We’re getting a lovely, soft, gentle rain this morning, and it’s supposed to last all day. Good day for books and naps and a pot of soup. I was talking recently with a longtime friend who will be moving into an arrangement like mine—a cottage on her daughter’s property. I asked how much space she would have and volunteered that I have 600 square feet. She said her cottage, not yet built, would have about 1200. That got me to wondering what I would do with more space. What I have is fine—except the kitchen. I would love a bigger kitchen.
My
kitchen is probably 6 x 10 feet, with a counter that holds a double sink and a
smaller counter that holds my hot plate and toaster oven. In my small space, I
have a huge refrigerator—but no stove. The lifesaver has been a wooden
butcher-block type piece I had built for a different kitchen years ago. A lower
shelf holds junk—dog food and treats and water, paper bags for carrying out
garbage, a couple of odd flowerpots I should get rid of.
What I
don’t have: air fryer, instant pot, microwave, and storage space, although
Jordan has loaded my cabinets with a remarkable amount of canned goods—she did
that at the beginning of quarantine, and we keep replenishing it.
In my limited
quarters tonight, I’ll cook pork medallions in a mustard/tarragon sauce and a
black bean/corn/feta salad. Maybe I’ll ask Christian to make some noodles. Jordan
has been away for the weekend, so this is a welcome-home dinner.
Last
night I stumbled on a website all about things that Americans cooked and ate in
the fifties and sixties but never see now. I beg to differ with the author—for instance,
my family still loves our Christmas cheeseball, and I would like some cheese
fondue made with Emmenthal. The fifties were notable for jellied foods and most
of those were pretty extreme, but I have a chicken loaf recipe that I treasure—just
chicken, saltines, and Knox gelatin. Also on my maybe list: creamed chipped
beef on toast. I know, I know. It has a horrible reputation, and the last time
I made it I didn’t find it as good as I remembered. But I have had it when it
was a rich and good breakfast dish. A banana split may not be as popular as it once
was, but I think it would still be a tasty occasional treat.
One of
the longest lasting controversies in the food world is about cooking with
canned soups. Many people declare them passé, but I still fix recipes that call
for mushroom soup (several tuna and chicken dishes) and my family craves a rice
dish that has cream of celery soup. I remember a critic who reviewed my first
cookbook and declared haughtily that she would never use canned soup—she would
make her own. I looked at recipes for approximating what the Campbell folks do
pretty well and decided that it had as many preservatives, were three times the
work, and probably were watery. Nope, I’m sticking with my canned soup. They
take up some of that minimal space in my cupboard.
Not so
high on my list: jellied potato salad made in a loaf pan—potato salad is so
good. Why mess with what works? How about onions stuffed with peanut butter and
baked? I’ll pass on that too, thank you. Rainbow grilled cheese? I shudder to
think how the cheese got to be all those colors.
There
seems to have been a concerted effort to sell hot dogs. Food companies offered
recipes for a crown roast made with hot dogs, the center filled I think with
mashed potatoes. (Sauerkraut might be a tiny improvement.) Or you could make a
jellied ring of Spaghetti-Os and fill the center with chopped hot dogs.
All of
this interests me particularly because of my study of Helen Corbitt, the duenna
of food service at Neiman Marcus. Throughout a long career, not just as Neiman’s,
she was spokesperson (and teacher) for the highest quality as opposed to
expediency, and she came to fame just at the height of the introduction of convenience
foods to American kitchens. A fascinating contrast.
If you’re interested in the website, here’s the link: Profitable Food Industry Trends Through the Decades | Investing Magazine. You might find some old friends among these vintage recipes. I would welcome your comments, stories, and recipes. Contact me at j.alter@tcu.edu
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