Hasty Meals for Hungry Motorists: 1926 Tips for Making Meals While on a Road Trip

Drawing of people being served food — Source: Ladies Home Journal (July, 1926)

I love road trips. They enable spontaneity and flexibility, and are a wonderful opportunity to explore lots of fascinating places that are off the beaten path. Last week my husband and I got home from a 3,500 mile road trip that went from home to Kansas City to Chicago to the Indiana Dunes National Park to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to central Pennsylvania to Delaware to Ocean City, New Jersey, and then back home. Our son and two grandsons joined us for part of the trip. It was the stuff that memories are made of.

After I got home, I flipped through my hundred-year-old issues of Ladies Home Journal trying to come up an idea for this post, and was floored when I saw an article about how to eat when taking a “long cross-country motor trip.” My first thought was, “Wow, I had no clue that cars were dependable enough, and roads good enough, in 1926 for people to take long road trips.”

Many of the magazine’s readers were actually probably “arm-chair tourists” who enjoyed thinking about making a cross-country trip, but never would actually do it. Today, we dream of going on a safari in Africa and love to read stories about people who actually take a safari; back then people dreamed of making cross-country motor trips.

According to the old Ladies Home Journal magazine:

Hasty Meals for Hungary Motorists

Three adequate, well-balanced meals daily are essential to the complete enjoyment of long, cross-country motor trips. Yet a great many motorists struggle along on a wretched diet of cheese, crackers, pickles, fruit and candy, rather than attempt to wrestle with the coffeepot and frying pan. While camp and wayside cookery is necessarily limited to dishes that are simple and easy to prepare, by a little effort and forethought substantial daily menus are not difficult to manage.

Supplies, including fresh meat, eggs, vegetables and milk may generally be purchased as needed along the way; so it is unnecessary, except when touring through unsettled districts to stock up heavily with these commodities. However, it is always advisable to anticipate your needs and purchase accordingly, and to start out with the “grub box” well filled with such necessary staples as coffee, sugar, powdered and evaporated milk, salt, pepper, bread, butter, jam, onions, potatoes and bacon, always sliced. And I always tuck in a small bottle each of chili and curry powder to give a pleasing variety to the humble meat stew, baked beans and such.

And while paper napkins do not actually come under the heading of necessities, if you will add a generous bundle to your outfit you will never once begrudge the tiny space they take. They are invaluable for wiping out soiled dishes and greasy pots and pans, to say nothing of rending first aid to sticky fingers.

Your cooking outfit need not be elaborate or expensive. I know three seasoned motorists who have twice crossed the continent, and toured far into Canada and Mexico, with no other cooking equipment than a battered old frying pan, coffeepot, saucepan and a folding camp grid stove!

Ladies Home Journal (July, 1926)

Some things haven’t changed across the years. Just like a hundred years ago, on my recent road trip, we snacked in the car on cheese, crackers, apples and other fruit, and candy. That’s four of the five foods (the fifth item was pickles) mentioned in the old article as being a “wretched diet” for travelers. (Kids really like candy!)

The article emphasized the important role that potatoes could play when preparing meals on a cross-country motor trip:

To boil potatoes in their jackets seems to the most convenient as well as the favorite camp method of cooking this useful vegetable. Save all left-over potatoes. They are easy to carry in the grub box and will furnish you the nucleus of many a hasty meal. They are delicious fried, creamed, hashed browned, in a salad, or in corned beef hash.

Ladies Home Journal (July, 1926)

Hmm . . . I can’t imagine saving cold cooked potatoes in a grub box which I assume wasn’t a cooler that kept food cold, but apparently it was considered safe back then.

The old article included several recipes. Here are two of them:

Beans a la California and Rhode Island Potatoes

New Potatoes in Cream

New Potatoes in Cream in dish

I bought some new potatoes at the farmers’ market a few days ago, and they are the best. The small, round potatoes were freshly harvested, and the skins scraped off easily. (They are different from the small potatoes typically sold in supermarkets, which are not freshly harvested and do not have skins that can be easily scraped off.) I love the delicate, moist firmness of new potatoes, so I was thrilled to find a hundred-year-old recipe for a classic recipe for creamed new potatoes.

The New Potatoes in Cream were wonderful. The potatoes were coated with a lovely cream sauce and flecked with bits of colorful red potato skin and parsley. I thoroughly enjoyed the new potatoes. I definitely will make this recipe again. New potatoes are such a fleeting summer food. In just a few weeks, I will only be able to buy mature potatoes, and I will need to wait until next year to again get new potatoes

Here is the original recipe for New Potatoes in Cream.

I used red potatoes when making this recipe. The bits of red skin clinging to the potatoes look nice when the potatoes are creamed.

If you don’t know how to scrape potatoes, you might find a post I previously did on how to scrape new potatoes with a knife helpful.

Scraping potatoes with knife

Here is the recipe for Cream Sauce that was in the same cookbook as the potato recipe:

The Cream Sauce recipe is really just a recipe for a basic thin white sauce.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

New Potatoes in Cream

Servings: 3-4
Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
Print

about 1 1/2 pounds small, round new potatoes

water and salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash red or black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Step 1. Scrape the new potatoes with a knife, then put them in a saucepan and cover with water and add a little salt; boil until the potatoes are tender (about 20-25 minutes), then drain potatoes.

Step 2. In the meantime, melt the butter in another saucepan using medium heat, then stir in the flour. Slowly add the milk, while stirring constantly. Continue stirring and cook until the mixture thickens. Stir in the salt, pepper, and parsley.

Step 3. Add the boiled potatoes to the cream sauce and gently roll the potatoes to coat them with the sauce. Place the potatoes and sauce in the serving dish.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

1926 and 2026 Tips for Keeping Parsley Fresh

Parsley in jar

Fresh parsley is almost a staple at my house. I generally have a bundle of parsley in a supermarket plastic produce bag in my refrigerator. For the first few days it looks great, and then it gradually begins to wilt, and looks sadder and sadder. Often, when making a dish that calls for parsley, I select the best stems of parsley, and then eventually end up discarding much of the bunch. So, I was pleased to discover a tip for keeping parsley fresh in a hundred-year-old magazine.

Tips for keeping parsley fresh — Source: Good Housekeeping (November, 1926)

The century-old tip calls for washing the parsley in cold water, then letting it stand in the water for an hour or so if it is slightly wilted. The water is then shaken off, and the parsley is stored in a glass jar with a lid in the icebox (or, in today’s terminology, the refrigerator).

I was curious how modern experts recommend storing parsley, so did an online search. Some of methods are similar to the hundred-year-old recommendation, but not exactly the same. For example, Martha Stewart recommends three different ways to store parsley:

Wash and dry the parsley, then put an inch or so of water in a glass jar. Place the parsley stems in the water (like a flower bouquet). The parsley in the jar can be covered loosely with a plastic bag. Store in refrigerator and change the water every few days.
Wrap washed parsley in damp paper towels and put into a resealable plastic bag or other container. Store in refrigerator.
Chop parsley and freeze in ice cube trays. The parsley in the trays should be covered with olive oil or water before freezing.

Old-Fashioned Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)

Cherry tomatoes are colorful, vibrant, and zesty. So, when I saw a hundred-year-old recipe for a cherry tomato salad, I decided to give it a try.

Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad) made an attractive presentation, and was tasty. Yellow and red cherry tomatoes are arranged on a bed of lettuce and then topped with a vinaigrette-style dressing.

The recipe called for peeling the cherry tomatoes. A hundred-years-ago tomatoes were often peeled, but, since they are almost never peeled today, I considered skipping that step. However, in the end, I decided to follow the old recipe’s instructions, and peeled the tomatoes. The peeling was a little tedious– but after peeling the first 2 or 3 tomatoes, I got the hang of it, and the rest went quickly.

The salad made a nice presentation and was tasty. The peeling of the tomatoes affected both the look of the salad and the texture. The peeled cherry tomatoes were soft and juicy without the usual firmness of the skins. The tomatoes looked lovely arranged in the bowl, but had a soft, textured look rather then their usual shiny waxy skin. Also, the peeled cherry tomatoes soaked up more of the dressing which added additional flavor.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad) — Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

When I arranged the cherry tomatoes, in order to make a circle of red cherry tomatoes around the yellow ones, I needed more red tomatoes than yellow ones. When I updated the recipe, I increased the amount of red tomatoes to 1 1/2 cups, but this is a very flexible recipe, and the the number of cherry tomatoes needed of each color will vary greatly based on the size of the bowl and size of the tomatoes.

I’ve made several recipes this year which called for French Dressing. As I’ve previously indicated, a hundred years ago, French Dressing was a vinaigrette dressing, and quite different from the commercial, orange-colored French dressing that is common today. Here is the French Dressing recipe in the cookbook which contained the Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad) recipe:

Recipe for French Dressing — Source: The New Winston Cook Book of Guaranteed Recipes (1926)

I halved the recipe when I made it. I’ve previously posted this same French Dressing recipe as part of the recipes for Green Bean Salad (with Nasturtiums) and Cottage Cheese and Tomato Salad.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Novel Tomato Salad (Cherry Tomato Salad)

Servings: 4 - 5
Time: 30 minutes active prep time
Difficulty: moderate
Print

water

1 1/2 cups red cherry tomatoes

1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes

French Dressing

heart leaves of iceberg lettuce (or use the leaves of another type of lettuce)

1 clove garlic

parsley, for garnish

Step 1. Put water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Put a few tomatoes at a time into the boiling water, scald for 15-30 seconds. Remove from water and peel the loosened skins from the tomatoes.

Step 2. Put the peeled tomatoes in the French dressing (see recipe below). Put tomatoes in refrigerator to chill and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3. Peel garlic and cut in half, then rub serving bowl with the garlic.

Step 4. Line bowl with lettuce, then put the peeled yellow tomatoes in the center and the red tomatoes around the yellow ones. If desired, sprinkle with additional French dressing.

Step 5. Garnish with springs of parsley.

French Dressing (Vinaigrette Dressing)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

Step 1. Put the salt and paprika in a small bowl.

Step 2. Gradually add the olive oil while stirring constantly.

Step 3. Then slowly add the vinegar, a small amount at a time, while continuing to stir.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

1926 Morton Salt Advertisement

A 1926 advertisement for Morton’s Salt described how iodized salt helped ensure the mental and physical health of children. The information in the advertisement was based on discoveries made a few years earlier. Iodine deficiency is a leading cause of preventable developmental and intellectual disabilities, as well as a cause of goiters, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

In the early 20th century, a Swiss doctor discovered that a very small amount of iodine could prevent goiters. It was also found that salt was an effective way to distribute iodine. Salt does not spoil, and iodine in salt remains relatively stable when stored or heated. Since very little iodine needs to be added to the salt, it was a cost effective way to prevent disabilities and goiters caused by lack of iodine. Switzerland was the first country to put iodine in salt.

Soon, there was interest in adding iodine to salt in the U.S. In 1924, the Morton Salt Company began offering an iodized salt.

Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

Usually when I select hundred-year-old recipes to make, I choose recipes that I think look tasty. However, occasionally I’m intrigued by a recipe that seems unusual or unique, and decide to give it a try. This is one of those times.

I had an eggplant and wanted to make a recipe that would use it. I came across a recipe for Eggplant with Cheese on Toast in a 1926 issue of American Cookery magazine. It was very different from any eggplant recipe that I had ever seen – though I got the impression that the magazine editor really liked the recipe because the magazine included a grainy photo of the dish while most recipes did not have photos. In any case, I decided to give it a try.

The recipe called for cooking strips of eggplant, and then adding them to a sauce that included lemon juice and nutmeg. The sauce was then put on toast points to serve, and topped with cheese and a sprinkle of paprika, which made an appealing, interesting presentation.

The eggplant mixture and cheese were delightful toast toppers. I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the Eggplant with Cheese on Toast was – though the lemon was the predominant flavor.

Here is the original recipe:

Recipe for Eggplant with Cheese on Toast — Source: American Cookery (October, 1926)

I cut bread slices into points prior to toasting, and then toasted them in a toaster oven after they had been cut – but, they could be toasted prior to cutting. Or, whole slices of bread could be used, rather than making toast points.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Eggplant with Cheese on Toast

Servings: 3-4
Time: 25 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
Print

1 medium eggplant (1/2 large eggplant)

lightly salted water

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

grated cheese (I used cheddar cheese.)

paprika

bread (If desired, it can be cut into points.)

Step 1. Peel eggplant, then cut into half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut the eggplant into strips approximately 1/2 inch-wide. (If the eggplant is particularly long, cut the eggplant halves into half to make the strips a more manageable length.)

Step 2. Put water with a small amount of salt into a saucepan; bring to a boil then add the eggplant strips. Reduce heat and simmer until the eggplant is tender. Remove from heat and drain.

Step 3. In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually, add the 1 cup water while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, then stir in the lemon juice.

Step 4. Put the cooked eggplant strips into the sauce and gently stir the mixture.

Step 5. If desired, in the meantime, cut slices of bread into points. For each serving, stack 3 slices of bread on top of each other and then cut from one side to the other, starting at one corner and going to the center of the other side. Then toast the toast points in a toaster oven or under the broiler. (Disregard this step if whole slices of bread are used, and instead just toast the bread.)

Step 6. To serve: Arrange the toast points (use 3 per serving) or the toast slices on plates. Top with the eggplant mixture, then sprinkle with grated cheese and paprika.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

1926 Frigidaire Advertisement

Frigidaire Refrigerator Advertisement — Source: Good Housekeeping (July, 1926)

Times were a-changing and things were quickly modernizing. By 1926, many families, especially in the larger towns and cities, had electricity; and, electric refrigerators were quickly replacing the ice boxes which had been considered “modern” earlier in the 20th century.

Frigidaire refrigerators were so popular that people often just referred to their “Frigidaire.” The use of the term “Frigidaire” to generically refer to any refrigerator continued well into the middle years of the 20th century. I can remember my mother saying things like, “Get the food out of the Frigidaire.”

It is also fascinating how modern the woman’s outfit looks in the advertisement. Just a few years earlier, her dress would have been much longer and would have covered her ankles.