Macaroni & Cheese with Bacon - 1960

There is something comforting about a rainy night and a steaming bowl of Macaroni and Cheese!

Whoever invented the combination of tender tubes of pasta and gooey melted cheese, should be heartily congratulated!

My latest treasured cookbook was gifted to me by my mother Sandra, and I have been most eager to try it out.

The Ladies’ Home Journal Cookbook, published 1960, was compiled from recipes from the monthly Ladies’ Home Journal Magazine. Established in 1883, the magazine is still in existence.

Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon

1 (8 oz.) package macaroni (226 grams)

6 slices bacon cut in pieces

½ pound mushrooms sliced (226 grams)

1 teaspoon minced onion

2 ½ cups Thin Cream Sauce

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. In the meantime, fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towelling. 

Add the mushrooms and onion, and sauté until golden. Drain. Make a thin cream sauce [recipe below], using 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Add the cheese and cook until thickened. 

Season with salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Mix all of the ingredients together. Pour into a 2 quart casserole and bake in a moderately hot oven, 375° (180 degrees), until golden and bubbly. Six to eight servings.

Thin Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup milk or half milk and half cream

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Melt the butter in a double boiler or saucepan over very low heat. Blend in flour. Add the liquid gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 1 cup.

Enjoy!

The Vintage Kitchen

Eve's Pudding - 1930's

As our balmy summer afternoons change to the coolness of Autumn, my thoughts turn to a warming pudding as an evening treat.

Looking through my collection of vintage cookery books, I came across the bright red cover of "Reliable Cookery - Notes, Rules and Recipes" by Mrs Lawrie. The book is undated but is believed to be from the 1930's. Created as a school subject book, no doubt in home economics, it was published by McDougall's Educational Company Ltd, Edinburgh.

The preface reads:
"The need for a reliable cookery book for use in schools, which provides straightforward, clear, concise recipes, as well as notes and rules on the different methods used, has been a long-felt want.
In order to obviate the necessity for note-taking, which uses up valuable time so much needed for practical work, Notes and Rules have been provided as well as good variety of Recipes, and the scope of the book is such that it provides for a course extending over three or more years.
The book is compiled in such a way that girls should be able to follow its directions, and work with intelligence and self-reliance, and not depend on constant demonstrations."

Not much is known about the knowledgeable Mrs Lawrie, but she was clearly highly skilled in the domestic arts, as she originally the Superintendent of Domestic Subjects, Glasgow Education Authority.

From Mrs Lawrie's "Reliable Cookery - Notes, Rules and Recipes" I chose to make the delightful sounding Eve's Pudding:

Eve's Pudding

Ingredients

6 oz. flour (170 grams)
3 ozs. butter or margarine (85 grams)
3 ozs. sugar (85 grams)
pinch of salt
1/2 spoonful baking powder
grated lemon rind
1 to 2 eggs
milk to mix
1 lb apples (+/- 453 grams)
2 to 3 oz (57 - 85 grams)

Method

1. Have oven in readiness, and grease a pie-dish.

2. Wipe, peel, core, quarter, and slice the apples.

3. Place half the apples in the dish, then the sugar and the rest of the apples. (I added half a teaspoon of cinnamon and half a teaspoon of nutmeg to the sugar to give it extra flavour)

 

4. Mix the dry ingredients and lemon rind together, and rub in the butter.

 

5. Beat the egg and add enough milk to mix to a dropping consistency. 

6. Pour the mixture on top of the apples, and bake in a fairly hot oven till well risen and brown, 1/2 to 3/4 hour.

   Delicious served hot with custard! Enjoy!

                    The Vintage Kitchen 

Banana Bread - 1956

Have you got some overripe bananas in your kitchen? Then you have the ideal opportunity to whip up some banana bread, courtesy of the Methodist Women's Auxiliary (Cape District).

Cook With Confidence was first published in November 1957, during the 150th year of Methodism in South Africa.

If you have ever been to an event catered by the Women's Auxiliary then you know that these ladies can cook and bake! WA food is always exceptional! 

Submitted by the Knysna WA is this delicious banana bread recipe:

Banana Bread 

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar 
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
Pinch salt 
2 eggs 
Vanilla essence 
3 ripe bananas 

Cream butter and sugar with mashed bananas. Add milk, flour, etc. (dissolve soda in milk). Bake in greased bread tin for about 3/4 hour in slow oven. 

(Note: 180°C degrees for 30 - 40 mins depending on your oven)

Enjoy!

The Vintage Kitchen 

Traditional South African Bobotie - 1936

It is not often that one comes across a tome of home assistance in the form of the South African edition of ‘Cookery Illustrated and Household Management’.

Published in 1936, this manual of the domestic arts was ably edited by the well-known cook, Elizabeth Craig. For distribution in the local market, Craig added traditional South African dishes.

One such traditional South African dish is Bobotie, a well loved favourite:

"Bobotie

2 lb. mutton or beef (cooked or fresh) [450g]

2 onions

2 tablespoons butter or dripping

1 slick white bread

1 cupful milk

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 eggs

Seasoning

Chopping almonds

A few lemon or bay leaves

Utensils – Mincer, 3 basins, saucepan, knife, spoon, egg-beater, fork, pie-dish. Enough for 6 persons.

Mince the meat. Soak the bread in half of the milk and mash it finely with a fork. Fry the chopped onions in the butter. 

Add to these the bread, curry powder, sugar, seasoning, lemon juice (or vinegar) and the minced meat. Mix well together with 1 well-beaten egg. Pour the mixture into a buttered pie-dish and bake in a moderate oven. 

After about half an hour, beat up the other egg with a pinch of salt and add to the rest of the milk. Pour this over the mince. Place a few lemon or bay leaves on the top and sprinkle over some chopped almonds. Return to the oven and bake for another ½ hour during which the custard will set. Bobotie is generally served with rice."

Notes: I added dried coriander to the custard mix, and threw in some country mix vegetables for extra colour and flavour. Baked 180 °C for +/- 45 mins to 1 hour depending on type of oven. 

Enjoy!

The Vintage Kitchen