Old Fashioned Cooking Tips

I've been baking a lot lately, partly to save money, and partly for the joy of it. Last week I made two types of cookies, brownies and lemon bread. Winter is such a good time to try new bread and cookie recipes. Later in the week I'll share a few I've tried.

Today I have cooking tips from the Home Comfort Cook Book, published in 1948. Can we ever really have too may kitchen or cooking tips?

To keep a bowl steady when mixing, place it on a wet, folded cloth.

If the top of a cake is sprinkled with flour as soon as it is taken from the oven, icing will spread more easily and not be so likely to run off.

To cut boiled eggs more easily, dip the knife in water beforehand.

Dip fish into scalding water for a minute to scale more easily.

A teaspoon of vinegar added to the water in which white fish is boiled improves flavor and makes flesh firmer.

Juices of spiced and pickled fruits are good for basting meats, especially ham or tongue.

Save liquids from pickles to use for pickled beets, slaw or for moistening meat or fish sandwich fillings.

Use damp scissors to cut marshmallows, dates and figs easily.

To bake potatoes faster, quickly boil in water 10 minutes first, then put in a hot oven.

For crisp, edible skins, scrub well, dry and rub with bacon fat before putting in oven.

To make rice white and fluffy, add 1 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar to each quart of water while cooking.

To prevent brown sugar from hardening place it in tightly closed container. If already hard, soften it by placing in a slow oven . Or place in closed fruit jar with slice of soft bread.

Mary Emma gives us tips for keeping our own cooking journal:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/kitchen46.html

~Brenda

Equivalents For Older Recipes & More

I decided today to share some equivalents from my 1950 edition of the Culinary Arts Institute of Encyclopedic Cookbook. These are some I picked that not only are useful in general cooking, but will help if you enjoy making recipes from older cookbooks and need to know what to use in place of an ingredient.

EASY SUBSTITUTES

When the recipe calls for---

1 cup sweet milk in a batter, you can use 1/2 cup evaporated milk and 1/2 cup water.

OR 1 cup skim milk and 2 tbsp. fat (oil, butter etc.)

When you need--

1 ounce chocolate you can use 4 tbsp. cocoa and 1/2 tbsp. butter or margarine.

When a recipe calls for 1 cup granulated sugar--

Use 1 cup brown sugar, packed

OR 3/4 cup honey, but reduce the liquid slightly

2 cups corn syrup, reducing liquid

1 1/2 cups maple syrup, reducing liquid

STANDARD CAN SIZES

8 ounces (may be listed as oz, or Z) = 1 cup

Picnic No. 1= 1 1/4 cups

12 ounce=1 2/3 cups

No. 300=1 3/4 cups

No. 1 tall=2 cups

No. 2=2 1/2 cups

No. 2 1/2=3 1/2 cups

No. 3=4 cups

No. 3 squat=2 3/4 cups

No. 5=7 1/3 cups

No. 10=13 cups

No. 1 square= 1 pound

No. 2 1/2 square=31 ounces

MISC. SUBSTITUTES

1 bouillon cube = 1 tsp. extract

1 tbsp. cornstarch=2/3 tbsp. arrowroot

OR 1 3/4 tbsp. wheat or rice flour

1 tbsp. fresh grated horseradish= 2 tbsp. bottled

1 1/2 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca=1/4 cup pearl tapioca soaked at least one hour

ON OFL: The biscuits didn't turn out. What went wrong?

http://oldfashionedliving.com/biscuit.html

Home Comfort Soups from 1948

Winter came down to our home one night quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,and we, we were children once again. ~Bill Morgan, Jr.

We just finished dinner, BBQ chicken and potato wedges, and I was thinking about soups again. I know, I'm a little odd, but winter makes me crave soups and chowders. I just found my copy of the Home Comfort Cook Book from 1948. It was published for Home Comfort Ranges and was originally "One dollar post paid". Don't we wish cookbooks cost that now:) This time period is great for finding recipes that use thrifty ingredients. I thought I'd share a few of the recipes.

Cream of Corn Soup

2 cups boiling water

2 cups canned cream style corn

1/2 cup chopped celery and leaves

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 tbsp. chopped onions

2 cups milk

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. paprika

Add water to corn. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes with celery, parsley and onion. Melt butter, add flour and when well blended add milk slowly. Strain corn mixture and add to white sauce. Season, heat to boiling point and serve with sprinkling of additional parley on top of each soup plate. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

Chicken Bisque

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup top milk *see note

1 cup cooked ground chicken

salt and paprika

Melt butter, blend in flour, add chicken stock gradually, then top milk and ground chicken. Season to taste. Heat well and serve-luscious preceding a salad main course at luncheon topped with whipped cream, sprinkled with paprika. Makes about 5 cups.

Note: Top milk is the milk that was "topped" from whole milk that still had the cream in it. You can use half and half or cream instead.

Onion Soup

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions

3/4 cup water

4 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

6 cups stock (beef, chicken, vegetable)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

salt

pepper

toast

grated cheese

Brown onions in butter. Stir in flour, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer covered for one hour. Season with salt and pepper. Place in oven proof dishes. Cover top with toast sprinkled with cheese. Put in hot oven until cheese is melted. Serve at once. Makes 6 cups.

Notes: Toast can be Italian or French bread that's been sliced and lightly toasted. Sprinkle with Parmesan, Swiss or other cheese and heat under broiler.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 pound mushrooms

2 cups stock or water

1 small stalk celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

2 sprigs parsley

2 tbsp. butter

2 tbsp. flour

2 cups cream

1 1/4 tsp. salt

Wash mushrooms, trim stems and cover with stock. Add celery, parsley, peeled carrots and onion. Simmer for 20 minutes. Drain vegetables, reserving stock and put through at food chopper (blender or food processor). Melt butter, add flour, and blend well. Add mushroom stock slowly and hot cream. Add the vegetables, season and serve. Makes 4 1/2 cups.

Check out this article from Mary Emma on winter chowders:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/chowders.html

~Brenda

Cleaning Up Around the House

I've been sorting and cleaning the last two weeks, trying to make less clutter around our house. This isn't easy with two teenagers and a ten year old who all take after mom, and tend to keep papers and every book they've ever read. Going with the theme of cleaning I thought I'd share these household tips today from The Detroit Free Press Women's Department, published in sometime during the 1930's.

Removing Egg Stains: Soaking in cold water is good for egg-stained plates, but hot water will cook egg more firmly to the plate. Utensils used for cooking fish, onions or other foods or strong odor should be soaked five minutes in warm water to which a spoonful of vinegar has been added. They should be soaked in soapy water before the vinegar.

Silver Cleaner: When using an aluminum pan for cleansing silver, permit the silver to soak only a few seconds. Place the tarnished silverware in a clean aluminum saucepan , add boiling water enough to cover, and one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of baking soda for each quart of water. Cover the saucepan and let stand a few seconds , then remove silver, rinse well in clear, warm water and wipe with a soft towel.

Aluminum Cleaner: To remove discolorations from aluminum , add cool water and a spoonful of vinegar, let boil half an hour, then rinse well and dry at once.

Ink Stains: Lemon juice is very useful for ink stains. Rub the juice on the mark at once, leave for five or ten minutes, then wash off with milk. Hydrogen Peroxide used before laundering will take ink from white goods.

Blood Stains: Wash in cold water until stain is partly removed and then wash with warm water and soap. Or wash with cold water and salt. If material is heavy, apply a thick paste of raw starch and water. Leave this until dry and then brush off. Repeat if necessary.

For great tips on removing perspiration stains read this on OFL:

http://oldfashionedliving.com/stains3.html

~Brenda

Starting Off the Year With Cooking Ideas

It's hard for me to believe we are nine days into 2011 and I'm just now on the blog. It's been chaotic to say the least. I've had two kids home sick, and my husband, but at least they waited to catch those nasty germs until after the holidays. I've been cleaning this weekend, and looking through recipes trying to find a few new recipes that might please everyone, not just one or two of us. Also, one of the things I received for Christmas was a revolving spice rack, and I've been looking over my notes with herb blend recipes and suggestions. I'll share a few of those, but first I had a couple of emails to answer from readers, and to share.

CORRECTION

I posted a waffle recipe in December and left off the amount of pancake mix, but I did fix it later. The post is here: http://oldtips.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-entertaining-breakfast-brunch.html Sorry about that:)

READER'S TIP
One of our readers, Jacqui, sent me this suggestion after seeing a salad recipe I shared. Thanks:)

Another salad that is great for Christmas--and especially if these ingredients are available-- is a spinach salad or green salad topped with tangerine pieces, avocados and any kind of nuts that you like. I like to dress it with a nut oil like walnut oil, avocado oil, hazelnut oil and an orange vinaigrette. Cuisine Perel makes a wonderful blood orange vinegar but it is pricey at $8.99 a bottle. It lasts and lasts but it is expensive. For a less expensive and equally good dressing I use either fig or pomegranate vinegar on this salad. It is absolutely wonderful. Thanks for such a great year round newsletter ! Jacqui in Monterey, CA

HERB BLENDS
Below are a few herb/spice blends to try this winter, using dried herbs.

Cajun Style Seasoning Mix

1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
Optional: 1/4 tsp. cumin

Combine and store in a glass jar.

Lemon and Herb Seasoning

2 tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dill
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried lemon peel (grind if it's too large)
Optional: 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

You can use more dill, I just don't like it to overwhelm the other flavors. The salt and pepper is completely optional-- or use just one of them if you wish. This recipe doesn't have garlic powder, but you could add a small amount of that too. Combine the ingredients and store in a glass jar.

Italian Style Blend

1/2 cup dried oregano
1/2 cup dried basil
2 tbsp. dried sage
1 tbsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. garlic powder (not salt)
1 tbsp. lemon pepper
1 tbsp. garlic pepper
2 tbsp. salt

This is a larger quantity but can be used with so many things that it should be used fairly quickly. I love flavored peppers instead of salt so I tend to have them on hand. If you don't, then you could substitute black pepper, and garlic powder. The lemon is nice, but it would taste fine without it.

On OFL I have some tips on using chili powder:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/chilipowder.html

Happy New Year!

I hope you all have a 2011 full of blessings, good health and many special moments:) I wanted to share a few quotations to start off the New Year.

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things. ~John Burroughs

Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down. ~Charles F. Kettering

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want. ~Margaret Young

People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do. ~Lewis Cass

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. ~Frank A. Clark

Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you. ~Marsha Norman

Thank you for reading my ramblings:)
~Brenda

New Year's Eve Recipes

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I hope everyone had a special Christmas celebration. This year we spent a quiet Christmas with our three kids at home. It was nice because for the first time in years my husband had Christmas Eve and Christmas off from the hospital. This week is chaotic as we visit my family and his family for our holiday celebrations, then come home to have a quiet New Year's Eve.

I thought I would share some nice recipes from an old book I've had in my collection for years, entitled The Wine Cook Book by Cora, Rose and Bob Brown, published in 1960. It's a quirky little cookbook that I love because a lot of the recipes use herbs. The following recipes would work wonderfully for New Years Eve.

Mussels in White Wine

Ingredients:

2 quarts mussels

1 onion chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

parsley, chopped

1 cup wine

1 tsp. butter

salt

pepper

Wash mussels in water several times; make sure the shells are clean. Put them in a deep pot, sprinkle with parsley, onion and garlic chopped together, add butter, salt, pepper and wine. Cook for 15 minutes over a brisk fire, keeping closely covered. When mussels are open, dish out into soup plates, serving the liquor in cups into which each mussel is dipped before eating.

Shrimps a' la Marinera

Ingredients:

18 large shrimps

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 bay leaf, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. minced parsley

salt

pepper

1 cup dry white wine

Thoroughly wash and shell the shrimps. Slowly fry the onion in olive oil, add garlic, bay leaf and parsley; add pepper and shrimps and fry for 3 minutes. Then add wine and a little salt. Cook gently for 20 minutes. The sauce may be thickened with a teaspoon of cornstarch, melted in a little water if desired.

Oysters in Champagne

Ingredients:

3 dozen oysters

1/3 cup toasted bread crumbs

1/4 cup butter

1 tbsp. minced parsley

salt and pepper

1 pint champagne

Drain oysters well. Melt butter in a wide saucepan, lay in the oysters, baste with the butter, sprinkle with toasted crumbs, salt, pepper and parsley. Pour in the champagne and heat slowly until the oysters plump and edge crinkle. Do not boil. Serve on hot toasted bread, or in hot soup plates.

Champagne Punch

Ingredients:

4 cups sugar

juice of 12 lemons

1 pineapple, in cubes

3 quarts ice water

1 quart strawberries or raspberries

1 quart white wine

1 quart champagne

Dissolve 3 cups sugar in lemon juice. Dredge pineapple cubes with 1 cup sugar and allow to stand. Pour ice water into punch bowl, stir in sugar and lemon, then the berries, slightly crushed, and the sugared pineapple. Stir in wine and champagne and serve cold.

What dish is served traditionally on New Years? We have recipes!

http://oldfashionedliving.com/holidays/blackeyedpeas.html