1930's - The great depression
The bubble bursts and the great depression sets in. The excess of the roaring twenties is replaced with soup kitchens. Candy bars become popular because for a few cents they are looked upon as a meal substitute. The average households can't afford meat, so vegetable dishes abound with rice and beans becoming a protein staple.
Topsy-Turvy Pudding
¼ cup Crisco Shortening
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ginger
½ cup apricot juice
For caramel:
¼ cup Crisco shortening
½ cup sugar
¼ cup almonds or walnuts
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup dried apricots soaked overnight in 3 cups water
Blend Shortening with sugar and egg until fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with ½ cup apricot juice (see above). Beat 1 minute.
Carmel: Melt shortening slowly in a heavy skillet. Add sugar, stir until melted. Remove from heat. Put a nut meat in hollow of each apricot. Place apricots, with round sides up, on caramel. Pour in batter. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees f.) 30 minutes. While hot, turn out upside down on plate. Serve warm – plain or with ice cream.
Woman’s Home Companion October 1932
Flapper Jacks
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 cups milk
1 beaten egg
2 tbsp melted Crisco shortening
½ cup grated cheese
Mix and sift dry ingredients. Add egg, milk, Crisco shortening. Mix well., Melt enough Crisco in skillet to cover bottom. Make 6 large thin pancakes about 5 inches across. Brown on both sides. Put meat filling (see below) in center of each pancake. Lap pancakes into rolls. Sprinkle with cheese. Put rolls in hot oven (400 d. F) or in broiler, until cheese melts.
Woman’s Home Companion October 1932
Spicy Fig Roll
½ lb. dried figs
1 ½ cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar
2 slices lemon, chopped
1/ cup vinegar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp salt
½ cup shortning
4-6 tbsp cold water
Chop figs. Soak in warm water 1 hour. Add other ingredients. Cook slowly 20 minutes until thick. Cool. Then make pastry. Sift flour and salt. Cut in shortening coarsely. Add just enough water to hold dry ingredients together. Roll out. Spread with fig filling. Roll like jelly roll. Put roll, pieced side down. In pan greased with shortening. Prick top. Bake in hot oven (425 d. Fah) 20 minutes. Serve hot with foamy sauce: Beat 1 egg lightly and slowly add 2/3 cups brown sugar. Add 1/8 tsp salt, 2 tbsp lemon juice., 3 tbsp hot water beating all the time. Cook over hot water. Stir until slightly thickened. Serve hot.
Woman’s Home Companion October 1932
Louisianna Put-Together
¾ lb. Flank Steak or left-over beef roast)
4 tbsp shortening
3 onions, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 cup leftover cooked vegetables
1 cup diced celery
1 cup tomato soup
1 ½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
8 stuffed olives, sliced
1 cup rice
Cut meat in very thin slices. Heat skillet, melt shortening: fry meat rapidly until brown and crisp. Remove meat. Cook onion and pepper until soft. Add tomato soup, meat , celery, seasonings. Simmer until onions and celery are tender., Add left-over vegetables (peas, string beans or carrots) and olives. Serve with steamed rice. To steam rice: put washed drained rice into top of double boiler with 1 quart boiling, salted water. Boil rapidly 5 minutes. Cover. Place over boiling water. Cook until rice absorbs water and is tender.
Woman’s Home Companion October 1932
Bargain Roast
1 ½ Lb. Flank steak
3 tbsp shortening
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
¼ tsp paprika
4 medium potatoes, sliced
1 onion, chopped fine
1 bay leaf
1 ½ cups hot water
Cut deep pocket in side of steak. Mix seasonings. Sprinkle potatoes with half of seasonings and onion. Stuff steak with potatoes- dot them with shortening. Skewer or sew up pocket. Heat heavy skillet; add shortening. Brown steak briskly. Add water, seasonings., bay leaf. Cover. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) an hour, or until tender. Thicken gravy with 1 tbsp flour blended with cold water. Serve with Spiced Cabbage: Cut cabbage fine. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil. Drain. Melt 3 tbsp shortening in saucepan, ad cabbage and 1 tart chopped apple. Cover. Cook slowly 20 minutes. Add ¼ cup hot water. 1/3 cup vinegar. 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ cup sugar, 6 whole cloves. Cook until tender.
Woman’s Home Companion October 1932
Yankee Hash
3 tbsp shortening
2 tbsp chopped onion
1 cup milk or water
2 cups chopped corned beef (cooked)
2 cups cubed boiled potatoes
Melt shortening in frying pan. Add onion. Brown slightly. Mix other ingredients. Add to onions. Mix thoroughly. Then spread out evenly. Cook slowly. As bottom browns, keep lifting and cutting it in, so that crusty bits are worked through hash. Just before removing from skillet, fold hash over like an omelet. Serve with – Fried Apple Rings: Select 2 or 3 large cooking apples. Cut into ½ inch slices. Core. Melt 3 tbsp shortening in skillet. When hot, add apple rings. Fry on both sides until nicely browned., Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Fill centers with jelly.
Woman’s Home Companion October 1932
Boston Belles
3 medium-sized potatoes
1 cup dried codfish
1 beaten egg
¼ cup milk
Shortening for deep frying
Pare and cube potatoes. Add codfish. Cover with water. Bring to boil. Drain. Add fresh water. Cook until tender. Drain and mash. Add egg and milk. Drop by tablespoons into deep hot shortening heated to 375 degree fah. Fry until brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with egg sauce: Blend 2 tbsp shortening with 2 tbsp flour. Stir in 1 cup hot milk. Cook slowly until thick. Stir to keep smooth. Before serving, add 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs and seasonings to taste.