Wartime Cooking
September 16th, 2015. Filed under: Wednesday's Wonders.
While cleaning out a drawer a couple days ago I found some notes that I as a new bride had copied from a library book. The book was Thrifty Cooking for Wartime by Alice B. Winn-Smith. I thought I would share them with you. Today I’ll share what I wrote down about almond flavoring and bread.
First the almond flavoring
Save peach, plum and apricot pits; when they are dry enough to handle, crack the pits and save the meats by spreading them in a warm place to dry. Pound to a pulp or grind in a food chopper. Keep any unused in a tightly covered container in a dry warm place.
Now the bread
It should be kept in a dry, almost airtight container in a warm, dry place. Quick cooling prevents mold. If bread shows the least sign of mold, cut in slices and spread to dry in a warm place. If you have a slow oven for baking, place thin slices in a shallow baking pan and when they are thoroughly dry and crisp use them for melba toast.
Try sprinkling leftover toast with a little grated cheese; place under broiler until cheese is melted; cut into strips and serve with salad and fruit dessert.
Separate the sweet and plain dried breads. When thoroughly dry, run them through the food chopper or roll them into fine crumbs. Store in dry containers in a warm dry place. Cover tops with cheesecloth tied down tightly. Do not seal too tightly, or they will become rancid. Use the sweeter crumbs for puddings, etc.
Bet your mother never passed along these tips, but maybe some grandmothers remembers these kinds of things happening in kitchens during WWII. This book was published in 1942. Next week I’ll share some more interesting things from this book.
September 17th, 2015 at 14:43
I didn’t know about the pits. Very interesting.
September 19th, 2015 at 15:42
Neither did I prior to reading this book. I think the women back then were very ingenious with their cooking. During WWII the country asked its citizens to sacrifice for the men who were sacrificing their lives for us. Now it isn’t really brought home for us. It’s just something happening over there (wherever there happens to be). They just take our money and feed us news mixed with propaganda. It isn’t very real to a lot of us.