Dear Friends,

Unearthing old family or magazine recipes can be fun.  But they often cause consternation because they use measurement terms that aren’t common anymore.  For instance, if you use the recipe in the title, you will end up with 27 gallons . . . → Read More: Just Add One Firkin of Lemon Lime Soda to One Runlet of Cranberry Juice]]>

Mystery Salad recipe found in my grandmother's green recipe box. Personal collection.

Dear Friends,

Unearthing old family or magazine recipes can be fun.  But they often cause consternation because they use measurement terms that aren’t common anymore.  For instance, if you use the recipe in the title, you will end up with 27 gallons of punch.*

So, where can you go to translate some of those vintage measurements into modern terms?  The trusty Old Farmer’s Almanac website, that’s where.  Since they’ve been around since 1792, they’ve seen measurements come and go.  Their website has several different pages that offer measurement conversions (including metric equivalencies).

One of the recipe roadblocks I’ve run into with Depression and War era recipes is the use of numbers for can size instead of the modern method of indicating ounces.  For example, a recipe often will call for a #2 size can of tomatoes.  In modern terms, a #2 size can is the same as 2 1/2 cups or 20 ounces.  The food historians at The Food Timeline help us understand the history of these terms and how to translate it into modern cooking terms.  They have a whole bunch of PDF’s that can be downloaded/printed out for easy referencing.

I’ve received a lot of letters from readers who feel intimidated by vintage recipes because of the outdated terminology.  I’m here to encourage you to go ahead and give them a try!  We have this vision of our grandmothers spending hours in the kitchen creating these complicated dishes when, in fact, most older recipes are actually rather simple in comparison to modern cooking show creations.  In most cases, the hard part is figuring out the modern measurement equivalent.

By the way, The Mister says he can understand how “firkin” fell out of favor but he kind of likes “runlet…”

To your modern retro life!

Dr. Julie-Ann

*Truth be told, the original recipe, from the 1950s, only called for two quarts of cranberry juice and a quart of lemon lime soda topped with two cups of frozen strawberries.  I don’t have any recipes that call for firkins or runlets.

It didn’t.

Around 6:00, the dough had finally risen.

Punched down and shaped before resting for 15 minutes.

Dough cut into four . . . → Read More: Let Us Make Bread Together (On Our Knees) Part 2]]>

When we left my bread making adventure the other day, we wondered whether the bread would continue to rise enough for us to have it with dinner that night.

It didn’t.

Around 6:00, the dough had finally risen.

Punched down and shaped before resting for 15 minutes.

Dough cut into four loaves.

I tucked them all into their respective loaf pans and covered them with their plastic wrap blankets. The Mister said it looked like a nursery. We waited. And we waited. Finally around 11:00 they had doubled in size. I forgot to take a photo before putting them in the refrigerator. I was tired and wasn't going to stay up to bake bread. I'm not THAT dedicated!

The poor guys didn't like being in the fridge. They got all shrivelly. I took them out to bring them back to room temperature. In theory, it should just take a couple of hours for it to come to room temperature and the yeast be all happy and gassy again. So, I took them out at 7:30 in the morning and it took until almost 5:00 for them to get back to baking condition. *sheesh!* Good thing I wasn't in a hurry or anything!

Still not as high as I would have liked but they were going in! The one on the right was our little runt loaf. He was The Mister's favorite.

Forty-five minutes later, not perfect looking but everyone was happy and the house smelled fabulous!

Dumped out of their pans.

Cooling their heels.

It was worth the wait. The time in the refrigerator acted as a yeast retarder so that would have more time to do something or another with the net result of a tangier flavor. Perfect!

New Year’s Day is just a few days away.  About 20 years ago, I learned of the Southern tradition of serving Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day to bring good luck.  What I’ve learned over the years is that there are about as many versions of Hoppin’ John as . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Hoppin’ John]]>

Modern Retro Recipes Winter Edition!

New Year’s Day is just a few days away.  About 20 years ago, I learned of the Southern tradition of serving Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day to bring good luck.  What I’ve learned over the years is that there are about as many versions of Hoppin’ John as there our regions in the South.

This recipe, included in the Winter Edition of the Modern Retro Recipes eNewsletter, is adapted from two New Year’s Day recipes in the United States Regional Cookbook, published in 1939.  One recipe, called “Hopping John,” is made from red cow peas, rice, and salt pork.  The other is called “Hog Jowl and Black-Eyed Peas” and is made up of just those two ingredients plus water.

Since I’m not sure I even WANT to buy a hog jowl, I use ham hocks instead.  I also add chopped onion and some pepper flakes for a bit of a kick that the original recipes don’t use.

Click here to download a free copy of the recipe in PDF format for your Modern Retro Recipes notebook: Hoppin’ John

For more great winter recipes, visit the Modern Retro Recipes eNewsletter page!

The December/January issue of Modern Retro Recipes contains nineteen pages of retro and vintage recipes with photos and step by step directions!   I once again delve into my grandmother’s green recipe box for many of the recipes in this issue.  There are a few holiday oriented recipes but most can be enjoyed all winter long.

Note: I know the formatting is wonky.  I’ve just spent the past 15 minutes trying to fix it.  There are just some days when the blog has a mind of its own…

Hoppin' John

Hoppin’ John

Ingredients

1 pound package of black-eyed peas
3 pound ham hock, cut crosswise by butcher
1 medium onion, chopped
Pepper flakes, to taste
1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice

Method

Soak beans according to package directions.

Add ham hock and onion to the rehydrated beans.

Add enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook until beans and  are tender and the meat is falling off of the bone, about 2 hours.

Remove meat from bone, chop and return to pot.

Add  rice and continue cooking for another hour.

Add pepper flakes to taste and serve.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie by Mrs. Myron Leitz

I love pumpkin pie. Well, homemade pumpkin pie. I usually end up disliking the pumpkin pies that I order at a restaurant. And the frozen pies? *phhht* Why bother?

My . . . → Read More: From the Archives: Pumpkin Pecan Pie {Vintage Recipe}]]>

This vintage recipe for pumpkin pecan pie was originally posted exactly two years ago, November 11, 2009.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie by Mrs. Myron Leitz

I love pumpkin pie. Well, homemade pumpkin pie. I usually end up disliking the pumpkin pies that I order at a restaurant. And the frozen pies? *phhht* Why bother?

My Honey loves pecan pie. He tells me not to bake any pecan pies for him because it would be too tempting. But, whenever we are out and he spies a pecan pie in the pie safe, I know he’s going to order a slice.

Leave it to one of my grandmother’s cousins and The Box to come up with a variation of our two favorite pies: A Pumpkin Pecan Pie.

I must confess that this didn’t have as much pumpkin flavoring as I would have liked but My Honey really liked it and it will probably join the dessert rotation.

Watch your baking time. Mine burnt a little but I don’t know if it was the recipe or that I was having trouble with my oven again (my landlord thought that having the regulator repaired, yet again, was too annoying and a new range arrived on Monday).

Pumpkin Pecan Pie by Mrs. Myron Leitz, Topeka

Combine the first 7 ingredients, pour into unbaked pastry shell. Top with pecans. Bake at 350* F. about 40 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

For Thanksgiving dinner no one would wish to other than old-fashioned. There are no short cuts…The more each person in . . . → Read More: Just Say No to Dinner in a Box]]>

This post is part of a series on being a hostess with the mostess using Successful Entertaining at Home: A Complete Guide for Informal Entertaining written by Carolyn Coggins and published in 1952 by Prentiss-Hall.

For Thanksgiving dinner no one would wish to other than old-fashioned. There are no short cuts…The more each person in the family takes part, the more fun Thanksgiving dinner. There are no short cuts for preparing the dressing or roasting the turkey, or for all the polishing and preparation that goes before a big family dinner. ~ Carolyn Coggins

Cover of the November 1954 issue of Family Circle magazine; Image courtesy of Clotho98 on Flickr.com

We have a little over two weeks before we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the United States (Canadians, it should be noted, have already had their Thanksgiving. Being ever practical, they don’t jam all of their holidays together like we do). The Sunday newspaper was filled with advertisements from local grocery stores touting their time saving “holiday dinner in a box.” At different price points, you get a meat and your choice of side dishes.

Bleh.

I know all about those dinners in a box. I have family members who swear by them, even though I offer to prepare the entire meal from scratch. I swear at them (the dinners, not the family members). The food tastes chemically and bland and institutional. You don’t think the stores are actually preparing those meals in the back, do you? They are made in a factory and shipped to the store.

Morrison's Cafeteria would take care of the Thanksgiving turkey (and dressing) for Jacksonville, Fla., housewives in 1963 for only $10.95; Image courtesy of DSL in Jax (Dennis Lewis) on Flickr.com

Here’s the thing. You still have to reheat everything. And the process takes almost as long as it would have if you made everything from scratch. The difference is that it requires some planning. And confidence in your menu. Because the cooking part is really rather easy if you take it step by step. It is even easier if you make some “do ahead” dishes that only take 15-30 minutes to prepare and just require either reheating or taking out of the refrigerator before serving. And, it is even easier, still, if you are able to have family members contribute to the meal by bringing a dish or two.

I think the greatest enticement toward the dinners in a box is that it seems like all of the planning is done for you already. But, don’t people usually add extra stuff to those boxed dinners? So, you’re going to be doing some menu planning anyway.

Don’t confuse Thanksgiving Dinner with a Bacchanalian feast. Your guests will enjoy a simple and elegant meal much more than a feeding frenzy.

Here are three vintage menu ideas to get your mental juices flowing:

The Family Thanksgiving

Clam Juice Cocktail

Canapés

Minted Cream of Pea Soup with Croutons

Roast Turkey

Brazil Nut Stuffing

Giblet Gravy

Creamed Corn

Mashed Potatoes

Molded Cranberry Pineapple Salad

Ginger Pumpkin Chiffon Refrigerator Cake

Coffee

Raisins and Nuts

Port

1940s COCA COLA Thanksgiving vintage illustration family advertisement; Image courtesy of Christian Montone on Flickr.com

Feast for Thanksgiving

Harvest Fruit Cup

Roast Rock Cornish Game Hen

Mushroom Wild Rice

Asparagus Spears with Lemon Wedges

Baked Butternut Squash

Waldorf Salad

Pumpkin Chiffon Tarts

Hot Coffee

Thanksgiving meal from freezer cookbook

A Thanksgiving Dinner (Gourmet)

Hors d’ oeuvres

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Roast Turkey with Fruit and Chestnut Stuffing

Yams with Apricots and Sunflower Seeds

Brillat-Savarin’s Spinach

Marian’s Cranberry-Orange Relish

Apples Molded in a Scarlet Overcoat

Demitasse

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner will take longer than a typical evening meal but it doesn’t have to be stressful nor elaborate nor Martha Stewart or Food Network-ish. Pretend you are the cook in your own Food Network or PBS show and have fun!

Remember: If you’re not having fun, neither will anyone else.

This beef roll has all of the flavor of my favorite pizzas without all of the after effects.  It hits the spot for dinner and it pretty . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Polpettone alla Siciliana (Sicilian Beef Roll)]]>

I found this recipe in an international meat cookbook published in 1967.  I’ve discovered that starchy food and I don’t get along but I sure miss my pizzas!

This beef roll has all of the flavor of my favorite pizzas without all of the after effects.  It hits the spot for dinner and it pretty darn good as a cold lunch, too!

No need to get fancy with this recipe.  I just used packaged uncured ham and packaged mozzarella cheese from Trader Joe’s.

Click here to download a free copy of the recipe in PDF format for your Modern Retro Recipes notebook:  Sicilian Beef Roll

Click here to visit the Modern Retro Recipes eNewsletter chock full of Thanksgiving recipe ideas!

Polpettone alla Siciliana

(Sicilian Beef Roll)

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons dried minced parsley
8 slices cooked ham (approximately)
8 slices mozzarella cheese (approximately)

Method

Mix everything but the ham and cheese together.

On a large sheet of plastic wrap, pat the meat mixture into a rectangle about 10 x 16 inches.

Arrange the ham and cheese on it and then roll up like a jelly roll, using the plastic wrap to help guide the roll.

Place the roll into a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake in 350ºF. oven for 1 hour.

Let the roll stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing it.

Enjoy!

I was looking through my vintage cookbooks for a fun Halloween dessert (that didn’t involve a pumpkin) for the Modern Retro Recipes eNewsletter’s holiday edition when I came across these adorable guys.  Using oranges instead of pumpkins, you create little jack-o-lanterns cloves, licorice, and maraschino cherries and fill them . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Goblin Frosties]]>

Modern Retro Recipes Holiday Edition!

I was looking through my vintage cookbooks for a fun Halloween dessert (that didn’t involve a pumpkin) for the Modern Retro Recipes eNewsletter’s holiday edition when I came across these adorable guys.  Using oranges instead of pumpkins, you create little jack-o-lanterns cloves, licorice, and maraschino cherries and fill them with lime sherbert.

Click here to download a free copy of the recipe in PDF format for your Modern Retro Recipes notebook: Goblin Frosties

For more great holiday recipes, visit the Modern Retro Recipes eNewsletter page!

The October/November issue of Modern Retro Recipes contains twenty pages of retro and vintage recipes with photos and step by step directions!  I give a nod to Halloween with adorable Goblin Frosties but most of the other recipes are geared toward traditional Thanksgiving gatherings.  That said, I have included a delicious alternative to cooking a monstrous sized turkey.  Sometimes we need to start new traditions, too!

Goblin Frosties

Ingredients
4 medium oranges
2-3 Licorice whips, cut into 1/4” pieces
Whole cloves
1 to 1 1/2 quarts lime sherbet
4 maraschino cherries with stems

Method

With a sharp knife, cut off thin slice of peel from bottom of orange to enable it to stand firmly.

Slice off enough to make the orange stand on its own.

For the hat, cut off anywhere from 1/4 to 1/3 from the top of the orange.

Slice off the top to make the hat

With spoon, scoop out pulp and membrane from the orange (this is easier with a fruit spoon).

Scoop out the orange and membrane

Using a toothpick, poke holes in the peel where you will want the mouth and nose to go.  Stick the cloves in the holes you just made.

Poke holes in the peel with toothpick and insert whole cloves

With the point of a paring knife, cut two holes for the eyes.  Carefully insert the cut licorice whips into the holes you just made.

Carefully cut out holes for the eyes.

Fill oranges with sherbet, mounding it above the rim.

Add lime sherbet

Place the lid atop the sherbet at a fun angle. Attach maraschino cherry through each lid and into the sherbet with a toothpick (which also acts an anchor for the lid).

Add the maraschino cherry with a toothbook and anchor cap to goblin

Keep frozen until ready to serve.

They look so cute hanging out in the freezer! Little do they know the fate that awaits them!

Outtakes!

When I was doing the photo shoot for this recipe…or, I should say, I was attempting to do the photo shoot…it was over 100F degrees outside and not much cooler inside.  The poor goblins were having a hard time holding their sherbet….

I knew I was in trouble when a couple of them started to cry...

I felt so cruel!

I stuck them  in the freezer and we tried it again a few days later.  They were much, much happier, then (until they found out about the horror that awaited them…we won’t discuss that…).