I’ve often heard that leftovers can be turned into wonderful soups, but was taken aback when a hundred-year-old cookbook referred to soups as the “antigarbagepail.”
As I remark in another portion of this work, what won’t go into a salad will go into a soup. It is very true. The soup kettle, if you will forgive me, should be a sort of antigarbagepail. Many a time and oft has my family smacked its collective lips and said, “Um-m-m, that’s good soup. What kind is it?” And when I repeat the component parts they sit aghast – but they don’t stop eating it!
The Calorie Cook Book by Mary Dickerson Donahey (1923)
The author may be right, but personally I prefer to “repurpose” my leftovers to make soup. . . or to use leftovers to “enrich” my soup. . . .or . . .
‘Tis the season for cranberries, so when I saw a recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook for Cranberry Pudding I decided to give it a try. The Cranberry Pudding was delightful. The old-fashioned cake-style pudding was embedded with tart cranberries, and smothered in a lovely vanilla sauce. This recipe is a keeper.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Source: Larkin Housewives’ Cook Book (1923)
The recipe says to serve with either hard or sweet sauce. Hard sauce of more of a spread than a sauce. I prefer an actual sauce, so decided to go with the sweet sauce. The cookbook that contained the Cranberry Pudding recipe did not have any recipes for Sweet Sauce. However, it did have a recipe for Vanilla Sauce, so I decided to go with that.
Source: Larkin Housewives’ Cook Book (1923)
I didn’t boil the water that I stirred into the mixture because it didn’t seem necessary, since the mixture is heated to make the sauce.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and lemon extract in a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Stir in the cranberries. Put in a greased and floured 8″ X 8″ baking pan. Bake 35 – 45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm with Vanilla Sauce.
Vanilla Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon butter
Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan; add the water gradually while stirring constantly. Bring to a boil using medium heat while continuing to stir, then reduce heat and continue to stir and simmer for 10 minutes (or less if desired thickness is reached sooner). Remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Serve warm.
Source: Cook Book compiled by Bethany Shrine Patrol No. 1 (1923)
I think of Lux soap as a bar soap, not a dishwashing soap. Based upon this 1923 advertisement, it appears that a hundred years ago, Lux came in small pieces in boxes. The advertisement is about using Lux to wash dishes, though the box in the picture says that it is “for all fine laundering.” Apparently back then, the same soap was used both laundry and dishwashing.
I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Applesauce Pie (with Meringue) and decided to give it a try. It is very different from modern Apple Pie recipes because it doesn’t call for any cinnamon, but rather just allows the natural flavors of the applesauce to shine through. The pie filling is made by combining applesauce, sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. The net effect is that the filling has a consistency somewhat similar to the filling in a custard pie. The meringue topping is a nice change of pace. Today, we generally only see meringue toppings on Lemon Pies; a hundred years ago meringue was much more popular and used on a wide variety of pies.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: General Welfare Guild Cook Book (Beaver Valley General Hospital, New Brighton, PA, 1923)
We generally write applesauce as one word. A hundred years ago, it was written as two words – apple sauce. I’m always intrigued by why these minor changes in how words are written have occurred across the years.
The old recipe doesn’t indicate how much cornstarch should be used. I think that how much is needed is dependent upon how thick the applesauce is. It is very important that the filling is fairly thick so that it doesn’t run all over when the pie is cut. I used homemade applesauce when I made this recipe, and it may have been juicier than some commercial applesauces. When I made this recipe, I first used 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. After I cooked the applesauce mixture, it didn’t seem very thick. So I mixed another tablespoon of cornstarch and a little water in a small bowl, and then added it to the cooked applesauce mixture. I then reheated until it boiled. The pie filling ended up being about the right thickness, but the lack of clarity regarding the amount of cornstarch (and it being a key ingredient in regards to the success of the recipe), made this recipe somewhat challenging to make.
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in the egg yolks and applesauce. Using medium heat, heat until the mixture thickens and begins to boil. Stir constantly while cooking. Then remove from heat, and spoon into the previously baked pie shell.
Preheat oven to 400° F. To make the meringue, place egg whites in a mixing bowl, and beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gradually add sugar while continuing to beat. Then spoon on top of the pie and swirl. Bake for 7 – 10 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned.
Based on a little saying at the beginning of the chapter containing pie recipes in a 1923 cookbook, my sense is that even a hundred years ago, pumpkin pie was considered a comfort food and a bit old-fashioned.
Source: Order of the Eastern Star Relief Fund Cook Book (Published by Michigan Grand Chapter, 1923)
Winter squash are an ubiquitous fall vegetable, so I was pleased when a found a hundred-year-old recipe for Squash Pudding. This custard-like pudding is slightly sweet, and has a hint of cinnamon. It reminds me a little of the filling in a pumpkin pie – though the Squash Pudding is not as sweet or spicy as the typical pie filling. I’m not sure whether Squash Pudding is supposed to be a vegetable side dish or a dessert. The original recipe says that it should be served warm, but it is tasty either warm or cold.
Here’s the original recipe:
Source: The Boston Cooking School Cook Book (1923)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Pour into an 8″ X 8″ or similar sized casserole dish. Put in oven and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Cool slightly before serving. May also be served cold.
Hundred-year-old cookbooks often included hints and tips. Here’s one for storing lemons:
Source: General Welfare Guild Cook Book (Beaver Valley General Hospital, New Brighton, Pennsylvania)
It may work to store lemons under a drinking glass, but I wondered if a plastic bag might be more convenient and work just as well – then I realized that plastic bags didn’t exist in 1923. According to Dienamics, plastic bags were first used in 1957 when they were used to package rolls.
I’ve often heard that leftovers can be turned into wonderful soups, but was taken aback when a hundred-year-old cookbook referred to soups as the “antigarbagepail.”
Based on a little saying at the beginning of the chapter containing pie recipes in a 1923 cookbook, my sense is that even a hundred years ago, pumpkin pie was considered a comfort food and a bit old-fashioned.
