Everything Old is New Again
In looking through my collection of old cookbooks and recipe pamphlets, I'm mostly struck by how many things are in them that nobody today would be likely to eat. But every now and again a recipe pops up that is just as completely relevant to today's world as it was to the time in which it was published -- but not necessarily for the same reasons.
Best War Time Recipes was published by the Royal Baking Powder Company of New York, and represented that company's contribution to helping American housewives conserve food for the war effort. It contains a variety of recipes for breads, biscuits, muffins, cookies and cakes, all using baking powder for leavening, and it won the approval of the United States Food Administration. The interesting thing is that while the recipes would have been helpful to a lot of housewives during World War II, the pamphlet was actually published in 1918, for those housewives dealing with the shortage of white flour caused by the First World War.
What's striking is that so many of the recipes are right in line with the latest nutritional advice today. Not to mention that several of the recipes would be a boon to someone with gluten intolerance, since they contain no wheat flour at all. Here are a few typical examples, full of the whole grains, fiber, and complex carbohydrates so dear to the hearts of modern nutritionists:
Corn Bread with Rye, Barley or Oat Flour
1 cup corn meal
1 cup rye, barley or oat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons shortening
Sift dry ingredients into bowl; add milk, beaten egg, and melted shortening. Stir well. Put into greased pan, allow to stand in a warm place 20 to 25 minutes, and bake in moderate oven 40 to 45 minutes.
Peanut Butter Bread
2 cups rye, barley or oat flour
4 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar or corn syrup
1 cup milk
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl, add peanut butter and sugar or syrup and mix. Add the milk and mix well. Bake in a greased loaf pan in moderate oven 30 to 35 minutes. This is best when a day old. Cut into thin slices, it makes very good sandwiches.
Prune Bread
2 1/2 cups entire wheat, rye, or barley flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1 cup milk
1 cup prunes
1 tablespoon shortening
Wash prunes, soak several hours, drain, stone, and chop. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; add milk and beat well. Add prunes and melted shortening. Put into greased bread pan, allow to stand 20 to 25 minutes in warm place and bake in moderate oven one hour. (Dates may be used instead of prunes.)
Over 90 years later, these recipes could be made and enjoyed by anyone wanting to make their baked goods a little healthier. It's nice to think that great-grandma might have baked the same thing in her coal-fired oven that's baking in your own electric one.
Best War Time Recipes was published by the Royal Baking Powder Company of New York, and represented that company's contribution to helping American housewives conserve food for the war effort. It contains a variety of recipes for breads, biscuits, muffins, cookies and cakes, all using baking powder for leavening, and it won the approval of the United States Food Administration. The interesting thing is that while the recipes would have been helpful to a lot of housewives during World War II, the pamphlet was actually published in 1918, for those housewives dealing with the shortage of white flour caused by the First World War.
What's striking is that so many of the recipes are right in line with the latest nutritional advice today. Not to mention that several of the recipes would be a boon to someone with gluten intolerance, since they contain no wheat flour at all. Here are a few typical examples, full of the whole grains, fiber, and complex carbohydrates so dear to the hearts of modern nutritionists:
Corn Bread with Rye, Barley or Oat Flour
1 cup corn meal
1 cup rye, barley or oat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons shortening
Sift dry ingredients into bowl; add milk, beaten egg, and melted shortening. Stir well. Put into greased pan, allow to stand in a warm place 20 to 25 minutes, and bake in moderate oven 40 to 45 minutes.
Peanut Butter Bread
2 cups rye, barley or oat flour
4 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar or corn syrup
1 cup milk
Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl, add peanut butter and sugar or syrup and mix. Add the milk and mix well. Bake in a greased loaf pan in moderate oven 30 to 35 minutes. This is best when a day old. Cut into thin slices, it makes very good sandwiches.
Prune Bread
2 1/2 cups entire wheat, rye, or barley flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1 cup milk
1 cup prunes
1 tablespoon shortening
Wash prunes, soak several hours, drain, stone, and chop. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder; add milk and beat well. Add prunes and melted shortening. Put into greased bread pan, allow to stand 20 to 25 minutes in warm place and bake in moderate oven one hour. (Dates may be used instead of prunes.)
Over 90 years later, these recipes could be made and enjoyed by anyone wanting to make their baked goods a little healthier. It's nice to think that great-grandma might have baked the same thing in her coal-fired oven that's baking in your own electric one.