Contents
introduction - revisitin
recipe 1 - green bean
recipe 2 - mac and c
recipe 3 - scalloped p recipe 4 - meatloaf
recipe 5 - chiffon cak
ng the 50’s kitchen
n casserole
cheese
potatoes
ke
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1950’s that a revolution began in the kitchen of housewives everywhere. n of convenience foods became available along with appliances to add venience - all in the name of making the job of the housewife more d to allow more time for family. Brand names like Jell-O, Crisco, Mazola ury played predominant roles. Time-saving items such as cake mixes and frostings, canned soups, frozen vegetables and TV dinners began to truly mark, and one-dish casseroles were taking over the culinary scene in
ate for REAL food it seems to me that this was when cooking and food as egan on it’s downward spiral. Fewer and fewer woman were practicing preserving their own foods, while increased reliance on convenience oted, often at the expense of quality and nutrition. There began to be less al and seasonal food items as interest in more exotic and worldly food piquing curiosity - not that I’m against exotic or worldly tastes, but it is t the local and seasonally-fresh part.
ovement of sorts taking place in the kitchens of many foodies today e on the rise, the Slow Food movement is growing in strength, foodies are experimenting with REAL food once again with the goal of breathing o the near-extinct traditional food practices that were nothing but ce before the 50’s.
ini cook book, at the risk of insulting 50’s traditionalists everywhere, I will evive some classic 50’s recipes with my current philosophy of eating REAL. can be done.
healthfully yours,
Honey Chiffon
Green bean casserole seems to have been concocted around the mid 1950‟s by the Campbell‟s Soup Co. and is traditionally made with a can of cream of mushroom soup. For this version we omit the soup and let the fresh green beans shine.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (use white, brown, or shitake) 1 1/2 pounds green beans, cut to 2” pieces pinches of salt, pepper, and/or chilli flakes to taste 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup olive or coconut oil Shallots, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rings
Method 1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and garlic - sauté until it softened but not brown. Add mushrooms, and cook until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt, pepper, chilli flakes. 2. Meanwhile, cook beans in a steamer or boiling water until bright green and just tender. Drain, and plunge into ice cold water to stop cooking. When cooled, toss drained beans with mushroom mixture; set aside.
3. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over mediumlow heat. Add 1/4 cup flour, whisk constantly until mixture begins to turn golden. Pour in milk, and continue whisking until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, and let cool. Stir, then pour over beans, and toss to combine. 4. Butter a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Spread the green-beans into the pan. Combine the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over casserole. Cover with foil. 5. Heat broiler, positioning rack about 8 inches from heat. Cook casserole until mixture is bubbly and heated through, about 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook until top is golden brown, about 30 seconds. 6. For the shallots - heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Toss shallot rings with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Fry the shallots in batches, turning frequently, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle the fried shallots over top, and serve immediately. adaptation of a recipe from Martha Stewart
Let‟s face it, there is an endless collection of great mac and cheese recipes out there so I am not claiming to have a fabulous new idea here. My only message is - get REAL - in the 50‟s we got excited about the new, time-saving and novelty processed foods, but now it‟s time to bring back REAL food to our table - for the love of food!
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish Coarse salt and ground pepper, chilli flakes if you like some heat 1 pound good quality pasta, preferably NOT elbow macaroni - try something interesting 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder 4 cups whole milk 4 ounces or 1 cup each of 3 cheeses - find three that have flavours that work together - I love extra old white cheddar, Havarti for creaminess and Oka for depth of flavour (and because it’s Canadian) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1 cup good quality bread crumbs - spelt or panko work great
Method 1. Cook pasta until al dente - or just a bit harder than your usual preference 2. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Transfer 2 tablespoons melted butter to a small bowl; set aside for topping. Add flour and mustard powder to remaining butter in saucepan. Cook, whisking, 1 minute (do not let flour darken). Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring often. 3. Remove sauce from heat. Gradually whisk in grated cheeses; add Worcestershire sauce, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add sauce to pasta, and toss to combine; transfer to prepared baking dish. 4. Add reserved melted butter to breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Scatter crumbs over pasta in baking dish. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.) 5. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in a 400 F oven until topping is golden and sauce is bubbling, 20 - 30 minutes. (If refrigerated, bake for 30 to 35 minutes.) adaptation of a recipe from Martha Stewart
Scalloped potatoes bring back fond memories of family dinners for me - it is definitely an “old fashioned” dish. Though technically not invented in the 1950‟s, it would definitely have been a staple casserole on dinner tables. Lately potatoes have been shunned, but in the name of REAL food I‟m going out on a limb and saying “go ahead, eat some potatoes, they are not the enemy.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish 2 leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced, and rinsed well (about 1 cup) 4 large russet potatoes and 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 cup light or heavy cream 1 cup homemade or store-bought chicken stock 8 ounces (3 cups) shredded Gruyere or extra old white cheddar cheese cheese is optional, thyme, paprika or nutmeg can be added for additional flavour, and you can choose all white or all sweet potatoes if preferred
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12-cup baking dish. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile combine chicken stock and cream with salt, pepper and any seasonings.
Arrange 1/3 of each white then sweet potatoes in dish, slightly overlapping slices. followed by 1/2 of the leeks and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat. Top with remaining potatoes in a spiral - alternating sweet and white slices. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Pour the cream mixture over the top. Cover with parchment and foil. (Mixture can be refrigerated overnight.)
Bake for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 425 degrees, uncover, and cook until top is golden brown and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Let rest for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
adaptation of a recipe from Martha Stewart
You either love it or hate it - but meatloaf made from the best quality ingredients can take many delicious forms. What‟s not to love!? It‟s like a big meatball!
Tomato Relish (make first):
For the Relish first…
Extra-virgin olive oil Preheat pan with a little bit of oil over 1 onion, finely diced medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 bay leaves and bay leaves for a few minutes to 2 red bell peppers, cored, and finely diced create a base flavour. Throw in the red 2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced peppers and cook them for a couple 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley of minutes to soften. Now add the 1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup tomatoes. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and Worcestershire; season with salt Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavours together. Remove it from the heat and let cool. You should have about 4 cups of relish.
adaptation of a recipe from Tyler Florence
Meatloaf 2 cups good quality bread crumbs 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 medium carrot, chopped 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley 12 ounces each of ground beef and pork preferably pasture-raised 12 ounces ground veal, preferably milk-fed 1 large egg 1 cup Tomato Relish plus more for topping 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Meatloaf Pulse garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and parsley in food processor until finely chopped. Combine with breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add meats, egg, 1 cup tomato relish, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix together using your hands. Transfer mixture to a 5-by-9 -inch loaf pan. Top with a generous coating of the relish.
adaptation of a recipe from Martha Stewart
Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reaches 160 degrees F, about 1 1/2 hours. Let cool slightly.
Cake Ingredients 2 cups (500 mL) cake and pastry flour
It is sometimes said that everyone‟s fir method meticulously, and use the co
2 teaspoons (10mL) baking powder 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
Method
1/2 cup (125 mL) canola or melted coconut oil
Preheat oven to 325 °F
Sift flour, sugar, 2 teaspoons of ba
pinch of salt zest from 2 large oranges (finely grated outer peel) juice from 2 large oranges, with additional water if needed to equal 3/4 cup (6 liquid oz) 7 eggs - separated
1 more teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda
Glaze Ingredients
2 cups icing sugar
Using an electric mixer on low spe do not overwork
In a separate large bowl, beat roo beaters and beat until stiff, but no
Fold the egg whites into the batte
Line the bottom of the pan with a removable bottom is best
Pour the batter into the NON-grea air pockets
Bake until springy to the touch, ab
Immediately invert the pan over a circulates underneath , allowing it can stand it upside down without
Allow to cool completely before r of the pan to loosen. Transfer cak
Chiffon cake was said to have been invented in the 1920‟s, but it really became a sensation in the late „40s and early „50‟s when the secret ingredient , vegetable oil , was revealed and the recipe became widely available to housewives. Prior to this, shortening or butter was typically used in cake making and at this time new vegetable oils were being heavily marketed as a healthier alternative, likely influencing the growing popularity of this cake. I prefer to use unrefined oils such as coconut oil in my recipes. If you choose a vegetable oil choose canola rather than corn oil or standard vegetable oil.
rst attempt at chiffon cake fails, but don‟t be discouraged. The key is to follow the rrect type of pan - a smooth sided, two-piece tube pan and do NOT grease it first.
aking powder and salt into a large bowl.
eed, beat in oil, egg yolks, orange juice and lemon peel until just well blended,
om temperature egg whites with 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Use clean, dry ot dry.
er gently - this is important so that you don’t lose the fluffiness of the whites.
a ring of parchment paper to help avoid leaking - a two piece pan with a
ased pan, then tap gently on the counter to remove any large
bout 1 to 1 1/4 hours
a bottle or jar - be sure that it is suspended over the counter so that air t to cool. Some chiffon tube pans have little legs on them so that you t having to use a jar.
removing - run a thin spatula or knife around the sides ke to a plate and drizzle with glaze.
Credits Honey Chiffon is a fictional celebrity chef created in The Sims 3 I am Crystal Mickolwin, Registered Dietitian and REAL foodie You can find more by me at www.toomuchgoodfoodblog.blogspot.com/ and more by Minraed at www.minraed.webs.com Special Thanks to‌ www.marthastewart.com for inspired new and REAL takes on old recipes RicciNumbers for the vintage food and The Sims Resource gang for inspiration and to all of my food loving friends who inspire me and who always come over to help me eat up the food that I cook