Like many people from large families, we draw names for Christmas gifts  and put a $20-25 limit on how much we can spend on the gift (either for the actual gift or the supplies for said gift).  This past Christmas, my youngest sister drew my name.

When I was spending a couple of . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Pizza Rustica]]>

Dear Friends,

Like many people from large families, we draw names for Christmas gifts  and put a $20-25 limit on how much we can spend on the gift (either for the actual gift or the supplies for said gift).  This past Christmas, my youngest sister drew my name.

When I was spending a couple of days with my mother at her time share down by the beach in Orange County, we decided to go to this huge antique mall that is nearby.  And that is when I saw it:  The Gold Cookbook written in 1947 by Master Chef Louis P. De Gouy (with an introduction by Oscar of the Waldorf).  Think of The Gold Cookbook as a cross between The Joy of Cooking and Julia Child.

Money was a bit tight for us at that time so I couldn’t justify buying another vintage cookbook.  But my sister could…!  I called her up and asked her if she would like to give the cookbook to me for Christmas.  She liked the idea.  My mother took care of all of the arrangements.

When I opened it on Christmas Eve, I feigned surprise and delight that she would know exactly what I wanted for Christmas.

Anyway, I was browsing through my new cookbook for a new egg and cheese recipe to try and found this recipe for “Pizza Rustica or Italian Ham and Sausage Pie.”  When we lived in New Jersey, we got in the habit of calling a “pizza” a “pie.”  This pizza really is a pie.

Immaculate Baking Co. All Natural Ready-to-Bake Pie Crusts; I let it come to room temperature for 40 minutes in its package--twice as long as the box recommends--before attempting to unroll it.

The kind of crust you use really makes a difference.  I bought an “all natural” ready-to-bake pie crust made by Immaculate Baking Company at Whole Foods and was completely dissatisfied with it because the crust was dry and gritty.  I should have known I was going to be unhappy with it when I had trouble unrolling it and it broke apart (yes, I brought it to room temperature) but used it anyway.  I always tell clients to listen to their instincts!  I wish I had listened to mine!   I ended up scraping the leftover innards out of that pie crust and putting it into a homemade crust and re-baking the pie.

I was planning something different for dinner tonight but it is a rather windy and rainy day and I think I will make this pie, instead!  It is perfect for a Winnie-the-Pooh kind of blustery day.

The original recipe calls for one pound of Italian ham and 1 pound of Italian sausage.   Basically, you want a spicy ham and sausage.  The level of spiciness is up to you.  I found using Black Forest ham (slice 1/4″ thick at the deli) and mild Italian sausage (like they use on pizzas) to be perfect for us.  Play around with the ham and sausage until you get the combo right for you.

Pizza Rustica

Pizza Rustica

Ingredients:

2 – 9″ pie crusts (for top and bottom)

 Method:

Preheat the oven to 450F. Cut the ham into small pieces.

Brown the sausage if it isn't already cooked.

Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a whisk.

Add the ricotta cheese to the eggs and continue whipping/beating until smooth.

When smooth, stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Then stir in the cinnamon, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Fold the ham and sausage into the cheese mixture. (Ironically, the original recipe forgot to mention this step)

Dump the filling into a pastry lined 9" pie plate. It will be mounded up but it settles as it bakes.

Cover with other pie pastry, crimp edges, and make a few slashes in the top. Bake at 450F. for 10 minutes; Reduce temperature to 350F and bake for another hour, or until the crust is golden brown.

We enjoyed it for dinner with artichoke hearts and a green salad but it would be perfect served for brunch, too.

Ingredients 4 medium oranges . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Goblin Frosties]]>

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…).

There was a time when women would shop downtown at department stores. These department stores were monuments to fashion and femininity. You could meet your friends for lunch and eat in the elegant dining rooms. It was glorious!

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, I . . . → Read More: From the Archive: Department Store Dining Rooms]]>

This article was originally posted on April 21, 2008:

There was a time when women would shop downtown at department stores. These department stores were monuments to fashion and femininity. You could meet your friends for lunch and eat in the elegant dining rooms. It was glorious!

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, I was used to shopping at malls. I mean, after all, isn’t “The Valley” where mall shopping was raised to an art form? It wasn’t until I moved away from home and made my first trek to Union Square in San Francisco that I discovered what a true department store could be like. It was a loonngg time ago. I don’t even remember which stores I went to! I’m pretty sure I ate at McDonald’s, since that would be in line with my student-limited budget.

Wannamaker's Eagle, Philadelphia

When I was attending and working at Temple University, I shopped at Wanamakers’ flagship store in Philadelphia’s Center City after work a few times, but I don’t even recall seeing the dining room.

Then I moved to northern Indiana and Marshall Field’s State Street store was only an hour away via the North Shore Line. I was in heaven. I could spend the whole day there (and often did!). Around lunchtime, I would head up to the seventh floor and wait my turn in line for the Walnut Room. I always dined alone, but the experience was always wonderful for me. I allowed my imagination to run free and it felt like I was in another era where hats and gloves and graciousness reigned supreme.

Marshall Field's Dining Room (I will NOT call it Macy's), Chicago; Image courtesy of AZSue22 on Flickr

Now I’m back in Los Angeles and shopping at malls again. Nordstrom’s has a cafe, but it isn’t the same. I order at the counter and then someone brings my order to me. High class fast food.

And, to make matters worse, Marshall Field’s has suffered the indignity of having its name changed to Macy’s. I will always call it Marshall Fields. The Macy’s stores that I’ve gone to recently just remind me too much of a glorified JC Penneys. Marshall Fields deserves better.

One of my vintage cookbooks was written by Helen Corbitt in 1962. She was the Director of Restaurants at Neimen-Marcus. All of the recipes I’ve tried in it have been absolutely delicious. But, that would make sense since the ladies who lunched at that store had high expectations. I’ve included an adaptation of her Grenadine of Chicken recipe. The original used heavy cream instead of evaporated milk. Don’t let the sauce boil away too much. You’ll want it to spread over the chicken and rice. And, don’t forget to pretend you are the host of your own cooking show when you light the brandy.

Enjoy!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grenadine of Chicken

Recipe By :Adapted from Helen Corbitt (Director of Restaurants at Neiman-Marcus)

Serving Size : 4

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method

——– ———— ——————————–

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon paprika

1/4 cup brandy

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 cup evaporated milk

Dip chicken breasts in the flour and salt and shake off as much flour as

possible. Saute’ in the oil and butter. Add the paprika and brandy.

Light and saute’ until brandy has cooked away. Add the chives and cream

and simmer until reduced by one half.

Source:

Adapted from “Helen Corbitt’s Potluck”

Copyright:

“1962; Riverside Press Company”

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 332 Calories; 13g Fat (38.9%

calories from fat); 32g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 92mg

Cholesterol; 437mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat;

0 Vegetable; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat.

Serving Ideas : Serve over rice.
Serve with garlic sautee’d mushrooms.

Serve with salad of mixed greens with an oil and vinegar dressing.

Fresh strawberries with warm honey to dip them in for dessert.

NOTES : Evaporated milk may be substituted for the whipping cream

to reduce the calories. Serve over rice.

This recipe for sloppy joes is a variation of a recipe for “deviled hamburgers” that I found in a “calorie friendly” cookbook that belonged to my husband’s grandmother.  I have found that if any recipe says “deviled” in it, there will be mustard and/or horseradish (such as deviled eggs).  I doubled the seasonings . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Sloppy Devils]]>

Dear Friends,

This recipe for sloppy joes is a variation of a recipe for “deviled hamburgers” that I found in a “calorie friendly” cookbook that belonged to my husband’s grandmother.  I have found that if any recipe says “deviled” in it, there will be mustard and/or horseradish (such as deviled eggs).  I doubled the seasonings because I thought the meat was a bit bland without the extra punch.  If it is too much for you, just reduce the amount to your taste.

One thing I love about these sloppy devils is that they are ideal to make when I am tired.  I don’t have to chop or mince anything.  Everything except for the meat comes from a jar of some sort.  From start to finish, it will take about 15-20 minutes to cook.

Sloppy Devils

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/4 pound other ground meat such as pork or turkey
2 teaspoons fat or oil (optional)
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 teaspoons horseradish
2 teaspoons instant minced onions
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper

Method

If using an extra lean meat, heat the fat or oil in a saucepan or spray saucepan with a no-stick spray.

Add meat and cook until brown.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat another five minutes.

Serve on toasted buns.

Do you have a favorite sloppy joes recipe?   Add a link to it below (it doesn’t have to be from your own blog) or share in the comments section:

Dear Friends,

The other day I was in the mood for some muffins.  But I didn’t want cup-cakey kind of muffins.  I wanted something with substance.  What was a modern retro woman to do?  Why, bake them herself, of course!  Between The Mister’s schedule and mine, I hadn’t been grocery shopping for a couple . . . → Read More: Retro Recipe: Bran Muffins (They’re Not Just For Old Folks)]]>

Dear Friends,

The other day I was in the mood for some muffins.  But I didn’t want cup-cakey kind of muffins.  I wanted something with substance.  What was a modern retro woman to do?  Why, bake them herself, of course!  Between The Mister’s schedule and mine, I hadn’t been grocery shopping for a couple of weeks (thank goodness for a well-stocked freezer and pantry!) and so I had to look for a recipe where I had all of the ingredients (and wasn’t going into the cookbooklet).  And the winner was bran muffins!

Bran muffins?  Aren’t those for old people?  Well, truthfully, from what I see, a lot of young people could probably benefit from eating them, too.  But seriously, I made these with bacon fat instead of shortening and loved them…it was like guilt free bacon flavoring.  Just be aware that the muffins are crumblier when using bacon fat than shortening because of the lower melting point.  If you don’t like crumbly muffins, stick with the shortening.

Bran Muffins (Adapted from Ladies’ Home Journal Cookbook, 1960)

Soak the bran in milk in a mixing bowl for 5 minutes. This step is very important!

In another bowl, mix the molasses and shortening until smooth.

Add the egg. Mix well but don't beat the mixture.

Add the mollases, shortening, and egg mixture to the soaked bran. (Yes, I know the photo doesn't look very appetizing but not all steps in cooking are gorgeous)

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add all at once to the liquid mixture.

Stir just enough to blend the ingredients. It's okay if the mixture isn't smooth.

Line a muffin tin with baking cups. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Fill each cup approximately 2/3 full. You will get 10-12 muffins. Bake at 400ºF. for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Have you ever baked with bacon fat or lard?

Dear Friends,

I know I’ve shared this recipe with you before.  However, it is one of The Mister’s favorite casseroles and as I prepared it for dinner Sunday night, I decided I should share it with . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Grandma Lois’ Tuna Noodle Casserole]]>

That's my Grandma Lois in the corner. Doesn't she look like she should be a grandmother?

Dear Friends,

I know I’ve shared this recipe with you before.  However, it is one of The Mister’s favorite casseroles and as I prepared it for dinner Sunday night, I decided I should share it with you again because I’ve made a couple of changes to it to try to make it more “calorie friendly.”

One of the things I love about this recipe is how easy it is to put together.  Some casserole recipes require you to use your entire collection of pots and pans in order to create your “one dish meal.”  Not so with this one.  There is the pot to boil the noodles, the colander, the casserole dish and a measuring cup, spoon, and knife.  Easy!

Grandma Lois’ Tuna Casserole

(Serves Eight)

• Cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain.  Pour into a large-ish casserole dish.

• Add the tuna.
  

  No, cat food cannot be substituted for the tuna...

• Add the onions and green pepper.

• Mix together with a fork.

• Add the cream of mushroom soup.
  

  Doesn't that look appetizing?

  

  The flash didn't help any. Even with the "soft focus." You're just going to have to trust me that this turns out yummy.

• Fold the soup into the noodle, tuna, onion, and green pepper mixture.

• Spread the cheese on top.

• Bake in a 425ºF. oven for 25 minutes.  Remove and let cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
  

  I really should get in the habit of wiping off the extra schmutz before putting in the oven if I'm going to take photos of these casseroles.

• Enjoy!

After being in a cooking rut for the past couple of months, I pulled out my vintage cookbooks and browsed through them for some inspiration.  In my “250 Ways to Prepare Meat” cookbook from the Culinary Arts Institute (1954), I found a recipe for stuffed flank steak.  The only time I remember having . . . → Read More: Modern Retro Recipe: Stuffed Flank Steak]]>

Dear Friends,

After being in a cooking rut for the past couple of months, I pulled out my vintage cookbooks and browsed through them for some inspiration.  In my “250 Ways to Prepare Meat” cookbook from the Culinary Arts Institute (1954), I found a recipe for stuffed flank steak.  The only time I remember having stuffed steak was when I bought one from Trader Joe’s that had been stuffed with blue cheese (and I was not very impressed).  I decided to give it a shot.  And, according to the cookbook, flank steak is a budget cut which made it even more appealing since the price of food is starting to go up.

Budget cuts are the part of the cow that are less tender and the cuts need special handling to make sure they doesn’t turn into shoe leather.   Additionally, many grocery stores such as Ralphs/Kroger and Walmart, sell “select” grade to keep prices down.  Select is the lowest grade of meat that retailers will sell/advertise so we can get a double whammy of reduced tenderness if we buy budget cuts from these grocers.

The flank steak comes from the abdominal muscles of the cow.  These are pretty powerful muscles (gives new meaning to “six pack abs”) that have very little marbling (the fancy term for fat within the muscle).  Because they are so powerful, they can be pretty tough and are usually sliced across the grain after cooking.  At the grocery store, you will often see it labeled as “London Broil” steak because it is most often used for that purpose.  The flank steak benefits from marinating and quick cooking to a medium-rare level.  I was a bit nervous about my recipe because it indicated braising for an hour and a half.  But, since braising is method of cooking tough meats, I thought I’d give it a shot anyway.

Stuffed Flank Steak (adapted from “250 Ways to Prepare Meat cookbook by the Culinary Arts Institute, 1954) Serves 6-8

• To make the bread cubes: take three or four slices of bread (depending upon the size) and stack them on top of each other.  Slice through the bread in vertical rows and then horizontal rows.

• Melt butter in a large saucepan.

• Add onions and celery.  Sauté until onions are translucent and celery is soft.  It will smell very good and homey while it is cooking.

• In the meantime, mix flour (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup) with salt and pepper to taste on a covered flat surface.  I like to use freezer paper but waxed paper or plastic wrap will work, too.

• Unfold the flank steak and dredge with the flour.

• Now, beat the living daylights out of the steak with a meat hammer.  This will help break up the tough fibers.  Make sure you pound both sides of the steak.

• Add the bread cubes and sage to the onion and celery.  Stir to moisten and heat through.

• Spread the stuffing mix onto the steak.

• Carefully roll up the steak like a jelly roll, trying to keep as much stuffing as possible in the roll.  If you roll it up too tightly, the stuffing will ooze out the sides and defeat the purpose.  Tie the roll together with kitchen twine.

• Heat some oil or bacon fat in an oven proof skillet or dutch oven.  Brown the steak on all sides.

• Add about 1/2 cup of water and cover.  Cook in a moderate oven (350° F) for about 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
• Remove string and slice across the pinwheel to serve.

Verdict: Although the meat was “well done,” it was quite tender and juicy.  The stuffing was an added treat in the middle.

I recommend this recipe to anyone who needs to feed many people on a budget and or need a calorie friendly entree.  By my calculations, it will feed eight people for about $1 per person and, according to my recipe software, it comes out to about 225 calories per serving.

I could not find the roast for last night’s dinner in the refrigerator.  I looked in one drawer and then another and behind my husband’s collection of grapefruit and cranberry juice bottles.  Where could it be???

I finally found it.  In the freezer.  Frozen solid.  It was . . . → Read More: The Plan B Dinner]]>

The sauce looks better in person...trust me.

I could not find the roast for last night’s dinner in the refrigerator.  I looked in one drawer and then another and behind my husband’s collection of grapefruit and cranberry juice bottles.  Where could it be???

I finally found it.  In the freezer.  Frozen solid.  It was not in any condition to be roasted for an hour so that we could have dinner at 7:00.  I sighed at my absent-minded-professor-ness (combine that with being blonde and it is a wonder that I have accomplished what I have!).  Now what will we have for dinner?  I had the week all planned out.

Being the modern retro woman that I am, I sprung into action.  Tonight’s dinner was supposed to be a broiled Cornish Game Hen, split between the two of us.  The hen was thawed out so I decided we’d have game hen for dinner last night instead of tonight.  I wasn’t in the mood to turn the broiler on in this heat so I pulled a random cookbook out of my collection.  The winner was: The Fannie Merritt Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook (1959). I was inspired by a “Mexican Chicken” recipe.

The great thing about building one’s cooking confidence is that you can draw inspiration from a recipe without having to follow it exactly.  For example, the recipe called for 8 canned pimientos (also called pimentos).  Well, I didn’t have canned or jarred pimientos but I remember reading a recipe that said roasted red peppers could be used if pimientos weren’t available.  I didn’t have any roasted red peppers but I did have a bag of frozen bell pepper strips in the freezer.  It may not be what they came up with in the test kitchen, but dinner turned out great!

Mexican Chicken (Adapted from The Boston Cooking School Cookbook, 1959)

Brown the hen in the oil.  Finely chop the pepper strips with a food processor–almost to the point of a puree’ (since it is frozen, the puree’ will not have the usual liquid-y consistency).  Blend the salt, pepper puree’, onion, and garlic.  Pour the mixture over the hen when it is done browning.  Add enough water to cover hen.  Cover and cook until the hen is tender (about 1 hour).  Put the hen in a serving dish.  Melt butter in a small saucepan; remove from heat and add the flour, stirring until smooth.  Add the butter-flour mixture to the juices in the pan to make a gravy.  When thick and bubbly, pour over the hen and/or mashed potatoes.

How about you?  Have you any Plan B dinner victories where you whipped up something from seemingly nothing?  Share it with us!