Old-fashioned Chicken Souffle

One of my hundred-year-old cookbooks has a recipe for chicken souffle, and I had some left-over chicken so decided to give it a try. The Chicken Souffle was lovely. The recipe called for chopped onions, thyme, and parsley, and they added a nice flavor to the dish.

Here’s the original recipe:

The old cookbook does not give an oven temperature for baking the souffle. When I made this recipe, I baked it at 350° F. The recipe says that this needs to bake for only 20 minutes, but it took close to 40 minutes for it to set and ligthtly brown when I made it. Maybe the author used a higher temperature.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Chicken Souffle

Servings: 2 - 3
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate
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1 cup cooked chicken, chopped

2 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 cup milk

Melt the butter in a sauce pan, and stir in chopped onions. Sauté for several minutes until the onions are transparent. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley. Gradually, add the milk while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until the white sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

In another bowl, beat egg yolks until smooth. Add a tablespoon of the hot sauce to the beaten egg yolk and stir quickly. Repeat with another tablespoon of the sauce. Then add the egg mixture to the sauce and quickly stir. (This helps keep the egg yolks from cooking when they are stirred into the sauce). Add the chopped chicken and stir again. Allow the mixture to cool. (I put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes.)

In the meantime, preheat oven to 350° F. Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat until peaks form. Then fold the beaten egg whites into the chicken mixture. Put in a 1-quart baking dish. Place in oven and bake until the souffle is lightly browned (about 30-40 minutes). Remove from oven and immediately serve.

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Old-fashioned Grape Fruit Salad (Grape Gelatin)

Molded Grape Fruit Salad (Grape Gelatin)

Memorial Day means cook-outs, and picnics, and family reunions. And, in the good old days, there often was one (or more) gelatin salads at those events. So I decided to make a hundred-year-old recipe for Grape Gelatin. It was made using unflavored gelatin, grape juice, lemon juice, and sugar.

The gelatin had a rich grape flavor, and was sweet, yet a little tart . The flavor was much more authentic and complex than modern packaged grape gelatin. One possible downside – modern grape gelatin is a more intense purple, though the color looks artificial.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Grape Fruit Salad (Grape Gelatin) — General Welfare Guild Cook Book (Beaver Valley General Hospital, New Brighton, PA, 1923)

Hmm. . . Is this a recipe for a grape “fruit salad” or a recipe for “grapefruit” salad”? When I made the recipe I was in a hurry and quickly read it. I interpreted the recipe as a recipe for grape “fruit salad”, but as I reread it, I think that I probably misinterpreted the recipe. Oops! In any case, the grape gelatin I made turned well.

I’m not sure how much gelatin was in a box of gelatin a hundred years ago. I used 2 packets of gelatin, since this recipe calls for 4 cups of liquid, and each packet now contains enough gelatin for 2 cups of liquid.

I molded the gelatin, but it would also work well in a dish.

Here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Grape Fruit Salad (Grape Gelatin)

Servings: 7 - 9
Time: 10 minutes active prep time
Difficulty: moderate
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2 packets (0.25 ounce) unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water + 1 cup water

1 1/2 cups grape juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

Put 1 cup cold water in a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water, and let soak for 10 minutes.

Put 1 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the gelatin that has been soaked in water. Bring back to a boil while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the grape juice, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. If needed, strain; then pour into a 5-cup mold. Refrigerate until firm.

To serve: Quickly dip the mold in hot water, then unmold onto serving plate.

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Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding

It’s the time of year for rhubarb, and I’m enjoying various rhubarb dishes and desserts – Stewed Rhubarb, Rhubarb Pie, Baked Rhubarb with Orange, but I’m always looking for new recipes, so I was pleased to see a recipe for Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding in a hundred-year-old cookbook.

Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding is made using pearl tapioca which required soaking overnight, so this isn’t a quick recipe, but it turned out well. The tapioca is cooked until it is almost done, and then rhubarb pieces are stirred in. After I stirred the rhubarb pieces into the tapioca, I did not stir any more but cooked for another half hour or so using low heat. The result was tender rhubarb pieces embedded in the tapioca that maintained their shape. The old recipe suggested serving this with thin cream, so I served with half and half – though it would also be good with milk.

The Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding had an old-fashioned goodness. It had a nice balance of sweetness and tartness.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding — Source: The Boston Cooking School Cook Book (1923)

The Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding was plenty sweet for me, so I did not add any additional sugar when I served it.

Here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Rhubarb Tapioca Pudding

Servings: 4 - 6
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes active prep time
Difficulty: moderate
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2/3 cup pearl tapioca

water

1 1/4 cup boiling water

2/3 teaspoon salt

3 cups rhubarb, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 1/3 cup sugar

half and half or milk

Cover tapioca with water and soak overnight. Drain. Put tapioca and salt in a large saucepan with a heavy bottom (or use a double boiler if you have one), then add boiling water. Heat with medium heat until bubbles begin to form at side of pan, but it is not yet boiling; cover and reduce heat to very low. Cook until the water is absorbed (about 45 minutes to an hour).

In the meantime put rhubarb and sugar in a bowl. Stir to coat rhubarb with sugar.

Stir in the rhubarb pieces coated with sugar, and increase heat to medium for 1 minute. Cover and reduce to heat to very low. Cook until the rhubarb is tender and the tapioca translucent (about 1/2 hour).

Can be served hot or cold. Serve with half and half or milk.

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Old-fashioned Noodles and Cheese

I recently was in the mood for comfort foods, so decided to try a hundred-year-old recipe for Noodles and Cheese. The noodles were in a creamy cheese sauce that was made using American cheese. The recipe had an old-fashioned goodness that took me back to dishes served at family reunions and potluck dinners when I was a child. When I make cheesy pasta dishes, I tend to use cheddar cheese, but the American cheese in this dish is a nice variation.

Here the original recipe:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Noodles and Cheese

Servings: 3-5
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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1/2 pound noodles

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 pound American cheese, grated or shredded

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Fill a large saucepan 2/3 full with water; add 1 teaspoon salt. Heat to boiling using high heat. Stir in the noodles, then reduce heat and simmer until the noodles are tender (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from the heat and drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again.

Put half of the noodles in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then dot with small pieces of the butter. Sprinkle with half of the flour. Then, using one-half of the cheese, add a layer of cheese. Put remaining noodles on top of the cheese layer, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dot with small pieces of butter, then sprinkle with the remaining flour. Top with a layer of the remaining cheese . Gently pour the milk over everything. Place in oven and heat until hot and bubbly (approximately 30-45 minutes).

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Eggs a la Caracas

Eggs a la Caracas on plate

I’m always looking for interesting ways to serve eggs, so was intrigued by a hundred-year-old recipe for Eggs a la Caracas. The recipe called for eggs, tomatoes, and cheese – as well as for a little cinnamon and cayenne (red pepper). I wasn’t quite sure about this spice mixture (and how it would taste with eggs), but I was pleasantly surprised. I definitely could taste the cinnamon, but it worked and added a nice flavor.

I’m not sure where to get onion juice, so I just used 1 tablespoon finely chopped onions. I also added the grated cheese last and removed from the heat when melted, since cheese tends to stick to my pan if I cook it very long.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Eggs a la Caracas

Servings: 2 - 3
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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2 tablespoons butter

2 oz. dried or chipped beef, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup tomatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks

1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped

dash of cinnamon

dash of cayenne (red) pepper

3 eggs, beaten

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

Melt butter in skillet using medium heat. Add dried/chipped beef, tomatoes, onions, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper; stir to combine. Continue heating until hot, then add eggs and cook same as scrambled eggs. As the eggs begin to thicken, stir to move the cooked layer from the bottom of the pan. When the eggs are almost set, stir in the cheese; melt and then remove from heat and serve.

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Old-fashioned Orange Fritters

Orange Fritters

I recently made a hundred-year-old recipe for old-fashioned orange fritters that was delightful. These deep-fried nuggets seemed almost decadent when served with the accompanying orange sauce.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Orange Fritters — Source: General Welfare Guild Cook Book (1923, The General Welfare Guild, The Beaver County General Hospital. New Brighton, Pennsylvania)

This recipe made a lot of fritters – and not a lot of sauce. If I made the full recipe again, I’d consider doubling the sauce.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Orange Fritters

Servings: about 50 fritters
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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6 small oranges or 4 large oranges

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup milk

shortening or lard

Peel oranges and separate into segments. Cut each segment into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Put flour, baking powder, eggs, butter, sugar, and milk in mixing bowl; stir until combined. Stir in the orange pieces.

Place the shortening or lard into a large skillet, and heat until hot. (There should be about 1/2 inch of melted fat. Add more if needed.) Drop heaping teaspoonsful of batter into the hot fat. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, then gently turn to brown the other side. When browned, remove from the skillet with a fork or slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels, then serve with sauce.

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup finely cut orange

Put butter and powdered sugar in a saucepan; stir to combine. Stir in the egg yolks, then add the finely cut orange pieces. Put in a sauce pan, and heat using medium heat until hot and the sauce begins to thicken. If too thick, add water or orange juice to make thinner. (Note: If lots of sauce is desired for the fritters, the sauce recipe can be doubled.)

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Old-fashioned Dutch Salad

Dutch Salad in bowl

I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Dutch Salad, and decided to give it a try. It is a lettuce salad with a hot vinegar dressing. The this simple, classic salad was delightful.

Here’s the original recipe:

This makes a lot of dressing, so I halved the recipe. And, I skipped seasoning the lettuce with salt and pepper.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Dutch Salad

Servings: 8 - 10
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 head lettuce

1/2 onion

salt and pepper, if desired

1 1/2 teaspoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Wash lettuce, dry, and then tear into small pieces and put into a bowl. Cut onion into small pieces and add to the lettuce. If desired sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt and lightly brown (using care not to burn) the butter in a skillet. Stir in the sugar and vinegar, using medium heat bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over salad. Toss and serve.

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