Tag: Pyrex

Lemon-Cream Loaf

Lemon-Cream Loaf

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from The Pillsbury Family Cook Book (1963)

About the Recipe

It’s (I bought too many) lemon(s) week in my household, so we’re making a lemon cake! I wanted something that would have a little bit of mid-century flair, but come out delicious enough to share. And wow oh wow – did this take the cake. (Pun intended).

A few quick notes to make sure yours comes out well:

  • Don’t just grease your pans. Give them a butter and flour layer to make sure they come out. They’re a little bit sticky all around and that extra flour will make sure they come out of the pans.
  • I made a simple syrup out of the lemon juice and sugar at the end. Put them in a small saucepan on a low heat and stir continuously until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Painting the glaze on made the tops sticky and moist and lovely. 10/10 don’t miss out on that step.

The result here was a crumbly, fluffy lemon cake. Both loaves were gone within two days after sharing with some friends. Heed the note about freezing the second loaf, but I’d be surprised if you manage to hold on to it for that long.

About the book

I found this book in a small antique store just outside of Joshua Tree. My friends and I were headed out to a dessert adventure to look at the stars. The hubs and I requested a quick stop in this tiny town to wander and look at the shops. I’m so glad that we made the stop.

This book is so cute. Each design choice feels very carefully made and curated for the mid-century kitchen. A perfect little time capsule of hosting in the ’60’s. Enjoy!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 2/3 cups sugar, split
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk
8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, softened
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 T grated lemon rind 
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Grease and flour two 9 x 5 x 3-inch pans. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups sugar to shortening in large mixing bowl; cream at high speed of mixer until light and fluffy.

At medium speed blend in eggs, beating well. At low speed add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition. 

Fold in cream cheese, walnuts and lemon rind. Pour batter into pans.

Bake at 375*F for 50 to 55 minutes, until golden brown.

Combine 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice (hint from Andi: heat this mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved); brush mixture over hot loaves. Cool 30 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely before slicing.

TIP: Freeze the second cake in meal-size amounts for a quick dessert. Lemon Cream Loaf is good as a base for Baked Alaska.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Pyrex Prize Recipes (1953)

About the Recipe

I have a confession to make: This was my first lemon meringue pie. I know! Crazy! But when two of my best friends requested one for their birthday, how could I refuse? And this – this is an amazing pie. Plus, I had exactly the prescribed pie plate in my Pyrex collection.

The part I found the most challenging was actually adding the meringue to the top of the pie. If you do it right and get your nice, glossy, stiff peaks, it’s incredibly hard to spread. I’ll probably pipe it in the future, just to make it a little easier. Though I do love the rustic look that came out of just plopping it on and filling in gaps.

A few quick tips to help your pie come out as beautifully as mine did:

  • Separate your eggs when they’re cold, then let them come to room temperature. It will help to keep your yolks from scrambling when you’re making the custard, and it will make a more successful meringue.
  • I added just a touch (maybe half or quarter of a teaspoon) of cream of tartar to my meringue to help it to hold its structure.
  • Take your time. No really – take your time. When you’re cooking the flour, sugar, and water it may take more than 12 minutes. It’s okay. Wait until it gets really nice and thick or your custard won’t set. Make sure you’re scraping the bottom. I used a spoon, but a rubber, heat-resistant spatula will work well for this.
  • Do your mise en place for this one. You’ll need ingredients quickly, and will not be able to walk away from stirring your custard to grab something.

Lemon meringue pies can be daunting. I get it. But it give it a whirl! There’s nothing like meeting a baking challenge and enjoying the fruits (or lemons!) of your labor.

About the book

I love this little book. It’s a little love story for anyone who has these beautiful pieces of glassware in their home. Each recipe recommends a specific dish to use to make sure your recipe comes out perfectly. It makes good use of everything from the coffee pots to the Flameware to the little Flamingo Pie Plate I got to use for this pie. Enjoy a little bit more of the goodness from Pyrex Prize Recipes:

  • A Pyrex spread fit for any holiday feast! May all of our tables be so colorful and bright!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:
FILLING:
2/3 cup flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 t salt
2 1/4 cups cold water
3 egg yolks
1 T butter
1 T grated lemon rind
1/3 cup lemon juice

MERINGUE:
3 egg whites
1/2 t salt
6 T sugar

Directions:

Prepare baked pie shell according to directions in your favorite recipe or pre-made crust in PYREX 8 1/2-inch Pie Plate #909

  1. Filling. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a PYREX Flameware Saucepan. Blend with the cold water. Cook over low direct heat until thick, stirring constantly, about 10 to 12 minutes. 
  2. Blend a little of this hot filling mixture with slightly beaten egg yolks. Combine with filling remaining in Saucepan. Cook 2 minutes longer over low direct heat, stirring constantly. Add butter.
  3. Remove from heat and add lemon rind and lemon juice. Cool about 5 minutes. Pour into cool baked pie shell. 
  4. Meringue. Beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Add sugar, a tablespoon at a time, beating continually, until meringue stands in firm peaks. 
  5. Spread meringue over warm pie filling, making sure the meringue touches crust all the way around to prevent shrinkage. Bake.

Time: bake meringue-topped pie 8-10 minutes
Temperature: 400*F hot oven
Amount: 6-8 servings
Dish: PYREX 8 1/2-inch Pie Plate #909 or #209

Frankfurter-Corn Bread Shortcake

Frankfurter-Corn Bread Shortcake

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Pyrex Prize Recipes (1953)

About the Recipe

Okay friends, it’s time for some good, old-fashioned mid-century nonsense! I’ve actually made this recipe a few times, including once for my mother-in-law. I hate to say it, but it’s actually really really good.

That said, I’ve modernized it over the past couple of years of making it. Here’s how:

  • I use fresh veggies instead of the canned tomatoes. I like using the colorful cherry tomato medley, but any fresh tomato will give you better flavor than the canned version.
  • The husband doesn’t like celery, so I substituted broccoli in. Honestly, use the vegetables you like. Make sure you have the onion, but otherwise – have fun!
  • I like to add 2 T of sugar to the cornbread mix when I make it myself. The sweet and savory combination is really nice.
  • There is so much salt in this dish. Please feel free to cut it down. Your body will thank you.

Cooking with hot dogs is weird. But folks did it for a reason! And this recipe is a good one if you’re feeling a bit brave. Enjoy!

About the book

I had forgotten how lovely this little cookbook is. For each recipe, there’s a recommendation or photo of what Pyrex to use. The photos are, well honestly they’re awful. But I kind of love them. And this dedication is everything for those of us who like to cook vintage dishes in vintage dishes.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup fat
2 1/2 cups tomatoes (#2 can)
8 frankfurters
1/2 t salt

PACKAGED TOPPING:
1 package corn muffin mix (11 3/4 oz.) or

HOMEMADE TOPPING:
3/4 cup flour
3 t double-acting baking powder
1 t salt
3/4 cup corn meal
2 T shortening
1 egg, well beaten
2/3 cup milk

Directions:

Brown celery, onion, and green pepper (or veggies of your choice) in fat in a PYREX Flameware Saucepan. Remove the saucepan from heat; add tomatoes, frankfurters cut into eighths, and 1/2 t salt. Pour into greased PYREX bowl.

Packaged Topping. If you use corn muffin mix, prepare according to directions on the package.

Homemade Topping.  Sift together flour, baking powder, and 1 t salt. Stir in corn meal. Cut shortening into flour mixture until well blended. Add well-beaten egg and milk, and mix until dry ingredients are moistened. 

Pour corn meal batter on top of tomato-frankfurter mixture in the PYREX bowl. This topping may be garnished with additional small slices of frankfurters. 

Bake uncovered about 35 minutes in a moderate (375*F) oven. 

6-8 servings. PYREX 2 1/2-quart bowl

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Dessert Cookbook (1968)

About the Recipe

When I volunteered to bring a dessert to an upcoming barbecue with friends, it should be noted that: 1. No one was surprised. And 2. I had no idea what I was going to bring. I have a friend with a tree-nut allergy and most mid-century baking requires some kind of tree nut. But then I found this little gem – all peanuts all the time.

These little guys turned out light and fluffy, and super peanut-buttery savory. I can see why the recipe says “Tops for a small-fry party –.” They were a total hit with kids and adults alike.

I used peanut-butter on a few of them, but most were topped with my own strawberry jelly buttercream. A kind of do-it yourself recipe that I made for the moment. I creamed together the butter and strawberry jam, then slowly added the powdered sugar until it was the right texture. And I did it grandma style – measuring with my heart.

Check out my step by step video for more tips and tricks below!

About the book

I know I’ve waxed poetic about this cookbook before. It’s one of my favorites. I can honestly say that it has a dessert for every occasion, and it’s never let me down. I noticed as I was going through my cookbooks, that I actually have a first printing of this book from 1960 that my grandma gave me (yes, that grandma). I’ll have to start experimenting to see how they differ.

If you grab this book, have faith in it! Go for one of the weird recipes, like this one. You’ll probably surprise yourself (and hopefully your enthusiastic taste-testers!).

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup shortening
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups sifted enriched rlour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 c milk

Directions:

Cream together peanut butter, shortening and vanilla. Gradually add brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. 

Sift together dry ingredients; add alternately with milk.

Place paper bake cups in muffin pans; fill 1/2 full. Bake in moderate oven (375*F) 20 minutes or until done.

“Frost” with peanut butter. Sift a small dot of confectioners’ sugar atop each.

(For Andi’s Strawberry Jam buttercream, cream 1/2 cup softened butter with about 1/2 cup strawberry jam. Add powdered sugar until the texture is right.)

Makes about 2 dozen.

The Video!

Enjoy this step-by-step video chock full of tips and tricks to make your peanut butter cupcakes come out magnificently!

Susan’s Turketti

Susan’s Turketti

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Good Housekeeping’s Casserole Book (1958)

About the Recipe

Today is husband’s birthday! In honor of his day, we have another Husband’s Choice. This one is a play on turkey tetrazzini – pasta and turkey in a warm, savory sauce topped with cheese. Y’all know I love a casserole, and this one is pure magic. It’s a make-ahead, so I made it on a Sunday afternoon when I had some time. The time spent in the refrigerator allows the pasta to really soak up the broth and soup. The result is a super savory, comfort casserole, perfect for a cozy family dinner.

The “Susan” mentioned here is yet another fictional cook that came out of this advertising trend. She’s a teen cook who loves to whip up easy to follow recipes in the kitchen. My feeling is that any recipe labeled with Susan’s name is probably a little bit more simple than the average recipe in this book. But that’s just my gut feeling. If anyone has any more information about Susan, I’d love to hear about it!

A few quick notes to help make it amazing:
– I used turkey breasts that I marinated in salt, pepper, and a little bit of olive oil for a few hours before cooking them up in a skillet. You could also use Thanksgiving leftovers or rotisserie chicken to make this really quick and easy.
– Any short pasta will work in this recipe. Don’t use the full strands of spaghetti without breaking them as it’ll be difficult to mix and serve.
– Any sort of broth will work in this recipe as well, including a bullion cube dissolved in water. I love Penzey’s soup bases and use the turkey one for literally every recipe that calls for a poultry based broth.
– Because I salted my turkey and the broth and mushroom soup are already high in sodium, I didn’t add the additional salt in the recipe. Trust me when I say it was salty enough.

For more Husband’s Choice recipes, click here!

About the book

I love these little Good Housekeeping booklets. They’re the ones that used to live in the grocery store aisles. There’s a whole set of them, and usually you see them at antique or vintage stores for $1 or so each. If you see one, grab it. The recipes are easy to follow and use common ingredients. The illustrations are so mid-century it hurts.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups (about 3 oz.) spaghetti, broken into 2″ pieces
1 1/2 to 2 cups cut-up, cooked or canned turkey (or chicken or cooked veal)
1/4 cup diced pimentos
1/4 chopped green pepper
1/2 chopped small onion
1 can condensed cream-of-mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 cup turkey broth or water
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 3/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 1/2 lb.), divided

Directions:

Early in the day or night before, if preferred:
Cook spaghetti as package directs; drain. Place turkey, pimentos, green pepper, and onion in 1 1/2 quart casserole. Pour in mushroom soup and turkey broth; add salt, pepper, 1 1/4 cups of grated cheese, and spaghetti. With two forks, lightly toss until all is well mixed and coated with sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese on top of turkey mixture; refrigerate.

About 1 hour before serving: 
Start heating oven to 350*F. Bake casserole mixture 45 min, or until bubbly throughout. Makes 4 servings

PS. – If you’re having 8 for dinner or a help-yourself supper, early in day make twice above recipe, using 3-qt casserole; refrigerate. At mealtime, bake about 1 hr. or until bubbling hot.

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

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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.

Chafing-Dish Meat Balls

Chafing-Dish Meat Balls

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Good Housekeeping’s Complete CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK (1967)

About the Recipe

Each year for Christmas, my husband and I host what we call Orphan Christmas. We invite friends who are Jews (like us), who are unable to really travel, or who just have no where else to go to join our holiday gathering and table. We cook a big meal and sit down together to make merry. It’s basically heaven.

This year, I dipped into a new-old cookbook to create these meatballs, and they did not disappoint! They remind me of the Swedish meatballs a friend used to make for various festivities (and maybe for Christmas once or twice). The meatballs themselves are fantastic. It’s a great, easy recipe. I can easily see making a batch of them and then freezing them for a day when I don’t feel like cooking but want good spaghetti and meatballs.

In lieu of canned tomato juice, I opted for some bloody mary mix which I had on hand. I paired that with some original Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce, a favorite in our household, to make the sauce. I’ll go ahead and say, use whatever you really enjoy. It’s hard to miss on this one as long as you have the sweet in the barbecue sauce and the savory in the tomato juice.

My husband, Tarik has been making meatballs for years.
He was happy to help make this dish come to life!

About the book

I got this book as part of a set from my secret holiday gifter on my team at LinkedIn! I mentioned that I collect and cook out of vintage cookbooks, and this delightful set arrived on my doorstep. The Good Housekeeping Complete Cookbooks come in a set of 15 books, along with a plastic holder. This book is one of the set. As with so many of these MCM cookbooks, it comes complete with terrible food photos and delightful illustrations. I’m so excited to cook some more out of these books.

About the glassware

This barbed wire pattern divided dish is one of my favorite finds. It was a limited release in 1958 and I found it complete with a lid and in perfect condition. The cradle it’s in didn’t come with it, but is a partner to another divided dish that I have. It was the first pattern released on a divided dish, originally called the Cinderella Divided Serving Dish – delightful!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs chuck, ground
1/2 cup finely-sifted dried bread crumbs
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups canned tomato juice
2 T regular all-purpose flour
3/4 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water
1 1-lb. 4 1/2-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

Directions:

Early on day:
1. In bowl, with 2-tined fork, toss together chuck, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, egg, and milk until well blended. Shape into 1/2- to 3/4-inch balls. Place in shallow pan with shortening; refrigerate.
2. In saucepan combine tomato juice and flour until sooth. Add barbecue sauce and water; blend well.

About 1 hour and 30 minutes before serving:
1. Start heating oven to 350*F.
2. Bake meat balls 30 minutes; now drain off excess fat then pour on tomato sauce; bake 45 minutes longer.
3. To serve, spoon meat balls and sauce into chafing dish or serving dish, with pineapple chunks here and there.

Makes 48 meatballs.

Macaroni with Paprika-Mushroom Sauce

Macaroni with Paprika-Mushroom Sauce

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Recipes by Rakusen’s (195?)

About the Recipe

When a friend brought this (along with 2 other also amazingly vintage Rakusen’s books) back from England for me, I couldn’t wait to give it a go. These recipes are classics, and this one didn’t disappoint.

This comes together almost like an easy macaroni and cheese without the cheese. The sauce is rich and delicious, and pairs delightfully with the mushrooms. That said, both the husband and I agreed that more vegetables and even small bites of meat (I would go chicken or steak) would go well with this, and there’s more than enough sauce to make it happen. All in all, an excellent start to cooking with these little booklets. And hey – this was fully Maxx approved, so you know it’s gotta be good!

What do we think, Maxx?
OMNOMNOM!

About the book

I try to keep these entries short and sweet to let you get to the recipe quickly, but forgive me on this one while I wax poetic a little bit about this book. As I said, it came from a friend who brought them from England for me. Rakusen’s is like the Manischewitz of England. It was founded in Leeds in 1900 and is a top provider of Kosher ingredients throughout the country. It was just so fun to look through these booklets, clearly designed to enjoy Rakusen’s fine line of products throughout the year.

There’s no date on the booklet, but it looks to be about 1950’s/60’s, and online listings of them seem to be in line with that as well. The illustrations and funky fonts lean more toward late ’50’s/early ’60’s, but regardless are everything that just works for these old advertising booklets. As per usual though, I remain grateful that food photography has come a long way since that time period.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 large onion
1/2 lb. mushrooms
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 t paprika
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
8 oz. macaroni

Directions:

Melt butter in frying pan. Chop onion and sauté in butter until light brown. Remove onion. Slice mushrooms and sauté in same fat until tender. Add remaining ingredients (including onion), except macaroni. Mix well and heat. Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain. Place in serving dish and pour sauce over. Serve at once. Serves 6.

Frankfurter Crown Casserole

Frankfurter Crown Casserole

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Easy Ways to Delicious Meals, a Campbell’s Cookbook (1968)

About the Recipe

It’s been awhile since I’ve had an opportunity to crack open a cookbook, so I thought I’d come back with a mid-century bang! I love a recipe that strikes me as so crazy it just might work, and thankfully this one does.

It’s deceptively simple to make, and as a new mom who was worried about too much time spent in the kitchen, I was thrilled when it came together much more quickly than expected (about an hour from start to finish, and only because I had to cook the potatoes). I used frozen green beans, which worked just fine. In the future, I’ll probably use the veggie medley instead to give it a little more depth of flavor, or even just throw some fresh veggies in there. This dish would be well served with some broccoli florets or diced mushrooms thrown into the mix. Just sauté them with the onions a little bit to soften them up.

One more thing – cut the salt in half at least. The soup adds plenty of salt on its own, and combined with the frankfurters, it’s a lot.

About the book

I love these mid-century Campbell’s soup cookbooks. I’ve made a few recipes out of them before, and they never disappoint. My favorite part is this combo of full color photos and cute little illustrations. For this dish in particular, I was amused that they snuck in the full color photo of the Frankfurter Crown in the first section of the cookbook. And then (just in case that didn’t sell you), there was an illustration as well. It was truly a no-brainer to pick this particular recipe out of the lot.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 t salt
Dash pepper
3 cups sliced cooked potatoes
1 cup cooked cut green beans
1/2 lb. frankfurters, split and cut in half

Directions:

Cook bacon. Remove and crumble. Cook onion in drippings until tender. Stir in soup, water, salt, and pepper; add potatoes and green beans. Pour into 1 1/2-quart casserole. Stand up frankfurters around edge of casserole. Bake at 350*F for 30 minutes. Garnish with bacon.