Tag: recipe

Yummy Porcupine Meatballs

Yummy Porcupine Meatballs

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from A Campbell Cookbook Cooking with Soup (1970)

About the Recipe

It’s Memorial Day weekend, which means the kiddo and I are hanging out with Aunt Becky – and it’s time for another Weekend at Becky’s recipe! This one was a perfect, easy addition to dinner that everyone enjoyed.

Porcupine meatballs are actually a depression era recipe combining ground meat, rice, and canned soup – all inexpensive staples. They’re called “porcupine” not because we’re eating cute little spiked animals, but because traditionally when cooked the meat shrinks. That leaves the little rice grains spiking out of the meatballs, giving them the appearance of small porcupines.

For these we did an easy substitute of ground turkey for the beef (neither of us are red meat eaters, generally). It was absolutely successful. I’ll give my usual recommendation here to use the ground meat or “meat” of your choice. I have no doubt that any would work. But honestly – that’s it! This recipe is very easy, and very delicious. Sure to be a staple in my house in the future.

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

About the book

This is another family book, owned by Becky’s grandma, and clearly very well used. She put little check marks next to recipes she made. And in this book, she left a little list of page numbers at the front of the book. The meatballs came from one of her indexed pages, and it’s clear to understand why.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed tomato soup
1 lb. ground beef (or any ground meat or “meat” of your choice)
1 cup packaged pre-cooked rice
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 t salt
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 T shortening
1/2 soup can water
1 t prepared mustard

Directions:

Mix 1/4 cup soup with beef, rice, egg, onion, and salt. Shape firmly into 16 meatballs. Brown meatballs and garlic in shortening; pour off fat. Blend in remaining soup, water, and mustard. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes or until done. Stir now and then. 4 servings.

Soft Molasses Cookies

Soft Molasses Cookies

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A Recipe from Hamilton Beach Food Mixer Instructions and Tested Recipes (1948)

About the Recipe

On a bright Mother’s Day morning, I was in a rush to get something in the oven. We were already starting to run late to a picnic and I wanted something easy to make and bring. This little Hamilton Beach booklet was sitting so invitingly on my counter, and something about a molasses cookie felt like exactly the right choice.

This recipe is designed to be made fully in your mixer – one bowl, one paddle, done! While usually I like to be a little more process oriented and precise, I decided to trust the process. The combination of buttermilk and baking soda created a fluffy, cake-like cookie. I substituted real maple syrup for the molasses without a problem. If you’re a ginger cookie fan, this easy recipe should suit you fine.

About the book

The Hamilton Beach booklet came from a close friend who saw it and grabbed it for me. It originally came with the Hamilton Beach Food Mixer and was created in collaboration with the College of Home Economics at Syracuse University. The goal, of course, being – use your mixer! I’ll let the rest of the booklet speak for itself…

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted flour
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t ginger
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
1 egg, unbeaten
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening, soft

Directions:

*A quick note from your author: I’ve simplified this recipe for a modern mixer. Please see the image above (or message me) if you’d like the original

Preliminary: Preheat oven to baking temperature (350 degrees F). Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Sift into your mixer bowl flour, [baking] soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add in the rest of the ingredients (brown sugar, egg, molasses, buttermilk, and shortening). Beat at speed 3 for 3 minutes. Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Stop beater.

Baking: Drop by teaspoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.

Calumet Muffins

Calumet Muffins

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A Recipe from The Calumet Book of Oven Triumphs! (1934)

About the Recipe

There’s nothing like a basic muffin recipe with loads of variations to have in one’s back pocket. This one is fabulous to have at the ready for whatever fun fillings you’d like to put inside. It’s more on the savory side than sweet, making it a perfect base recipe to play with.

A few quick notes about my variation:

  • Strawberries were on sale this week, so I used a cup of 1/4″ diced strawberries as the flavor profile. A quick toss in a little bit (less than a teaspoon) of flour kept them floating rather than sinking during baking.
  • If you’re going to use butter, make sure to let your milk and egg come to room temperature. This wouldn’t have been an issue in 1934, but certainly was in 2025. Oops. I ended up using vegetable oil, which worked just fine.
  • For the future, I’ll probably add a little bit of spice here. It’s a very plain muffin, which is great as a base, but not so exciting overall.

In the end, Maxx gave these a very enthusiastic thumbs up. Fresh out of the oven with a little bit of butter, they were absolutely divine.

About the book

I’ve had this little booklet lurking in my collection for awhile. The Calumet Baking Powder company put out this little booklet a few times over the 1930’s and the recipes are great. They’re easy to follow, and designed to be delicious. After all, the better the recipe, the more times you’ll make it. And the more times you make it, the more baking powder you’ll use. *wink!*

I love the tips and tricks to help make sure that the home baker is successful. It brings everything down to earth and makes it all so simple. Enjoy Calumet’s art deco design and tips for success:

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted flour
2 t baking powder
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup milk
4 T melted butter or other shortening
1 cup 1/4″diced strawberries (optional)

Directions:

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, sugar, and salt, and sift again (or combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine). Combine egg, milk, and shortening. Add to flour, beating only enough to dampen all flour. Fold in fruit if using. Bake in greased muffin pans in hot oven (425*F) 25 minutes, or until done. Makes 12 muffins.

Susan’s Turketti

Susan’s Turketti

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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.

Chicken Hawaiian (Simplified)

Chicken Hawaiian (Simplified)

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A Recipe from Simple Hawaiian Cookery (1964)

About the Recipe

Y’all – look at this mid-century nonsense. Beige on beige on beige. Canned Campbell’s soup, canned pineapples, and slivered almonds. When we sat down to the table to try it, we all had that apprehensive look on our faces. That look that says – this might have been a mistake. I prepared to start writing a “Danger, Will Robinson!” post. And then we tried it.

Friends – it was absolutely, unequivocally delicious. Even my toddler, Maxx said “Mm, mm! Delish!”

A few quick notes on this one:
– I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I marinated them in a little salt, pepper, and olive oil and then cooked them in a skillet. A rotisserie chicken will work really well. Great use for any chicken leftovers that don’t have a super strong flavor.
– Go a little heavy on the pineapple if you can. The extra acidity and sweetness cut really well through the heavy soup. I used about 3/4 of a 20 oz. can.
– Mushroom chunks will make a great addition to this in the future. I’ll add them with the garlic and peppers.
– Pour the pineapple juice in first to deglaze the pan. You’ll get better flavor out of it.
– I’m pretty sure that if you don’t want to use the pre-made soup, you could make a velouté with a roux and some chicken stock and it would work just as well (and maybe a little bit better). Use 2 T flour and 2 T butter to make your roux and then add 2 cups stock.

About the book

I’m so in love with these little Peter Pauper books. There are folks out there who specifically hunt them, and I definitely understand why. The mid-century illustrations and little poetic touches are just so wonderful. Enjoy!

  • Poultry Section Illustration

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 large green pepper, cut in strips
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T salad oil
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (13 oz.) can pineapple tidbits with juice
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 T soy sauce
3 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup toasted almonds, slivered

Directions:

In saucepan, cook green pepper with garlic in oil until tender. Blend in soup and pineapple juice; add chicken, pineapple tidbits, and soy sauce. Heat, stirring now and then. Serve over rice. Top with almonds. 6 servings.

Lemon Crisp

Lemon Crisp

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A Recipe from Favorite Recipes of America Desserts (1968)

About the Recipe

If you’ve been with my blog for awhile, you’ll know that I love a recipe that tricks me into making something fancy that I probably wouldn’t have tried otherwise. This time, it was a beautiful lemon curd.

This recipe is magnificent. It’s tart and crunchy and absolutely perfect with the whipped cream on top. It would make a great make-ahead for a dinner party. I re-heated it in the warming drawer in my oven. The hubs and I even nibbled on it the next day. How was it? Still good.

One important note on this recipe to make sure it’s successful: Make sure that you have your mise en place set up and ready to go before you start working on the stove. You will not have time (or hands) to measure as you go on this one.

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:

6 T butter or margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sifted flour
3/4 t salt (divided)
1/3 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine crackers
3/4 cup white sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 cup hot water
2 beaten egg yolks
1/2 t grated lemon peel
1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Cream butter and brown sugar; add flour, soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, coconut and crackers. Press half crumb mixture into 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350*F for 10 minutes. 

In saucepan combine white sugar, cornstarch and remaining salt; gradually stir in water. Bring to boil, stirring constantly; boil about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return to pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Stir in lemon peel and juice gradually. Pour over baked crust; top with remaining crumb mixture. 

Bake at 350*F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Top with whipped cream. Yield: 8 servings

Beef-Eggplant Skillet

Beef-Eggplant Skillet

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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!