Here is a table that I found in a 1922 cookbook that contains directions for making hot cereals. The cooking times look really long to me, but maybe the cereal grains were more coarsely cut or otherwise different a hundred years ago.
I often get requests for gluten-free recipes, so I was excited to find a hundred-year old recipe for Oatmeal Waffles. The waffles are made with oatmeal and cornmeal. The Oatmeal Waffles were hearty, and delightful with syrup.
Here’s the original recipe:
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
1 1/2 cups finely ground oatmeal (about 1 3/4 cups minute oatmeal or old-fashioned oatmeal)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
Finely grind the oatmeal. (I used a blender.) Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl; beat until thoroughly combined. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the mixture to thicken a little as the oatmeal absorbs the liquids, then bake in a hot waffle grill.
A hundred-year-old magazine had seasonal recipes for various days of the week. Here are the August menus. Some suggestions still work (Savory Meat Loaf); others not so much (Lamb’s Brain and Tongue).
I love old-fashioned baked custards. They are easy to make, and make a delightful dessert, so I was intrigued by a hundred-year-old recipe for Marshmallow Custard. The recipe called for putting a marshmallow in the bottom of each custard cup. The marshmallows floated to the top of the custard mixture, and then melted while baking. This resulted in a lovely sugary top layer on the custard that reminded me a bit of Crème Brûlée.
Here’s the original recipe:
I think that the custard cups that I used were larger than the ones used by the recipe author because there was only enough of the custard mixture to fill 4 custard cups rather then the 6 indicated in the recipe. Because of the larger size of each cup -they also took longer to bake than indicated in the old recipe.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups half and half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 – 6 large marshmallows
Preheat oven to 325° F. Put eggs in mixing bowl and beat slightly. Add sugar, half and half, and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Put a marshmallow in the bottom of each custard cup. ( 4 – 6 custard cups will be needed. The number of custard cups needed will vary depending upon the size of the custard cups.) Pour the custard mixture over the marshmallows. Leave at least 1/2 inch at the top of each custard cup. Place the custard cups in a pan with hot water that comes to about an inch below the top of the cups. Bake for 40 – 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of the custard comes out clean. May be served warm or cold.
Some brands have been around for more than a hundred years – Swans Down Cake Flour is one of those brands.
There are very few pictures in hundred-year-old cookbooks and magazines. As a result, the few photos suggest which recipes the authors or editors considered the most enticing. So when I saw a photo with a pitcher of Grape Punch in a 1922 magazine that looked awesome, I decided to give it a try.
The Grape Punch contains grape juice, lemon juice, and orange juice with cucumber peel (rind). I’ve previously had cucumber infused water which I associate with spas and hotel lobbies (and healthy eating), so was intrigued by the inclusion of cucumber in this recipe – though it called for the use of the peel rather than slices of cucumber which seemed a bit odd.
The verdict: The Grape Punch was tasty with lovely citrus undertones and the added smoothness of cucumber.
Here’s the original recipe:
I thought that 1 cup of sugar seemed like a lot, so used less. And, I was surprised how attractive thin slices of cucumber peel looked in the punch.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
1 quart (4 cups) grape juice
1 cup sugar (If desired, use less sugar.)
juice of 4 lemons (about 1 cup lemon juice)
juice of 6 oranges (about 1 1/2 cups orange juice)
1 quart (4 cups) water
1 large cucumber (peel only)
Mix grape juice and sugar together. Add lemon juice, orange juice, and water; stir.
Peel cucumber thinly. (I used a vegetable peeler.) Cut peel into 2-4 inch pieces, then add to the Grape Punch. Chill, then serve.
I like very cold water with lots of ice on hot summer days, but I’ve heard others say that water at room temperature is healthier. The debate over water temperature has been going on for a least a hundred years. Here’s what it says in a 1922 magazine:
A word about drinking water is not amiss just here. Iced water may seem very desirable when one is thirsty, but water without ice is far better for drinking purposes, as it does not so suddenly reduce the temperature of the stomach.
American Cookery (August/September, 1922)
