Tag: food

Beef-Eggplant Skillet

Beef-Eggplant Skillet

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Shortcut Cooking (1969)

About the Recipe

This recipe is going to be the start of a new collection I’m calling “Husband’s Choice.” This is where I give the hubs a random selection of books and let him pick what we’re making next. This was his first choice – what he ended up calling “a taco with eggplant on top!” For more Husband’s Choice recipes, click here!

This feels like such a classic mid-century recipe. The ingredients are common and clean with a touch of canned goodness to shortcut the recipe. The result is warm and flavorful, and just a little bit too salty. Classic.

A few quick notes and suggestions:

  • I used my cast-iron skillet instead of an electric one (which I don’t have). Honestly, any skillet will do. It’s medium-high heat to cook your beef, and then reduce to a simmer at whatever temp works best.
  • I also used plain tomato sauce because that’s what I had. It worked just fine.
  • Watch the salt levels on this one. It was a little on the salty side, and I’ll cut back for the future
  • If you season the eggplant first, it will bring some of the liquid in it to the surface, which you can pat dry. That will give you a little less liquid in the pan and a thicker meat sauce.

About the book

I can’t remember where I found this one, but it’s just such mid-century magic. The serving dishes are all just a little bit fancy. And the description of the pictures and dishes are just a little bit flowery.

The book is published by the Meredith Corporation, best known for the Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks and magazines. Indeed, if you look at this booklet side by side with a BH&G cookbook, they reflect each other in style. Interesting to note that Meredith Co. published several different brands of grocery store checkout line cookbooks, and I can see this one fitting right in!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground lean beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 T all-purpose flour
1 8-oz. can (1 cup) seasoned tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 t oregano
1/2 to 1 t chili powder
1/2 t salt
1 small eggplant, cut in 1/2-inch slices (pared or unpared)
1 cup shredded sharp process cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat electric skillet to about 375*F. Brown beef and onion in small amount hot fat. Spoon off excess fat. Sprinkle flour over meat; stir.

Add tomato sauce, water, green pepper, oregano, chili powder, and salt. Mix well. 

Season eggplant with salt and pepper; arrange slices over meat. Cover; simmer at about 230*F till eggplant is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Top with shredded cheese. Pass Parmesan. Serves 4.

George Washington’s Cherry Treat

George Washington’s Cherry Treat

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A Recipe from Favorite Recipes of America Desserts (1968)

About the Recipe

Here in the United States tomorrow is President’s Day! President’s Day is officially celebrated on the third Monday in February. It’s so situated because that day is always between President Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12th) and President George Washington’s Birthday (February 22nd). What better way to celebrate than with a cherry treat specifically for President Washington?

In truth, I was looking specifically for a cherry treat for a friend who’s “suffered” through some other fruit desserts, all while not-so-subtly hinting that cherry was her favorite. It had been a minute since I looked through this particular set of recipe books. There were several different options, but I was actively looking for something like a cobbler.

I love cobblers. They’re called “cobblers” because of the resemblance to cobblestone streets created by dropping the biscuit dough on the top. There are a few regional variations, but by and large it’s fruit filling topped with a sweet or savory biscuit. Yum!

Only three notes on this one:
1. I used frozen cherries that I let thaw on the counter and that worked just fine. If you wanted a real shortcut, grab your favorite cherry pie filling and call it a day. That said – this filling is SO GOOD.
2. Add a little spice to the biscuit dough. Some cinnamon or nutmeg will do. It adds just a little more depth to the overall taste.
3. Definitely serve this hot, but let it sit for just a few minutes out of the oven to truly set. Also a little scoop of vanilla ice cream will go a long way to elevating.

About the book

This book is one in a set of 5. I actually found a different book out of this set first (Casseroles. Don’t judge, I’m a fan). When I saw the full set on the shelf in my favorite antiques store, I had to have it.

The books are like a nationwide community cookbook. The submissions are clearly folks’ favorites. Typically they’re easy to make and every one I’ve tried has turned out well. They’re truly a look into kitchen favorites during this time period.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 cup cherry juice
2 1-lb. cans of red tart cherries, drained (or 2 lbs. frozen cherries thawed and drained)
1 T butter or margarine
1/4 t cinnamon
Few drops of red food coloring

Topping:
1 cup sifted flour
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 T shortening
1/2 cup milk
2 T sugar

Directions:

Combine sugar and cornstarch; add cherry juice and cook until thick. Stir in cherries, butter, cinnamon and food coloring. Pour into 8-inch square pan.

Topping:
Sift dry ingredients; cut in shortening. Add milk gradually. Mix well with fork. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cherry mixture. Sprinkle sugar over pastry. Bake at 400*F for 30 minutes. Serve hot. Yield: 6-8 servings

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

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A Recipe from Good Housekeeping’s Book of Cookies (1958)

About the Recipe

My team at work gathered together this past week. I wanted to bring something that made the meeting a little bit more sweet. This simple snickerdoodles recipe seemed just the right thing!

The combination of cream of tartar and shortening vs. baking powder and butter means that these are super crispy and airy cookies. Those who’ve read this blog for a bit know that I can get a bit nerdy about the science of it all. Baking powder, while acidic which will react with the baking soda, it also includes a basic element. Cream of tartar is pure acidity. When it comes in contact with the baking soda during baking it creates more air and bubbles in the cookies. The shortening, meanwhile, has a higher melting point than the butter. This helps the cookies to maintain those bubbles and crisp along with the shape and height. Delightful.

All of that being said, if you don’t have cream of tartar handy, you can absolutely substitute baking powder. Same with the shortening – as always, a fat is a fat is a fat is a fat. Butter will give this cookie a bit more tenderness and a hint more warmth in the flavor. Not the same, but still an absolute win.

About the book

I love the Good Housekeeping booklets. You can see some of the mid-century illustrations in my video, below. The whole book is chock full of them, and every recipe is a winner. I got these as a complete set several years ago. They’re a great go-to when I’m looking for something, but not sure quite what yet.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup soft shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
2 T granulated sugar
2 t cinnamon

Directions:

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. With electric mixer at medium speed, or “cream” (or with spoon), thoroughly mix shortening with 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs until very light and fluffy.

At low speed, or “blend,” beat in flour mixture until batter is dough-like; chill until easy to handle.

Start heating oven to 400*F. Form dough into walnut-size balls; roll in 2 T sugar and cinnamon, mixed. Place 2″ apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until done.

The Video!

For your enjoyment, a step-by-step video. This is for sure a cooking with toddlers experience. Maxx was eager to help until… he wasn’t. But there are joyful toddler sounds throughout. Enjoy!

Fresh Blueberry Cake

Fresh Blueberry Cake

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A Recipe from Better Cooking Library Dessert Cook Book (1964)

About the Recipe

I was asked to bring dessert to a small gathering of friends. They’re the best kind – ones who will try just about anything you put in front of them. What an opportunity to try a new dessert! When I saw this blueberry cake (from the Blueberry Institute, of course!) I knew I had to give it a try.

I’ve tried a few cakes like this before, where you make the batter and then the fruit goes on top. The cake kind of bakes around the fruit and it sits kind of on top once the cake is done. This was a little bit more complex, but I don’t think it needs to be.

A few tips and changes you might think about when you give this one a try:

  • Food processing the butter, flour, and sugar will make for a more even batter. I don’t have regrets about cutting the butter in by hand, but in the future I’ll go the food processor route for sure.
  • The cake was a little bit bland. A little extra seasoning mixed in with the sugar and flour after you separate out the bit for the crumb would go a long way. I recommend trying a good pie spice mix, or maybe a touch of nutmeg and allspice.
  • I didn’t have a spring-form pan readily available, so I used a pan that my grandma gave me where the bottom separates from the top. It worked just fine. If you’re having trouble getting the cake out of the pan give it a few minutes to cool. It will shrink a little bit away from the sides and you’ll have no trouble at all.
  • The recipe references a “dough” that you can push up the sides of the pan. I’m not sure who wrote that or what they did, but this is most definitely a batter and not a dough. Feel free to push to the sides, but know that it doesn’t really work and your cake will be just fine.

All in all, this was a solid dessert to bring to the gathering. A scoop of ice cream or a warm cream sauce will go a long way in finishing it off and making it the perfect dish!

About the book

I’ve been looking at this book for awhile trying to find the right moment to pull it out. While it lacks the mid-century illustrations that I love about books in this time period, the photos are delightful. It seems to be a mish-mash of recipes from various growers and associations in the United States. This recipe was from the Blueberry Institute. There’s one from banana growers and dairy farmers and all kinds of food associations I didn’t even know existed. A pretty cool book indeed!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh cultivated blueberries
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 T butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 t baking powder
1 T butter
1 t cinnamon

Directions:

Wash cultivated blueberries and spread on paper toweling. Sprinkle with a little sugar and let dry while making batter.

In a bowl, cut butter into flour and sugar as if for a pie crust. When thoroughly mixed, take out 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside. To remainder in bowl, add eggs, milk, baking powder and vanilla. Beat thoroughly until all sugar is assimilated and batter is not grainy.

Pour batter into buttered 9-inch spring pan and work up around sides of pan to form a lining of dough. Place blueberries into hollow of batter.

To the reserved 3/4 cup of crumbs, add 1 tablespoon butter and cinnamon and work with fingers to make crumbly. Sprinkle crumbs over top of berries. 

Bake in a very hot oven at 450*F for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350*F and continue baking for 20 minutes more. Serve warm or cold. Makes 8 large servings.

The Video!

For the first time, here’s a video to help guide you as you cook. I hope you enjoy it!

Mama Koppelman’s Noodle Kugel

Mama Koppelman’s Noodle Kugel

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A Recipe from the Koppelman Family Recipe Box (????)

About the Recipe

For many of us, there are recipes that live in our hands and brains and hearts. We recognize the ingredients when they’re set out on the counter. We recognize the smell as we come down the stairs. It’s the recipe made by our family over and over again, consistently on every family holiday table. It’s the recipe we share with friends and pass on to our children. This is that recipe in my family.

Just as every Italian family has a family tomato sauce recipe, every Ashkenazi Jewish family has a kugel recipe. This recipe came to me from my grandma on my mother’s side and my mother. That side of the family came to America through Ellis Island in a journey that began in Lithuania. I have no doubt that it’s been iterated on and changed over the years (I’m pretty sure that we didn’t have cans of crushed pineapple in the old country).

Here are a few variations and tips to consider that the family has gathered over the years:

  • Margarine can be substituted for the butter for a kosher parev version
  • My father loves the addition of golden raisins, about 3/4 to 1 cup
  • I always have measured the cinnamon sugar with my heart
  • Substitute a good pie spice for the cinnamon for a bit more depth of flavor
  • I use crushed pineapple in juice, my mother prefers the heavy syrup version, any variation is fine as long as it’s about a 15 oz. can
  • Great to make ahead and either refrigerate or freeze until your meal. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven. If just refrigerated, reheat in the oven.
  • My mother often divided this recipe into 2-8″x8″ smaller kugels and then froze them. She would freeze them and thaw them to give to friends or as a last minute bring-along to a potluck.

For more recipes from my family recipe box, check out my Recipes from Grandma page.

About the book

At this point, this recipe lives rent-free in my brain. I know I have a written down version somewhere, but I honestly don’t even know where at this point. Trust me when I say – this is the right one for today, and this is how it goes:

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 lb. wide or extra wide egg noodles
1/2 lb. unsalted butter or margarine, divided
large can (~15 oz.) crushed pineapple
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar, divided
pinch of salt

Directions:

Cook and drain egg noodles. Melt 1/4 lb. of the butter. Add the melted butter, pineapple, eggs, about half of the cinnamon sugar, and the salt to the noodles. Mix well and pour whole mixture into a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking dish.

Melt the remaining butter and sprinkle it over the whole top of the noodle mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the butter. Bake at 350*F for 55-60 minutes, until the top is browned and the mixture is bubbly. 

Serve hot and enjoy leftovers hot or cold. 

Double-Rich Fudge Pudding

Double-Rich Fudge Pudding

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 2 Comments

A Recipe from Cooking Magic: Elegant Desserts (1954)

About the Recipe

As it so happens, a close friend came for dinner last night. A close friend who, in addition to my husband and my son, happens to love chocolate. I was paging through my cookbooks looking for something new to try, and I kept coming back to this recipe. It looked just interesting enough to give a go. And what can I say other than – it was totally worth it.

The title of this dessert is a bit misleading. What you end up with is this kind of a brownie, chocolate cake on top with a rich, chocolate sauce on the bottom. The acidic sour milk in the recipe means that the cake bit is super crumbly and rich. Truly, this is a decadent dessert to finish off any meal.

A few quick tips and tricks:

  • Let it sit for a little while after coming out of the oven. That will allow the chocolate sauce at the bottom to soak back into the cake a little bit. It also gives it some time to thicken as it cools.
  • That little scoop of something creamy on top is critical to cut the chocolate a bit. I used vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream or even a good vanilla frozen custard would work as well.
  • The pecans are absolutely necessary in this one. You could substitute with walnuts, but that nutty surprise expands the flavor profile and elevates the dish.
  • Be patient while you’re baking and make sure the top is set. At 50 minutes in my oven (which tends to run a little cold), the top was still a bit wobbly. I ended up baking it for 60 minutes overall.

Overall, this recipe is definitely a keeper. Great for sharing, and the perfect end to any meal.

About the book

This Cooking Magic binder was one of the first things in my collection. I can’t even remember where I found it, but it’s a lovely collection of booklets from the Culinary Institute of America, all published in the 1950’s and ’60’s. When these binders were released, there was a set of two of two of them – one red with a white spine and the other white with a red spine. They sold for 99 cents, and each outlined which 12 booklets should go inside.

The booklets inside are perfect mid-century books. There are delightful illustrations, and fairly easy to follow recipes. I often see them sold separately from one another, and if you see one I highly recommend grabbing it.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 oz. chocolate
2 T butter or margarine
2 T vinegar
6 T milk (enough to 1/2 cup liquid with vinegar)
1 t vanilla extract
1 cup salted pecan halves
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 oz. chocolate

Directions:

Grease a deep 8-inch round cake pan. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Melt and set aside 1 oz. chocolate and butter.

Measure the vinegar into a measuring cup and add the milk. Stir milk-vinegar mixture (soured milk) into melted chocolate mixture with the vanilla extract. Add chocolate-milk mixture, all at one time, to dry ingredients. Stir until thoroughly blended.

Add pecan halves. Blend just until pecan halves are evenly distributed. Turn batter into pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the batter and set it aside.

Combine the boiling water and chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and thoroughly blended with water. Pour over top of batter. 

Bake pudding at 350*F 45-50 minutes. Serve warm with heavy cream, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Note:

This dessert separates into a rich cake with a creamy chocolate sauce underneath.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

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A Recipe from Meta Given’s Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking (1949)

About the Recipe

My husband and I were watching Great British Bake Off, and it was bread week. So of course he looked at me and said “you haven’t made any bread lately. You should make some bread.” And here we are. I was looking for something a little bit different, maybe something fall inspired. When I saw this pumpkin bread, I thought it looked like a good challenge. And indeed, it was neither quick nor easy, but wow oh wow is it delicious.

I consider myself to be fairly okay at dealing with bread. Most of my loaves turn out well, if not great. I also don’t like to use the dough hook on my mixer, I really like mixing and kneading by hand. I know what a great bread feels like in my fingers and under my palm. All of that said – this was such a wet dough to start out and I nearly gave up in a moment where I was wrist deep in sticky, wet, spicy dough. I’m very glad that I kept up and completed the loaves.

I chose to use the variation mentioned in the book and added the spices (basically pumpkin pie spice if you want to just throw some in). It gave the bread some depth of flavor and a slight sweet, spiciness that tastes very specifically like fall. I highly recommend it.

At the end of the day, you’ll walk out of this recipe with 3 beautiful, shareable loaves of kind of unique yeasted bread. They should have a slight crunch to their crust and be nice and chewy when you bite into them. For an added bonus, toast a slice up, add some butter and just a little bit of cinnamon sugar or vanilla sugar on top. YUM!

How to shape the loaf

It’s mentioned in the directions to shape the loaf according to some specific instructions. Here they are if you’d like to use them:

About the book

Meta’s encyclopedia is famous in cookbook collecting circles. She’s got tips, tricks, menus, essays, pictures, everything a home cook needs to be successful in the kitchen. And it’s really a great resource. These recipes stand the test of time in a way that a lot of others from the same time don’t. My only regret is that I only have Volume 1! I’ll find the rest of it someday…

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 packages dry granular yeast or 2 cakes compressed yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 2/4 cups milk, scalded
1 T salt
8 to 8.5 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups pureed cooked pumpkin (or canned)
1/4 cup melted shortening or vegetable oil

Variation:
1 t ginger
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t grated orange rind

Directions:

Soften yeast in the water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand 10 minutes. Combine hot milk, salt, and the remaining sugar, stir and cool to lukewarm. Combine yeast and cooled milk mixtures and stir to blend.

Add 2.5 cups of the flour and beat until batter is very smooth. Add the pumpkin and the cooled shortening and mix well. Add enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough, use any remaining flour on the board for kneading and shaping the dough.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured board. Cover dough with bowl, let rest 10 minutes then knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Round up and place in a greased bowl, turn once to bring greased side up. Cover and let stand in a warm place (86*F) and let rise until double in bulk (about 1 hour). 

Punch down dough, turn over in bowl, and let rise again until double in bulk (about 45 minutes). Turn out on board and divide into 3 equal portions. Quickly round up each portion, cover with bowls and let rest for 10 minutes on board.

Shape into loaves (see reference photos above). Place in greased loaf pans (8 1/4 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches). Cover and let rise in a warm place (86*F) until double in bulk and sides of dough reach top of pan, and center is well rounded (1 hour).

Bake in moderately hot oven (400*F) for 15 minutes, reduce heat to moderate (375*F) and continue baking 20-30 minutes longer until well browned. Turn out on racks to cool, uncovered and away from drafts.

Coney Sauce

Coney Sauce

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A Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Barbecues and Picnics (1963)

About the Recipe

It’s barbecue season, and my husband invited his oldest friends over to our house to enjoy some outdoor dining on our deck. I needed something to go with hot dogs and hamburgers, and this sauce was perfect for these native New Yorkers! It’s a simple version of a chili sauce, and while it was created to go on frankfurters or Coneys, it did very well on the hamburgers as well. And I think I won a few points with the crew:

Some quick notes about the recipe – while you can certainly make it as is, I would take a little bit of time to brown the onions and garlic before adding the ground beef, just to get a little more flavor out of the whole thing. This is also super versatile, so feel free to substitute your ground meat. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, try adding a little cocoa to get closer to the Cincinnati favorite Coney Sauce. And don’t be too scared of the MSG. I’m not sure what magic it is, but it does add a little bit of punch. I use Accent whenever called for.

About the book

I’ve been absolutely chomping at the bit to use this book and haven’t had the right occasion. It’s broken into different sections, and this recipe falls in the “hobo” section. The hobos in question are, of course, small children sitting in trees and enjoying an outdoor treat.

About the glassware

It’s not often I get to make good use of this milk glass measuring cup. It’s difficult to see through, which kind of defeats the purpose. But it’s absolutely lovely, and I was excited to give it an opportunity to shine this weekend.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef  
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8-oz can (1 cup) seasoned tomato sauce
1/2 to 3/4 chili powder
1/2 t monosodium glutamate
1/2 t salt

Directions:

Brown beef slowly but thoroughly, breaking with a fork till fine. Add remaining ingredients; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Makes sauce for 12 Coneys (hot dogs).

Baked Breast of Chicken

Baked Breast of Chicken

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A Recipe from Something Different for Passover (1986)

About the Recipe

It’s Passover, and I’m at Becky’s house again! We usually go a bit crazy with the cooking, but definitely had a new challenge working within our confines. We pulled this chicken recipe out of a book that would have been from our childhood. It was the kind of thing that was going to be really good, or really not (I even had a matzah pizza recipe on standby in case this didn’t work).

Y’all… this is freaking delicious. So good that I’m working on adapting it for regular around the year eating. That said, there were a lot of things that we kind of had to work out in order to make this recipe work. I’m going to go ahead and note the changes in italics so that you also have a successful chicken bake. Bon appetit!

About the book

I’m usually pretty wary of books from the ’80’s, but this one is so sweet! It goes through all of the traditions of the Passover seder. There are menus for the first and second seders, and everything is neatly sectioned out for easy reference throughout the holiday. There’s nothing particularly special about it, but it did feel like childhood paging through it.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

4 whole chicken breasts, boned
1 cup soup nut crumbs (We used matzah panko, which was perfect! Regular panko/breadcrumbs should also work but would render the recipe not kosher for Passover)
1 t ground ginger
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t white pepper
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup white wine
2 T pareve margarine (Butter also works fine, as would a neutral oil in a crunch)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Cut chicken breasts in half (We did not cut the breasts, and they turned out fine. You could cut them crosswise into two big halves, which also should work if you want smaller pieces). Rinse with cold water and dry well with paper towels.

2. Combine soup nut crumbs, ginger, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.

3. Dip each chicken part in beaten egg, then in crumb mixture. Arrange in a single layer in a baking pan.

4. Combine preserves, wine, and margarine. Microwave on high setting for 5 minutes, or bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over the chicken breasts and bake for 1 hour (We baked our HUGE chicken breasts for about 40 minutes, and they were perfect. Absolutely do not wait an hour before checking your chicken. Use a meat thermometer and cook until the thickest part measures 165*F).

Corn-Frankfurter Soup

Corn-Frankfurter Soup

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A Recipe from Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cooking Vol. 11 (1966)

About the Recipe

It’s cold in the northeastern United States which means one thing – soup season! I was in the mood to try something new, so I pulled out this horrifyingly delightful mid-century concoction. I looked at my husband, read him the recipe, and said, “it’s either going to be delicious… or it’s going to be terrible!”

Spoiler alert – it’s so, so good. The creamy base and sweet corn is the perfect counterpoint to the salty franks. I used Sabrett’s for that authentic ball park flavor, sliced super thinly. I also went for fire-roasted, diced tomatoes from Muir Glen. I’m not usually a brand queen, but sometimes a little extra flavor infused into an MCM dish is never a bad thing.

All in all, this soup grew on us! The first few sips were okay, but the more we got into the bowl, the better it got. And, like many good soups, it was even better on the second day.

About the book

This book is one of a full set that came from my grandma. There are little handwritten notes and envelopes tucked into pages throughout the set. She was a doctor’s wife, and I imagine that she used these books to try new recipes for dinner guests over the years.

The book is part of a set of 22 books published in 1966. They literally start at A and end at Z with recipes in alphabetical order in between. The soup section here, is in volume 11, along with the Spaghetti Cook Book, souffles, stews, South American Cookery… and so much more. Each section or book starts with a mini essay considering the cuisine, methodology, history, culture, etc. They’re gems, and I can’t wait to cook more out of them.

About the glassware

I don’t have words to express how delightful this little Hazel Atlas cereal bowl is. It’s part of a circus animal set that also includes a milk glass mug, though they’re rarely found together at this point. I found it tucked away in a corner of a small antique store upstate, and couldn’t wait to take it home. As it’s from the 1950’s, it’s entirely possible that this bowl has seen this soup before!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 onion, minced
1/3 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
1/2 t crumbled dried basil
2 T shortening
1 cup boiling water
2 cups cream-style corn
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup canned tomatoes
1 lb frankfurters, sliced
2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 cup shredded process American cheese
Chopped parsley

Directions:

Cook onion, celery, bay leaf, and basil in shortening for 5 minutes. Add water and corn; cook, covered, for a few minutes longer. Remove bay leaf. Add remaining ingredients except parsley; heat until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Garnish with parsley. Makes about 2 quarts.