Memory Monday: Food in 1917

My daddy

FOOD IN 1917

"FOOD IS FUEL FOR FIGHTERS. Do not waste it. Save WHEAT, MEAT, SUGARS AND FATS. Send more to our Soldiers, Sailors and Allies."

The above is the open to the preface of a book about food during World War 1, titled Every Day Foods in War Times, with a copyright date of 1917 (the year my father was born).

Women of the day were encouraged to have victory gardens and not use certain foods so there would be enough for the men fighting.

Below are a few of the interesting recipes I found in the book.

Potato Drop Cookies

Hot mashed potatoes 1 ½ cups

Sugar, ¼ cups

Beef or mutton fat, 1 cup

Flour, 1 ¾ cups

Baking powder, 2 tea­spoons

Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon

Cloves, ½ teaspoon

Nutmeg, ½ teaspoon

Raisins, chopped, ½ cup

Nuts, chopped, ¼ cup

Combine the ingredients in the order given and drop the mixture by spoonfuls on a slightly greased tin. Bake the cookies in a moderate oven.

(I can almost see my grandmother trimming a piece of raw meat--something they got for a special occasion or maybe my grandmother just went to the butcher and bought the fat to render--putting the fat in a pot, and rendering it down to have the fat for these cookies. Then she used the left-over potatoes that she saved back from supper the night before to use for this dessert. Maybe this would have been for my daddy’s first birthday.)

Peanut Loaf (10)

   Chopped peanuts, 1 cup         Salt, 1 ½ teaspoons

      Bread crumbs, 2 cups              Paprika, ¼ teaspoon

             Egg, 1                                     Melted fat, 1 tablespoon

                                         Milk, 1 cup

Mix dry ingredients, add beaten egg and milk. Put into a greased pan, pour the melted fat on top, bake. Turn onto a hot platter and serve with sauce.

Sauce for Loaf

                                                   Hot water, 1 cup       Flour, 2 tablespoons  

                                                    Beef cube, 1             Salt, ½ teaspoon       

                                                    Juice 1 lemon           Paprika, A teaspoon

            Fat, 2 tablespoons      Few grains nutmeg

Melt fat, add flour with seasoning, add hot water in which beef cube has been dissolved. Just before serving add lemon juice.

This nut loaf with its accompanying sauce is a highly nutritious dish and is excellent for lunch or supper. Serve no meat or potatoes with it.

(These ladies were really dedicated to helping out the men who fought to protect our country.)

Mock Sausage

Lima beans, dried, 1/2 cup      Pepper, few grains

                                      Bread Crumbs, 1/3 cup            Salt, 1/4 teaspoon

        Butter, 3 Tablespoons             Sage, 1/2-3/4 teaspoons

                                       Egg 1               

Pick over and wash beans, cover with water, and let soak overnight. Drain; cook in boiling salted water until tender, about one and one-half hours.

Force through a strainer, add remaining ingredients. Shape into form of sausages, roll in crumbs, egg, and crumbs again. Sauté in fat until brown. It requires about two-thirds cup crumbs and one-half egg for dipping sausage. May be garnished with fried apples.

(This might be my least favorite of the recipes. Somehow, even with my eyes closed, I wouldn’t think these were the same as Better with Cheddar Brats. Something I wonder about—what did the homemaker do with the other half of the egg?)

When all is said and done, one really has to admire the American homemakers of 1917