” you give that recipe a go!

Becky and I used some diced rotisserie chicken, and added some additional spice (Penzy’s Galena Street Rib & Chicken Rub) with our cream of chicken soup. I also added some shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top under the breadcrumbs. This is really a recipe that you can play and have fun with.

For more recipes from my Weekend at Becky’s click here!

About the book

My cousin Becky was my introduction to the wonder that is the Campbell’s Soup Cookbooks – and they are wonderful. This one belonged to her great-aunt Sylvia and there are little check marks and notes all over it.

About the glassware

This little Spice o Life Corning Ware dish belonged to my cousin Doris (Becky’s Grandma). Growing up, her whole house was a treasure trove of lovely old things. It’s easy to see where the love of keeping these little treasures alive came from in my family.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 can (10.5 oz) cream of celery, chicken, or mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 to 1.5 cups cooked or canned meat, fish, or poultry (diced)
2 cups cooked medium noodles
1/2 cup cooked peas or green beans
2 T buttered bread crumbs, slightly crushed corn flakes, or herb-seasoned stuffing mix

Directions:

Combine ingredients according to the proportions listed above to create a variety of casseroles.

In 1 1/2-quart casserole, blend soup and milk. Stir in meat, noodles, and vegetable. If desired, season with a bit of finely minced onion or chopped parsley or a dash of herb such as thyme or sage. Top with crumbs, crisp cereal, or stuffing. Bake at 350*F for 30 minutes.

NOTE: Two cups cooked rice may be substituted for noodles if milk is increased to 3/4 cup.

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Orange Raisin Drop Cookies

Orange Raisin Drop Cookies

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 4 Comments

A Recipe from America’s Bake-Off 100 winning recipes from Bake-Off 28 (1978)

About the Recipe

My entire life my mom has been making cookies out of cake mixes. It feels so commonplace now that there are entire Pinterest and Tumblr boards dedicated to cake mix cookie recipes. In 1978, I bet it was a revelation.

These cookies are light and airy and just the right amount of sweet. They disappeared in lightening speed, and rightfully so. The mandarins add just a hint of orange, so it tastes like a citrus-y oatmeal raisin cookie. A winner!

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

After the Bi-Centennial event, Pillsbury made the decision to move from an annual contest to a bi-annual contest. This is the first year after a two year wait, and feels like the recipes almost got a chance to breathe and grow up a little bit. It’s a strong book and it was hard to pick just one recipe from it for this project. I can’t wait to go back for more!

About the glassware

This little Spice of Life Corning Ware dish was a gift from my cousin Bonnie. Growing up, her house was full of beautiful old things, and at a young age she taught me the value of learning the history of each antique – what’s the story? Why did people buy it? What do the different makes and makers mean? She infused this curiosity when it comes to vintage and antique pieces into me. So, you know – it’s all her fault!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Pillsbury Plus Yellow Cake Mix
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
11 oz. can mandarin oranges, chopped and drained

Directions:

Heat oven to 350*F. Grease cookie sheets. Combine cake mix, oil and eggs; blend until smooth. Stir in oats, raisins and oranges. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350*F for 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown.

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Hot Dog Fiesta

Hot Dog Fiesta

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A Recipe from America’s BAKE-OFF Cookbook 100 winning recipes from BAKE-OFF 27 (1976)

About the Recipe

The hot dog casserole, I think, is one of the great lost recipe trends of the 1960’s/70’s. Every one that I’ve tried has looked absolutely disguising on paper, but has ultimately been unbelievably delicious. This one is no different. The note on the recipe says to “hear [the kids] ask for seconds,” and I have no doubt that they will with this one!

Side note – this does one of my favorite things when it comes to biscuit toppings. The biscuit dough bakes in the casserole, and sops up the juices as it does. Then you have the crunchy top that you can than dip in the remaining sauce. It’s just so good.

Additional side note – if you’re not into beef, please take a chance and try this recipe with tofu or turkey dogs. It should work just as well.

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

It’s 1976 and it’s the United States Bi-Centennial! Pillsbury takes this opportunity to re-christen themselves to America’s Bake-Off. We get some lovely patriotic graphics, and the contestants were treated to a Boston clam bake! I love the little bit of extra nostalgia and cheese.

About the glassware

This 2.5 quart Butterfly Gold casserole came to me from a close friend who inherited it from their Nana. It’s so special and you can feel the love that went into every dish every time it’s used. I have the set of two – small and large – and they hold a special place in my heart.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 T butter or margarine
1 lb. pkg. wieners, cut in 1/2 inch slices
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of potato or celery soup
8 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables with onion sauce, thawed
1 cup milk
1/4 t marjoram leaves
10 oz. can refrigerated biscuits
1/2 to 1 cup (2-4oz.) shredded cheddar or American Pasteurized Process Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.

In 10-inch ovenproof fry pan, brown butter and wieners. Stir in soup, mixed vegetables, milk and marjoram; heat until hot and bubbly.

Separate biscuit dough into 10 biscuits; cut each into 4 pieces. Arrange over hot wiener mixture with points up.

Bake 20-25 minutes until biscuits are golden brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately. (Refrigerate any leftovers.)

TIP: Hot meat mixture may be transferred to a 2-quart casserole. Top with biscuits; bake as directed.

To reheat, cover loosely with foil; heat at 375*F for 20-25 minutes.

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Shrimp Louisiana

Shrimp Louisiana

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 2 Comments

A Recipe from 250 different FISH and SEA FOOD Recipes (1950)

About the Recipe

As I pulled the shrimp out of the freezer this morning I thought – gee I’m bored with my usual shrimp recipes – so I pulled out a new old one! In full truth, I’ve never been to Louisiana, so I can’t speak to whether this tastes like shrimp from Louisiana or not, but it certainly is a shrimp dish with a kick!

It was so quick and easy to come together, which is not always the case with recipes from the Culinary Arts Institute. Quick tip – I added more onion (always add more onion) and I used butter for my fat (because yum).

There’s a tip hidden just above the photo in the book about pairing creamy shrimp dishes with potato nests. I improvised with some instant mashed potatoes left over from the Potato-Pan Burger. All in all – a win!

About the book

I have several of these booklets released by the Culinary Arts Institute in the 50’s. They’re always a weird mix of really challenging and super simple dishes. This fish one was a new acquisition and I was excited to have more variety to add to my fish game. Based on this recipe, it won’t disappoint!

About the glassware

This Hazel Atlas Ivy bowl is part of a set that I got with a friend in North Carolina. I’ve not had the opportunity to use this small one yet, and it’s so cute! The perfect dish for this savory, creamy shrimp.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 t minced onion
1/4 cup fat
2 cups Boiled Shrimp*
1/4 cup flour
1 t salt
1 t chili powder
2 cups milk
1/4 cup tomato catchup
2 T minced parsley

Directions:

Cook onion in fat until tender; add shrimp broken into pieces; brown. Stir in flour, salt and chili powder. Add milk gradually; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add catchup and parsley; cover and heat thoroughly.

Note:

*While this recipe calls to have the shrimp pieces pre-boiled, I find that shrimp so easily overcooks that in dishes like this one it comes out better if you throw in the raw shrimp pieces. Use your judgement!

Souper Crescent Pizza

Souper Crescent Pizza

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A Recipe from Bake-Off Cookbook 100 winning recipes from BAKE-OFF 26 (1975)

About the Recipe

Okay, so nothing about this recipe is particularly genius, but it is yummy and simple and fun. I love the hack of using the tomato soup as a base for the pizza sauce (apologies to my Italian friends, I’m sure that’s heresy), and I can see so many opportunities to really make this recipe your own.

In short: classic, fun, messy, delicious.

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

In this book, the crescent roll is King! Out of the 100 recipes (including the GE Microwave Winner) 49 of the recipes use the crescent rolls as a base. As someone who loves a quick dinner, this is thrilling. As someone who seeks to learn new baking techniques – oy, with the crescents already!

The good news is, this is a great book for those who are looking for quick hacks to delightful dishes.

About the glassware

I love pulling out my Federal Glass Atomic Flower snack plates. I found these at an antiques barn in North Carolina, and thought they were so cute! They’re part of a set that also has teacups, but I love them on their own.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

8 oz. can Pillsbury refrigerated Quick Crescent or Italian Flavor Dinner rolls
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t Italian Seasoning
1 cup (4 oz.) chopped salami, cooked ham or pepperoni
10 3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup
8 slices (12 oz.) Mozzarella or Muenster cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Separate crescent dough into two rectangles. Place in ungreased 13×9-inch pan; press over bottom and 1/4 inch up sides to form crust.

Blend seasonings, salami and soup; spread over crust. Top with cheese.

Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.

TIP: To reheat, wrap in foil; heat at 350*F for 12-15 minutes.

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Ham ‘n Cheese Crescent Snack

Ham ‘n Cheese Crescent Snack

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A Recipe from Silver Anniversary Bake-Off Cookbook 100 winning recipes from BAKE-OFF 25 (1974)

About the Recipe

A simple, fun twist (or should I say fold?) on snack sandwiches, this recipe is a great use of the refrigerated crescent rolls. I know these days deviled ham sounds a little dubious, but it works really here. I can see these being a hit for kids and adults alike, olives and all.

I used cheddar cheese on mine, and substituted the Everything Bagel Seasoning again for the seeds. In the moment, I misread the teaspoon of topping for a tablespoon of topping, and while that doesn’t sound like a big change in theory, it was a LOT of topping. The end result for me was a bit saltier than some may prefer, but for me – heaven!

For more recipes in the Pillsbury Challenge, click here!

About the book

This sounds like an odd thing to note in a cookbook, but if you’ve looked at as many as I have in as short a span as I have it makes a massive difference – the index in the back of this book is finally arranged more closely to the modern indexes we see today. I can finally search for all things “Sandwich” and find all of the sandwich recipes. Joy!

I do love the closing sentence in the forward – “…one theme as remained the same since a quarter of a century ago — to hare with you the exciting world of cooking.” It’s so true, and I feel it every time I open one of these booklets.

About the glassware

My Old Town Blue Corelle platter at it again. An interesting history note – this pattern was developed for Corelle and there were Pyrex pieces created as a compliment instead of the other way around, which is usual. Must have been a popular pattern! And as it was released in 1970, it felt right to use with this ’74 dish.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

8-oz. can Pillsbury Refrigerated Quick Crescent or Italian Flavor Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 t prepared mustard
1/3 cup sliced stuffed green olives or pitted rip olives, if desired
4 1/2 oz. can deviled ham
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 t sesame seed, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F. On ungreased 15×10-inch jelly roll pan, separate crescent dough into 2 large rectangles. Overlap long sides to form 13×7-inch rectangle; firmly press edges and perforations to seal.

In small bowl, combine mustard, olives and deviled ham. Spread ham filling lengthwise down center third of dough to within 1 inch of ends; sprinkle with cheese.

Make cuts 1 inch apart on each side of rectangle just to edge of filling. Fold ends of dough 1 inch over filling. Fold strips of dough at an angle halfway across filling, alternating from side to side. Brush with egg; sprinkle with sesame seed.

Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Refrigerate any leftovers. About 1 dozen snacks.

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