Author: Sheryl

1925 Description of Electric Stoves

1925 Electric Stove
Source: School and Home Cooking by Carlotta C. Greer (1925)

Electric stoves were just beginning to be commonly used in 1925. Here’s a description of electric stoves in a 1925 home economics textbook:

Electric Stoves

It was mentioned previously that electricity is not a fuel. Hence electric stoves are not provided with burners. They have heaters which contain coils of wires through which an electric current passes.

Electricity is the cleanest source of heat for cooking. But in order to operate an electric stove economically, it is necessary to utilize the current required for a heating element to its great extent. For example, if the current is turned on to heat the oven as many foods as possible should be cooked in the oven.

School and Home Cooking by Carlotta C. Greer (1925)

The textbook includes a note to teachers which indicates that if none of the pupils have an electric stove in their home that “the portion of the lesson regarding these stoves may be omitted.”

Walnut Grove Potatoes (Scalloped Potatoes and Hard-Boiled Eggs)

Walnut Grove Potatoes

HAPPY EASTER!

If your household is like mine, you have hard-boiled Easter eggs sitting in the refrigerator and are looking for ways to use them.  I came across a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for Walnut Grove Potatoes, which is a fancy name for Scalloped Potatoes with Hard-Boiled Eggs. It was delightful, and is a great way to use those hard-boiled eggs.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Walnut Grove Potatoes
Source: Cook Book (Compiled by Women of the Country Club Christian Church, Kansas City, Missouri)

When I made this recipe, I interpreted “cream dressing” to mean white sauce. It did not work very well to put all of the white sauce on the top of the top layer of breadcrumbs, so I changed the recipe to indicate the white sauce should be one of the layers so that it is more evenly distributed.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Walnut Grove Potatoes

  • Servings: 3 - 5
  • Difficulty: moderate
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3 cups sliced, peeled potatoes (1/4-inch slices)

1 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

1 cup coarsely-torn breadcrumbs (tear bread into 1-inch pieces) + 1/8 cup finely-torn breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

approximately 1/3 green pepper, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400° F. Put the sliced potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water; add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil using high heat; reduce and simmer until the potatoes are just barely tender (about 10-12 minutes). Remove from heat and drain.

In the meantime, in another pan, using medium heat, melt butter, then stir in the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually, add the milk while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the white sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.

To assemble: Put 1/3 of the white sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish, add 1/2 of the cooked sliced potatoes, then add a layer composed of 1/2 of the hard-boiled egg slices, and a layer of 1/2 of the coarsely-torn breadcrumbs. Pour a third of the white sauce over the layers. Repeat the layers with the remaining sliced potatoes, hard-boiled egg slices, and coarsely-torn breadcrumbs. Pour the remaining white sauce over the top. Garnish with the green pepper slices and finely torn breadcrumbs. Put in oven and bake until hot and bubbly (about 30 minutes).

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Stuffed Baked Onions

Stuffed Baked Onion

Onions are seldom the main attraction when making a vegetable side dish. I use lots of onions, but I generally use them as an ingredient in other dishes. That’s too bad. There are some lovely onion recipes, including a 1925 recipe for Stuffed Baked Onions that I recently came across.

The Stuffed Baked Onions were tasty. They are stuffed with a delightful savory bread crumb and cheese filling.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Stuffed Baked Onions
Source – Home Economics and Cook Book: The Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Supplement – March 13, 1925

I found it somewhat difficult to remove the inside of the onions after they were boiled. I have seen other Stuffed Onion recipes that call for removing the inside prior to boiling with a spoon or melon ball scoop. I think that the inside probably could be removed either before or after boiling. 

Only a small amount of stuffing is needed to fill 3 medium onions. This recipe makes a lot more stuffing than is needed. I divided the stuffing ingredients by half when I updated the recipe (except for the paprika which I reduced from 1/6 teaspoon to 1/8 teaspoon.)

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Stuffed Baked Onions

  • Servings: 3
  • Difficulty: moderate
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3 medium onions (They should be fairly flat so they sit evenly when stuffed.)

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated cheese + 1 tablespoon grated cheese (I used cheddar cheese.)

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel

water

Preheat oven to 350◦ F.  Trim the onions and remove the outer peels. Put the onions in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain. Remove the insides of the onions using a knife, spoon, or melon ball scoop. Leave 2-3 outer layers. If the bottom of the onions are inadvertently removed, take an inner onion piece and lay it in the onion across the bottom. Reserve the onion scraps. Set aside.

Chop half of the onion scraps. (The other half of the scraps could be refrigerated and saved for use in another recipe.) In a bowl mix the chopped onion scraps, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated cheese, salt, paprika, ketchup and lemon peel.  Then stuff the onions with the mixture. Garnish with the 1 tablespoons of grated cheese. Pour a little water into the baking dish (about 1/8 inch). Cover the baking dish and put into the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the cover from the baking dish, and bake for 10 additional minutes to lightly brown the tops of the stuffed onions. Remove from oven.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

Now that winter is over, and April has finally arrived, I find that I crave both comfort foods and spring vegetables. I think that I’ve found the perfect hundred-year-old recipe: Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips.

The Chicken Pie had an old-fashioned goodness, and the asparagus tips made a lovely garnish.

Here’s the original recipe:Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

Recipe for Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips
Source: American Cookery (March, 1925)

The recipe does not specify whether green asparagus or white asparagus should be used, but the picture in the old magazine looks like the recipe author used white asparagus. I seldom see white asparagus at the store (and when I do it is very expensive), so I used green asparagus. I actually think that green asparagus looks better than white when used in this dish.

I think that “rich milk” refers to light cream, so I used half and half, though milk would work fine in this recipe. I added mushrooms, carrots, and peas.

Chicken Pie with Asparagus Tips

  • Servings: 4 - 6
  • Difficulty: moderate
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1/4 cup butter + 1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/3 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2  teaspoon salt

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup half and half (or use milk)

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 4-ounce can mushrooms, stems and pieces (drained)

1/2 cup sliced carrots, cooked

1/2 cup green peas (I used frozen peas.)

asparagus tips to garnish (I used the tips from approximately 1/3 pound of asparagus.)

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Preheat oven to 425◦ F. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour, paprika, and salt. Gradually, add the chicken broth and half and half while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce from the pan, set aside.  Stir the cooked chicken, mushrooms, carrots, and peas; continue heating until hot and bubbly. Put the mixture into a baking dish, then pour the reserved sauce over the mixture. Spoon the 1 tablespoon of melted butter on top. Put in oven and bake until it is just beginning to brown (about 15- 20 minutes).

In the meantime, cook the asparagus tips. (I lightly steamed them.)

Remove the Chicken Pie from the oven and garnish with the asparagus tips.

Hundred-Year-Old Tip for Storing Egg Yolks

egg yolks in waterSometimes a recipe calls for just the egg whites, and I end up with a couple extra egg yolks that I’m never quite sure how to use. I probably shouldn’t admit it, but sometimes I just toss the extra yolks. However, eggs are now so expensive that I want to keep them and use them in a day or two when making scrambled eggs or some other dish. I was pleased to come across directions for keeping egg yolks in a hundred-year-old cookbook:

TO KEEP EGG YOLKS

Egg yolks, if they are unbroken, may be covered with water and kept for several days. The water should be changed daily.

Source – Home Economics and Cook Book: The Daily Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), Supplement – March 13, 1925