Feeding the masses
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Betty Boylan of Emporia gave me a whole box of cookbooks last year. They have been fascinating!
You’ve already read about many of the wonderful things she donated to the cause, and now here’s another one.
“Meals for Many” is a February 1942 publication by the Cornell Bulletin for Homemakers. The authors were Katharine W. Harris and Marion A. Wood. I was particularly interested in this book since it was published during W.W.II, a time when large groups of people were having their routines disrupted.
There was a whole lot of group eating going on during the war. Socializing was very important since so many people were missing parts of their families. By January of 1942 America knew their food was going to be rationed, and slogans like “Can Because You Can,” “Food is Ammunition — Don’t Waste It,” and “Use Cornmeal; It Saves Wheat” made it pretty clear that a little group cooperation was needed.
Many organizations set up food services for communities and traveling troops. One was the Red Cross, which set up canteens near military installations, at train stations, and ports of embarkation. Canteen volunteers worked daily securing supplies, preparing food and drinks, setting up facilities, and serving the troops. They also provided snacks at wartime blood donor centers around the country.
“Meals for Many” was clearly written in response to a need: Feeding a big crowd well on a tight supply and budget. They do write in the foreword: “Requests for help that have come to the College furnished the basis upon which this bulletin was developed. The publication is definitely needed now when food for health is of utmost importance.” Also, there is an entire chapter on efficient canteen service, where they note: “Unusual influxes of persons into a community or disasters that disrupt normal living may require mobile equipment that has been arranged to provide simple, but substantial food.” It goes on to detail every minutiae for sending out a truck to feed anywhere from 100 to 650 people.
“Meals for Many” is very specific. There are charts for what certain nutrients are good for and how to get them, on how to plan portions, balance menus, use substitutions, understand USDA food grading, calculate your food costs and even how to use up the leftovers. There are lots of menus for any occasion, and even meat-substitute recipes. When you’re making dinner for 500 on “Meatless Tuesday” that can come in really handy!
The chapter on sandwiches is a real hoot. Sliced bread had just been on the market a mere 10 years, and was off the market again during the war since the Wonder Bread people couldn’t get replacement blades. According to the company history, in 1941 Wonder Bread was involved in a government-supported move to enrich white bread with vitamins and minerals to improve nutrition.
That’s interesting, considering the country had just gone through the Depression where huge numbers of people in this country were starving and malnourished. They didn’t make a big deal out of it, so it was called the “quiet miracle.” Bread enrichment nearly eliminated the diseases Beriberi and Pellagra and brought essential nutrients to people who previously could not afford nutritious foods. In fact, the authors note that by adding a bit of fresh or dried brewer’s yeast and some wheat germ to your sandwich fillings the “nutritive value of sandwiches may be increased.”
When it comes to sandwiches, the authors state that a loaf of day-old Pullman bread is perfect for building a sandwich (A Pullman is a French bread baked in a rectangular loaf pan so that it comes out fairly square. It was used on the Pullman cars on the railroad, hence the name). The authors also encourage using flavored breads like “nut, orange, banana, date, raisin, fig...” to add variety. All of the sandwiches are buttered — I was wondering aloud about that, and Linda Kurzen pointed out that butter is a good sealer, so if your sandwich filling is moist, the butter will help keep the bread from getting soggy. It also adds that little bit of extra nutrition. Makes sense!
The authors make a point that if your cheese and meat are bought in bricks then you can control the size of slices and standardize “production.” Your bread, meat and cheese will all be about the same shape and size. Waxed paper is the choice for wrapping sandwiches, and they recommend looking for precut sheets to speed the process. Finally, there are recipes, each for 50 sandwiches and when the cost is all worked out not one costs more than 4 cents each (in 1942 currency).
DEVILED CHEESE SANDWICH
1 1/4 lbs. butter
100 slices bread
3 1/2 lbs. cheddar cheese, chopped
1 cup catsup
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp. paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
Butter both sides of the sliced bread. Thoroughly mix the remaining ingredients. Using a No. 24 scoop (about 2 ounces, I think), build sandwiches assembly style, wrap in paper and store in a cool place before serving.
There are lots of non-meat options in this book, and the meats that are there are “extended” in some way (meat loaf), meats that weren’t rationed (liver and onion sandwich spread) or are fish. As one slogan said: “Eat Fish, They Feed Themselves!”
Several are made out of dried fruits or a combination of cottage or cream cheese and vegetables. This one sounds perfect for tea sandwiches.
TUTTI FRUTTI SANDWICH
1 1/4 lbs. butter
100 slices bread
2 lbs. dates
12 oz. figs
2 1/2 cups raisins, seeded
2 1/2 cups walnuts
3 1/2 to 4 cups orange juice
Butter one side of the sliced bread. Grind the fruits and nuts together, moisten with orange juice. Spread and wrap.
There are lots of baked goods in this book. You couldn’t just run out to the store and expect to grab a box of cookies whenever you wanted, you know! Almost all of the recipes make either 8 pies, 5 dozen cookies or 6 single-layer cakes. Sugar rationing is mentioned, but there is a list of substitutions like corn syrup, honey or molasses.
If you ever felt the need to make 8 Dutch apple pies, here's what you’d need! In 1942 money, each pie would have cost 3 cents.
DUTCH APPLE PIE
9 quarts sliced apples (15 lbs.)
7 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups light cream
1 1/4 cups milk
8 8-in. prepared pie crusts
Place 6 cups of apples in each crust. Mix the sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon. Add the cream and milk and beat with a wire whip or in an electric mixer. Pour this mixture over the apples, using 1 1/4 cups for each pie. Add a lattice top or plain top crust.
Bake the pies in a hot oven (425ºF) for from 10 to 15 minutes; reduce the temperature to moderate (350ºF), and bake until done. If the crusts become brown before the apples are cooked, cover them with squares of brown paper.
Now, here’s one that could come in handy during the holidays, perhaps for your church social or office party? This makes 2 gallons — punch for 50!
CHRISTMAS WASSAIL
4 1/4 cups sugar
2 quarts water
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
6 sticks cinnamon
3 Tsbp. candied ginger, chopped
2 qts. orange juice
2 cups lemon juice
1 gallon cider
Combine the sugar and water and boil the mixture for 10 minutes. Add the cloves, cinnamon and ginger; cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour.
Strain the wassail and add the orange juice, lemon juice and cider; bring to a boiling point and serve immediately.
That’s just a sampling of this interesting cookbook from a fascinating period of history. It helps to remind us how convenient our lives are now to think of what had to be done only 60 years ago and that we have so much to be thankful for.
Next week we’ve got some cookie recipes for you! Your challenge as we enter the final stretch of the year is for some good, hot one-dish meals that we can whip together very quickly. That includes using a crock-pot! Send your recipes to murphysmenu@yahoo.com or Murphy’s Menu, PO Drawer C, Emporia by 5 p.m. Monday. Let’s get cooking!