Depression Era Cooking

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wosnes
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Depression Era Cooking

Post by wosnes » Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:07 pm

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Blithe Morning
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Post by Blithe Morning » Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:00 pm

The Low Carb people would be appalled at the pasta with peas but it sounds good to me.

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winnie96
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Post by winnie96 » Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:07 pm

The videos are just delightful, Wosnes -- thanks for the links. (I may make the peas & pasta for supper tonight; I'll let you know how much the ingredients cost here in 2008!)

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Post by wosnes » Sat Oct 11, 2008 5:36 pm

The one with canned peas doesn't appeal to me -- I can't stand canned peas -- but it might not be bad with frozen or fresh.

I was thinking about doing the potatoes with the hot dogs -- only I have 2 sausages to use up or some leftover roast beef. Can you say "hash?"
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by winnie96 » Sun Oct 12, 2008 1:53 am

I did make the pasta and peas for dinner tonight, and I must say, it was really, really tasty and satisfying. (I understand that canned peas are not everybody's cuppa, but I wanted to try it authentically the first time around. Next time would probably use frozen peas, although the "no salt added" canned "small peas" are pretty good).

The cost per serving was about $1.06. I think Clara said that $1.00, a huge sum in the Depression, would buy a whole sack of potatoes, but $1.06 is still a pretty economical meal in 2008 ... that's the only thing we had for dinner and as I said, it was very satisfying. Part of the appeal is that the taste is very simple (no shallots! no cilantro! no basil!) -- tasted very "clean".

The relevance, for me, to this forum topic is that previously, for me to have peas and pasta was totally verboten -- binges only! Now, this recipe sounded so appealing, I just went ahead and cooked it vs. calculating calories vs. fat vs. fiber, and the amount I ate was determined by what satisfied me vs. some contrived "serving size".

Preparing it was a hoot and a half! Brought me back to my grandmother's kitchen ... I wore my full apron, resisted the urge to add chicken broth and a touch of white wine, even used the energy-saving technique of turning off the gas -- but I think that is a story for the "Off Topic" forum so will try to post details there later. Suffice it to say: remembering my mother and grandmother in the details of preparation was a very sweet experience, which added to the overall joy I am finding in No-S. And I like the way Depression Cooking fits in with Shovelglove -- pretending that you have just sat down to supper after shoveling coal into the furnace! Priceless!

I do hope everybody else is experiencing the joy ... I hesitate to use the word "joy", but for me "joy" it is ... of No-S -- just an amazing journey!

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Re: Depression Era Cooking

Post by clicklbd » Sun Oct 12, 2008 2:10 am

wosnes wrote:These are interesting. Talk about simple food!
Wosnes, thank you so much for sharing these. SO interesting! The pasta with peas is pretty much Pasta fagioli, except with peas instead of the traditional beans. We used to eat pasta fagioli a LOT in college -- my roomie was first generation Italian, and her mom taught her to make fabulous pasta fagioli. cheap and filling.

Thank you again!

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Post by wosnes » Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:23 am

After I posted this, I googled "depression era recipes". Really interesting and many things I remember eating as a child -- my parents were teenagers at the beginning of the depression and married by the end of it -- and then there were the war years.

I made the potatoes with some of the leftover roast. It was delicious -- seasoned only with salt and pepper. Because I had some lettuce that was just a little beyond "fresh", I ate that with it. It was a very simple and satisfying meal.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by susieokla » Sun Oct 12, 2008 2:26 pm

Thanks for sharing, these are so neat. The Poorman's Meal looks yummy, I think I'll fix that for my kids. :wink:
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Post by wosnes » Sun Oct 12, 2008 2:46 pm

winnie96 wrote: Part of the appeal is that the taste is very simple (no shallots! no cilantro! no basil!) -- tasted very "clean". ... I wore my full apron, resisted the urge to add chicken broth and a touch of white wine, even used the energy-saving technique of turning off the gas --
I've been talking with my friends about the differences in the way we cook and the way our mother's cooked. One very obvious thing for most of us (and this may have as much to do with our ethnic background -- mostly Northern European -- as the times) -- is the lack of use of herbs and spices. I only remember my mother using salt, pepper, parsley (dried!), paprika and occasionally garlic powder -- which was pretty exotic. I don't remember basil, oregano or even chili powder! Of course there was cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and vanilla for baking. Never any wine in cooking and rarely stock, just water. There were definitely no heads of garlic, shallots, cilantro or a number of things I use routinely now.

I've really minimized the herbs and spices in my pantry, but still have what would like the the spice aisle at the grocery to my mother. Then there's what I buy or grow fresh.

I chuckled when Clara added tomato sauce to the Poorman's Dinner. My mom would have added ketchup -- and it would be equally as good, but different.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:32 am

What a wonderful post. It brought back memories for me as well.
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Re: Depression Era Cooking

Post by Merry » Thu Oct 16, 2008 12:01 am

wosnes wrote:These are interesting. Talk about simple food!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OPQqH3YlHA
I made a variation of the Poorman's Meal tonight, using sliced ring sausage instead of hot dogs. Oh, that was delicious! My kids said, "best meal ever, Mom, make this again!" And so simple to make too!

Thanks, Merry :-)
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Post by TingTing » Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:37 pm

This is really cool! I think even I can cook the Poorman's Meal even though I rarely cook. It's very simple and it looks delicious!

Thank you for the vids! :D

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winnie96
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Post by winnie96 » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:13 am

I have finally gotten around to cooking Clara's Poorman's Meal (potato, onion, tomato sauce, hot dogs) for dins tonight, and it was just terrific! (However, I did cheat on authenticity, somewhat; I'm not a big hot dog fan so used Trader Joe's cooked chicken sausages). If you let it all cook down, the tomato sauce thickens it up, and if you take it off the heat just before the potato gets mushy, it's a very satisfying, chewy meal. Had one plate (of course): one-half Poorman's and one-half broccoli -- wow!

Just great, and there is something very ... I don't know how to describe it, fulfilling? comforting? ... about cooking in this simple fashion. The meal preparation is such a joy, it somehow makes the dish even more satisfying.

(One technique thing I did notice in the video: Clara is able to peel the potato and dice both potato and onion directly into the pot with a paring knife, much like I remember my mother being able to do. I still have Ma's paring knife, but I need to get out my Kyocera ceramic vegetable peeler, a cutting board and my fancy-schmancy santoku knife to accomplish the same thing).

And again, for me (ex-Super-Dieter!) to just go ahead and have a potato for dinner is just an amazing testimony to the power of No-S to "normalize" my eating. It wasn't four potatoes, it was one potato -- one of my favorite foods -- and it was delicious and just enough. (I'm thinking of "normalize", in this case, to mean getting potatoes off the "Always Forbidden" list and back into my everyday menus in reasonable quantities).

Anyway, for those of you who, like me, find this sort of recipe appealing, I can definitely recommend it on the basis of both taste and preparation fun.

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Post by connorcream » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:37 pm

One technique thing I did notice in the video: Clara is able to peel the potato and dice both potato and onion directly into the pot with a paring knife, much like I remember my mother being able to do. I still have Ma's paring knife, but I need to get out my Kyocera ceramic vegetable peeler, a cutting board and my fancy-schmancy santoku knife to accomplish the same thing).

I had the same feeling. I used my cutco knives on my boos cutting board from William Sonoma cooked in the All Clad pan, with sea salt. Tonight trying the peas and pasta. Made it with canned first time which was very good, now using the organic frozen peas because that is what I have.

Thanks for bringing up a good thread.
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Post by BrightAngel » Fri Nov 07, 2008 2:24 pm

wosnes,
I enjoyed the videos,
Thanks for sharing them.
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Post by winnie96 » Fri Nov 07, 2008 3:06 pm

connorcream wrote:I used my cutco knives on my boos cutting board from William Sonoma cooked in the All Clad pan, with sea salt.
Oh gosh, connorcream, you made me laugh out loud! When you step back and compare the equipment in a 1930's kitchen vs. today, you really have to chuckle -- and I mean at us! I'm really not even that much of a cook, but I still have all this stuff. Have to admit I am still using my copper-bottom Revere pans, but it may be time for an All Clad upgrade. Am going to forward this all to my sister, the real cook in the family, who is arguably the reason that William Sonoma is still in business -- not sure she has the Boos board ... yet. (She would be able to cook Poorman's Meal on her 6-burner Wolf!)

Good luck with the pasta and [organic] peas ... I enjoyed that recipe so much even with the canned peas, that I'm eager to try it again with frozen. And thanks so much for the chuckle!

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Post by connorcream » Sat Nov 08, 2008 2:12 pm

And thanks so much for the chuckle!

I too have to chuckle at trying to recreate a simpler cooking style. And it was on a 6 burner cooktop:-)

The organic peas were not as good as the canned peas. When I used the canned peas I got the no salt kind.
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Post by winnie96 » Sat Nov 08, 2008 2:29 pm

Karen: Very interesting that the frozen organic peas were not as good as the canned. I, too, used the no salt kind of canned peas when I made it, and got all kinds of grief from the anti-canned vegetable folks, (although I don't use them much either). Still want to give the frozen peas a shot, but it could very well be that the no-salt canned are just the right thing for this dish. Way to go with the 6-burner! (I'm still chuckling; our cooking bells and whistles vs. these recipes just cracks me up for some reason). Winnie

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Post by wosnes » Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:27 pm

winnie96 wrote:Karen: Very interesting that the frozen organic peas were not as good as the canned. I, too, used the no salt kind of canned peas when I made it, and got all kinds of grief from the anti-canned vegetable folks, (although I don't use them much either). Still want to give the frozen peas a shot, but it could very well be that the no-salt canned are just the right thing for this dish. Way to go with the 6-burner! (I'm still chuckling; our cooking bells and whistles vs. these recipes just cracks me up for some reason). Winnie
Did you drain the peas or not? Could be that the liquid in canned peas added some flavor to it.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:37 pm

wosnes I added everything from the can- juice and all. I think this added flavor and moisture for the pasta. I used canned peas for the first time in decades making this recipe. Brought back memories. I wish Clara had more videos and that she is okay.
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Post by winnie96 » Sat Nov 08, 2008 3:38 pm

On the video, Clara said not to drain the peas, so I didn't. I bet you're right -- the little extra flavor from the liquid added to the overall flavor ...

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Post by reinhard » Mon Nov 10, 2008 5:08 pm

I love it! I'm going to have to find time to watch the whole series...

Reinhard

(my baby daughter's name is Clara -- all set for depression #2! :-))

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tried

Post by storm fox » Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:01 pm

I finally got around to making the poorman's meal. AMAZING! When rewatching Clara's vids, did anyone catch her little quip about being fat during the depression at 1:09 during the episode on the poorman's meal?

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Re: tried

Post by wosnes » Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:12 pm

storm fox wrote:I finally got around to making the poorman's meal. AMAZING! When rewatching Clara's vids, did anyone catch her little quip about being fat during the depression at 1:09 during the episode on the poorman's meal?
I think Clara's memory of everyone being fat is a little off! It was a good 30-40 years before people started to get fat.

My parents were teenagers when the depression began. I have pictures of them and other family members from that time -- no one was fat. I have a picture of my whole extended family from my grandparent's 50th anniversary party (in 1957!), and there's not a fat person there. My grandmother was a little heavier than the rest, but she was unable to walk. It's the same with the pictures of my parent's 25th anniversary celebration in 1963, though people were starting to get heavier.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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huh

Post by storm fox » Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:02 pm

I'd be interested to know her definition of "fat." If it matches up with the modern "skinny-fat," I think it's absolutely plausible. But I would find it hard to believe that she would have ever been "fat" by most standards.

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Post by connorcream » Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:20 pm

My parents were teenagers when the depression began. I have pictures of them and other family members from that time -- no one was fat. I have a picture of my whole extended family from my grandparent's 50th anniversary party (in 1957!), and there's not a fat person there.

This so true. Thanks for the insight. I am making the poor man's meal tonight with sausage. I love those recipes.
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pasta with peas

Post by Happy Cooker » Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:47 pm

I love this woman. And the meal looks great, just our kind of food. Marcella Hazan has a recipe mixing potatoes, pasta, green beans, and pesto that I really like. It's funny how people mention cutting up things with a paring knife while holding them as though it's a special technique. That's what I do when I'm feeling too lazy to clean another utensil and a board (now that's lazy!). Although now that I think of it, paring things like apples or potatoes seems to be one of the hardest skills to teach someone else. Kids especially seem to have difficulty doing it. I must have watched my mother cooking a lot; one of her many gifts to me.

Thanks so much for sharing this! I'm going to watch the rest of them.

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Re: pasta with peas

Post by wosnes » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:20 pm

Happy Cooker wrote:Marcella Hazan has a recipe mixing potatoes, pasta, green beans, and pesto that I really like.
I've seen another Italian cook/chef (maybe Giada?) do a dish with potatoes and pasta. Since most Italian cuisine and especially that of Southern Italy is the cuisine of poverty, it makes sense. You use what you have.

I made something similar to the Poorman's supper using pasta instead of potatoes. I got the idea from a blog -- and this one wasn't very good. It definitely fell into the category of "better than nothing to eat!" However, I think it has possibilities -- just needs some adjusting to make it good.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by BuckeyePink » Tue Dec 23, 2008 12:19 am

There are two more videos posted as of this month...with promises of more!

I tried the Poorman meal (big hit with the husband) and then made bell peppers with eggs on Saturday. That last one is soooooo good. The peppers turn sweet when you fry them. Mmmmmm.....

:D
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Post by connorcream » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:50 pm

connorcream
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Post by wosnes » Tue Dec 23, 2008 6:55 pm

I'll bet peppers and eggs would be good with onion, too.

As I was watching, it occurred to me that frittata would be good, and cheap, as well:

http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2007/03/ ... aataa.html

I just realized something...if she were still alive, my mother would be the same age as Clara: 93.

Oh, and number 6 is up -- it's for the holidays: Italian Fig Cookies!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Post by wosnes » Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:09 pm

I just stumbled across this:

http://findingladolcevita.blogspot.com/ ... ssion.html

It seems a lot of the Depression era recipes come from Italians!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Fri Dec 26, 2008 3:15 pm

For the bread in peppers & eggs how much flour do you think she use for that yeast? No salt, oil, sugar, heavy kneading. And she guesses at the warm water amount and she then makes 6 loaves of delicious looking bread.
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Post by wosnes » Fri Dec 26, 2008 3:59 pm

I have no idea -- not much of a yeast bread baker. But this one looks easy:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/200 ... -new-year/

This one IS easy -- and good. I made it in the wrong-sized pan (11 x 15) and used only salt and parsley on the top and it was wonderful:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/200 ... er-honest/

And there's always beer bread.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by TingTing » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:39 pm

I made the Poorman's Meal a few days ago. I made it enough to last for a few days as I intend to have it for dinner. It was the best thing I've ever did! I used chicken franks instead of regular beef franks and it still came out incredibly tasty! The hardest part of making this meal was the cutting of the potatos and onions. I had to use a cutting board whereas Clara simply cut her potatos and onions with the cutting knife and simply drop it directly into the pan.

Thank you so much Wosnos for letting us view those wonderful vids! I am inspired to cook now! :D

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Post by wosnes » Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:02 pm

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:52 am

Indeed it does.
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Post by wosnes » Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:49 pm

There's another new recipe at the Depression Era site.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by winnie96 » Fri Jan 09, 2009 1:04 am

Thanks so much for the heads up, Wosnes ... loved the Cooked Bread, and also, despite the lard, the fig Christmas cookie episodes. I don't know what it is about Clara, but I just feel so good after watching her videos. (And, as I think I've mentioned, I often make Pasta & Peas and Poorman's Meal to great acclaim!)

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Post by wosnes » Fri Jan 09, 2009 2:48 am

I made Bittman's Pasta with Potatoes tonight and it was good. I cut the recipe in half and still have a lot leftover.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Post by wosnes » Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:22 pm

There's a new recipe up -- Depression Era Breakfast. What it is and when it was eaten (aside from "breakfast") is kind of surprising.

Found this today, too:
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguide ... ngredients
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by brotherjohn » Sat Jan 24, 2009 4:22 pm

I know I am a newbie (and so I don't have a lot of room to make "special requests") but it would sure please me if somebody typed out the recipes for the depression meals. Or, at least if someone could type out the gist of them.

I live in rural Mississippi, and we only have dial-up internet available at our parsonage. And...when I am at school, we have an internet filter that does not allow youtube! So...you see I am out of luck in being able to see these good recipes. :cry:

(I have a feeling that someone will oblige me if they have the available time. The friendship on this board is amazing!)

blessings,

John

www.countrypreacherdad.com

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Post by wosnes » Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:12 pm

brotherjohn wrote:I know I am a newbie (and so I don't have a lot of room to make "special requests") but it would sure please me if somebody typed out the recipes for the depression meals. Or, at least if someone could type out the gist of them.

I live in rural Mississippi, and we only have dial-up internet available at our parsonage. And...when I am at school, we have an internet filter that does not allow youtube! So...you see I am out of luck in being able to see these good recipes. :cry:

(I have a feeling that someone will oblige me if they have the available time. The friendship on this board is amazing!)

blessings,

I've done a couple of them for myself, so....

John

www.countrypreacherdad.com
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Pasta & Peas / Poorman's Meal

Post by winnie96 » Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:24 pm

Here are the two Clara recipes that I use all the time: Pasta & Peas, and Poor Man's Meal. You kind of have to adjust the amount of ingredients vs. your desired portions, but you'll get the general idea. I think both sound very ho-hum when you read them, but they're really terrific -- very tasty and satisfying! (I don't have the others on file, as I don't think I would make them, perhaps someone else has them.


Clara's Depression Era Cooking: Pasta and Peas
==============================================
1 potato
1 onion
olive oil
14-ounce canned peas, undrained
a few tablespoons tomato sauce
grated cheese
.
Peel and dice potatoes into a pot.

Dice onion into pot.

Add olive oil, and fry until browned, stirring.

Add undrained peas.

Add enough water to cook pasta.

When boiling, add salt & pepper, and pasta. Simmer til pasta is done.
(You can turn off stove & cover pot to conserve gas).

Add a few T tomato sauce.

Serve with grated cheese.

Servings: 2


Clara's Depression Era Cooking: Poor Man's Meal
===============================================
1 Potatoes
1 Onion
oil
1-2 hot dogs (I use chicken sausage)
3 T tomato sauce
.
Peel potato and cube into frying pan.

Cut up onion into potato.

Add some oil and brown slowly over medium heat.

Add tomato sauce.

Add hot dogs.

Add water, if necessary, to soften potatoes.

Cook til potatoes are tender.

Servings: 2

Exported from Home Cookin 5.8 (www.mountain-software.com) BTW, this is a dandy little recipe program. Only $30, does everything I'll ever need in a simple, easy-to-use way!

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Post by wosnes » Sat Jan 24, 2009 10:29 pm

At the beginning of one of the videos, Clara says that the ingredients for all her meals are about the same: potatoes and onion (and eggs and pasta). But they really didn't have a lot of variety much of the time.

Egg Drop Soup

1 Potato
1 Onion
1 Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 eggs -- plus 1 per person
Grated Parmesan
Thick slices bread

Peel and dice potato and onion. But in large pan (about 4 qt) with olive oil and cook until potatoes are browned. Fill pot about half way with water and bring to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When water is boiling and potatoes are cooked, add 2 eggs, one at a time, and stir to "scramble." Add about 1 egg per person and don't stir -- just let the eggs cook. When eggs are cooked, stir in cheese to taste and check seasoning. Place thick slices of bread, toasted if desired, in the bottom of bowls and cover with soup, making sure each person gets one whole egg.



Peppers and Eggs

3 large bell peppers (any color)
4 eggs

Clean and cut peppers into slices. Season peppers with salt and fry in oil, until lightly browned. Reduce heat and cook until peppers are soft. Blend eggs in bowl. When the peppers are soft, add eggs to pan and cook until the eggs are set. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with thick slices of bread or on bread as a sandwich.

I add onion to this one. I've also done something that's a combination of this and Poorman's Meal: potatoes, onions, peppers and eggs. YUM! This is excellent (eggscellent?)



Cooked Bread (Panecotto)

Stale bread
Olive Oil
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Put slices of stale bread (the drier, the better) in individual bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring a pot of water to a boil and pour over bread in bowls. Mash bread and water into a thick mush. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

There is an Italian soup called Acquacotta ("cooked water") which is basically the same as this but onion, garlic, tomato, possibly greens (spinach, kale, chard, escarole), basil -- whatever you have on hand -- are sauteed in oil before you add the water, then the whole thing is poured over the bread. Sometimes eggs are poached in the liquid before pouring it over the bread.



Depression Era Breakfast

Breakfast was usually bread and butter and coffee with milk. On Sunday, the bread and butter was replaced with sugar cookies.

Bittman's Pasta and Potatoes is very similar to the Pasta with Peas, though I think Clara's proportion of potatoes to pasta is better. He also has a recipe for Stracciatella, which is much like the Egg Drop Soup. He's got some other very simple and inexpensive meals on his blog: http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/

I think another one would be pasta y fagioli. I've been cooking dried beans by this method: http://kitchenparade.com/2008/02/pork-p ... y-slow.php (scroll down, it's in the left column). Add some cooked pasta and some tomato sauce, maybe some parmesan and it's dinner.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by brotherjohn » Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:15 pm

wosnes and winnie96,

Thanks so much for posting the recipes. I just had a feeling that if I made a wish, the recipes would magically appear! They sound delicious (and thrifty)!

John
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." --St. Paul


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Post by wosnes » Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:30 pm

As I was rewatching the videos, I was again impressed by how simple the dishes are. And, how few ingredients are used. That was one of the things that I noticed when reading The Jungle Effect. These people from various parts of the world used very few ingredients in their cooking -- there were no more than about 2 dozen available to them at any time.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:37 pm

Thanks for the post. Any thoughts yet on the ingredient amounts for the bread recipe?
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Post by winnie96 » Sat Jan 24, 2009 11:38 pm

wosnes wrote:Peppers and Eggs

I add onion to this one. I've also done something that's a combination of this and Poorman's Meal: potatoes, onions, peppers and eggs. YUM! This is excellent (eggscellent?)
OOO! Wosnes -- I'm going to try your "mod" to Peppers & Eggs! Unfortunately, I'm not much of a creative cook and tend to take recipes literally. This sounds delicious, not to mention eggscellent! Grazie mille!

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Post by wosnes » Sun Jan 25, 2009 12:51 am

connorcream wrote:Any thoughts yet on the ingredient amounts for the bread recipe?
Nope, I've just been making beer bread! I saw where you made a request at YouTube and there were some responses to that.
winnie96 wrote:Unfortunately, I'm not much of a creative cook and tend to take recipes literally. This sounds delicious, not to mention eggscellent! Grazie mille!
I've found that most recipes are just a variation of another one. So, if it seems that something would taste good instead of or in addition to something else -- well, give it a try.

In The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Nancy Harmon Jenkins says:
Because Mediterranean cooking is, by and large, home cooking and not restaurant cuisine, it is improvisational and very forgiving. You have only two cloves of garlic instead of the called-for six? Use two and don't worry. You can't find celery root, but there are loads of parsnips in the produce section? Substitute the parsnips. The chard looks good while the spinach is yellow and wilted? Use chard instead of spinach. The dish may end up a little less predominantly flavored with this or that, but somewhere in the Mediterranean, you can be certain, someone has made it like that before. Only with cakes should you be as precise as you can -- and even then, only the first time out. Once you're familiar with a recipe, you can fiddle with it at will.
She's right -- home cooking is very improvisational and forgiving. I substitute, omit or add ingredients all the time while still keeping it very simple.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by wosnes » Sun Jan 25, 2009 4:08 pm

I've been thinking about these simple kinds of dishes. Nearly every ethnic group has a dish with some kind of starch (potatoes, pasta, rice, bread) with a fried or poached egg on top. It's usually a lunch or dinner dish, not breakfast. Vegetables can be added and I've had an Italian version with bread, tomato sauce and the egg.

There are also dishes where raw eggs are broken into freshly cooked starches -- pasta carbonara would be an example of this. The heat from the cooked pasta (or rice or potatoes) cooks the egg.

I was perusing some blogs this morning and came up with some other ideas:

sausage and potato skillet with cabbage and onions -- a variation on Poor Man's meal

http://theitaliandish.blogspot.com/2009 ... althy.html

connorcream -- check this out:

http://themerlinmenu.blogspot.com/2009/ ... bread.html

and (same recipe, but from the original source)

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/200 ... -new-year/

Hash -- leftover meat (of any kind) fried up with potatoes and onions, maybe peppers and usually served with eggs. I guess fried rice would be the Asian version!

When I googled depression era cooking/foods, soup was often mentioned. It's one of my favorite foods! I think it should be a food group! :roll:
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Thalia » Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:35 pm

Joe's Special fits into this family of recipes too (scrambled eggs, hamburger, onion, and spinach -- yummy, cheap, filling, and nutritious!).

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Post by wosnes » Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:41 pm

Thalia wrote:Joe's Special fits into this family of recipes too (scrambled eggs, hamburger, onion, and spinach -- yummy, cheap, filling, and nutritious!).
I thought of that, too! Haven't had it in years.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:39 am

wosnes-
You are right, I did like the recipe for toater bread. Copied and pasted it to be tried. Still working on 5 min Artisan Bread. It is better than No Knead bread craze of a while back.

Have a blessed day.
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Post by wosnes » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:13 am

connorcream wrote:wosnes-
You are right, I did like the recipe for toater bread. Copied and pasted it to be tried. Still working on 5 min Artisan Bread. It is better than No Knead bread craze of a while back.

Have a blessed day.
I've been thinking about buying that book. Connorcream, do you have Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book? If I remember correctly, there's a good, basic bread recipe in it.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:48 pm

wosnes wrote:
connorcream wrote:wosnes-
You are right, I did like the recipe for toater bread. Copied and pasted it to be tried. Still working on 5 min Artisan Bread. It is better than No Knead bread craze of a while back.

Have a blessed day.
I've been thinking about buying that book. Connorcream, do you have Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book?.
No I don't. Wish I could comment more meaningfully.
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Post by kccc » Wed Jan 28, 2009 4:23 pm

I don't have the bread book, but do have the original "Laurel's Kitchen." It does have a good basic bread recipe in it, which talks you through all of it.

I confess I either make whole wheat Irish soda bread or resort to my breadmaker. (And sometime buy packaged 100% whole wheat bread... though even "good" bought bread is less appealing than it used to be.)

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Post by wosnes » Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:32 pm

KCCC -- you're right. I think that either Laurel's Kitchen or The New Laurel's Kitchen has a good bread recipe. The bread book just came to mind.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by brotherjohn » Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:27 pm

I want to make my addition to the collection of recipes here. Something that everyone in my family likes is "Cornie Beanie Weinies."

Heat together

1 can of baked beans
1 can of whole kernel corn
1 pound of frankfurters (cut in pieces)

This is sort of a stand by in our house. I mean, we usually have all three ingredients on hand.

This can be quiet an inexpensive meal (especially if you use generic canned ingredients and those $1.00 weiners) but it can taste like a "gourmet" meal (if you use the brown sugar and onion beans and a package of Oscar Meyer franks.)

Try it, and I think you may be pleasantly surprised!
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." --St. Paul


Read my free weekly devotional rural adventures at:

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Post by wosnes » Wed Jan 28, 2009 9:46 pm

Sounds great, Brother John! Also would be good with ground beef.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by kccc » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:15 am

Brother John, I do a similar "easy black-bean chili" as a pantry meal.

Can of black beans
Equal amount of frozen corn (could use canned, but I don't)
Can of cut up tomatoes (sometimes plain, sometimes the ones with canned chilies)
Another can of a different bean - usually kidney or pinto

Throw in some onion and chili powder, simmer until flavors blend. We like it topped with grated cheese.

Makes a BIG pot, enough for more than one meal or some lunches.

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Post by BrightAngel » Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:53 am

I've got a meal of similiar ingredients that I'm fond of.

1 can of black beans
1 can of whole kernal corn
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 cup of mild red Tomato Salsa

Mix together, heat in microwave
and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

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Post by wosnes » Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:44 pm

BrightAngel wrote:I've got a meal of similiar ingredients that I'm fond of.

1 can of black beans
1 can of whole kernal corn
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 cup of mild red Tomato Salsa

Mix together, heat in microwave
and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
I have one similar to this, but you use a 12-oz jar of your favorite salsa and add a chicken breast per person and serve it on rice (or in tortillas). Oh, and you cook it in the oven or in a crock pot. The longer you cook it, the more the flavors meld. I use a red salsa, a friend of mine uses green.

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Post by wosnes » Mon Feb 02, 2009 4:23 pm

Look what I just found -- I haven't even looked at it yet:

http://www.greatdepressioncooking.com/D ... lcome.html
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by winnie96 » Mon Feb 02, 2009 5:18 pm

Wosnes -- you are totally on top of things! Just spent a few minutes over-viewing the site = terrific to have all of Clara in one place, interesting bio, and the links to articles/blogs should be v. entertaining. Thanks for finding & sharing this!

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Post by connorcream » Mon Feb 02, 2009 11:31 pm

Thanks for the update and keeping the thread alive.
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Post by wosnes » Tue Feb 03, 2009 12:22 am

connorcream wrote:Thanks for the update and keeping the thread alive.
This thread may be alive forever... :lol:
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by wosnes » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:57 pm

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by wosnes » Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:59 pm

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Thalia » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:51 pm

I love that essay, thanks!

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Post by wosnes » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:09 pm

Sorry for the double post -- I have no idea how that happened!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by davestarbuck » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:23 pm

It's funny,,

But this the kind of food my family ate a lot. Onions,peppers,potatoes, throw in some eggs,hotdogs, or SPAM (mmmm...SPAM).

Must be because I grew up in potato country in northern Maine.....

Oh and in New England there are only 3 official spices; salt,pepper, and ketchup!!!! :P .


-Dave
Cut to size,file to fit, paint to match...

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Post by wosnes » Tue Feb 10, 2009 3:37 pm

davestarbuck wrote: Oh and in New England there are only 3 official spices; salt,pepper, and ketchup!!!! :P .


-Dave
I think it's the same in the midwest!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Consu » Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:14 am

wosnes wrote:
BrightAngel wrote:I've got a meal of similiar ingredients that I'm fond of.

1 can of black beans
1 can of whole kernal corn
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 cup of mild red Tomato Salsa

Mix together, heat in microwave
and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
I have one similar to this, but you use a 12-oz jar of your favorite salsa and add a chicken breast per person and serve it on rice (or in tortillas). Oh, and you cook it in the oven or in a crock pot. The longer you cook it, the more the flavors meld. I use a red salsa, a friend of mine uses green.

I made this tonight. Thank you, Bright Angel! It's DELICIOUS!!!

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Post by wosnes » Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:20 pm

Consu wrote:
wosnes wrote:
BrightAngel wrote:I've got a meal of similiar ingredients that I'm fond of.

1 can of black beans
1 can of whole kernal corn
2 cups of cooked brown rice
1 cup of mild red Tomato Salsa

Mix together, heat in microwave
and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
I have one similar to this, but you use a 12-oz jar of your favorite salsa and add a chicken breast per person and serve it on rice (or in tortillas). Oh, and you cook it in the oven or in a crock pot. The longer you cook it, the more the flavors meld. I use a red salsa, a friend of mine uses green.

I made this tonight. Thank you, Bright Angel! It's DELICIOUS!!!
Add vegetable or chicken stock to that (4 cups) and you've got a great soup, too. I roasted two chicken breasts and added that to the soup. It was very good. Had I not had to roast the chicken, the meal would have taken about 10 minutes to cook.

There's a new recipe at Depression Era cooking: Poorman's Feast. It's the last recipe in the series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXpouL9Q1iY
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by connorcream » Sat Feb 28, 2009 1:22 am

Howdy,
Interviw of Clara on Good Morning America

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/ ... 3&src=news

I wish I knew how to make a short one word link instead.
Karen
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More from Clara!

Post by la_loser » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:04 am

Clara's getting the publicity. . . my yahoo has this big story tonight. . . When I saw the teaser about a 93 year old teaches cooking on then internet, I knew it had to be our Clara!


http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92321?fp=1
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

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Post by winnie96 » Sat Feb 28, 2009 1:25 pm

Thanks Karen and LA for the Clara links. I'm making Poor Man's Meal again for tonight's supper, and really looking forward to it. Clara has re-focused me on simple cooking with "from scratch" ingredients, which I'm enjoying immensely, and I'm glad to see her being appreciated! Eagerly awaiting the DVD ...

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Post by wosnes » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:15 pm

I got a kick out of the fact that Emeril enjoyed her food.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by wosnes » Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:27 pm

And there's this:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/02/in-v ... l#comments

I think the "oogli" sounds interesting.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Madiantin » Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:48 pm

Thank you so very much for these videos! Wonderful recipes, and Clara is absolutely delightful. =)

I spent some time last night and quite a bit this morning watching them and thoroughly enjoying myself. :D
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.

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Post by winnie96 » Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:05 am

Clara has a new vid on youtube, a preview of the special features on her CD.
As always, just wonderful!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcijELnedz0

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Post by Bushranger » Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:25 am

Blithe Morning wrote:The Low Carb people would be appalled at the pasta with peas but it sounds good to me.
Those same people would have died during the depression. Or given up their low carb ways quick smart. :D

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Post by wosnes » Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:09 pm

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by winnie96 » Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:40 pm

Thanks for the news, Wosnes! Have pre-ordered it from Amazon -- alas, it doesn't come out until October ... can't wait!

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Post by wosnes » Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:37 pm

winnie96 wrote:Thanks for the news, Wosnes! Have pre-ordered it from Amazon -- alas, it doesn't come out until October ... can't wait!
I think Clara's cookbook comes out the same day Pioneer Woman's cookbook does. Should make for some good fall reading -- and cooking! The only thing that could make it better would be if Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) had a new cookbook coming out. Probably next year...
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Thalia » Mon Jul 20, 2009 4:43 pm

I love the way the Pioneer Woman writes and I think her photos are gorgeous, but most of her recipes seem kind of nasty to me. Like if X tastes good, x squared MUST taste ever so much better, so let's throw in a ton of x! Where X is brown sugar or cheese or bacon or whatever.

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Post by wosnes » Sun Jul 17, 2011 3:20 pm

Time to bring this post back to the top because Clara has a new recipe on her channel on YouTube: Italian Ice. It's timely for me, I've been making granitas over the last week or so. There are probably more new videos since this thread has been updated.

I also found a couple of recipes that fit in this category:

Italian-Style Fried Potatoes with Flat Romano Beans and Tomato Paste

Fried Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes Calabrese Style
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Joyofsix » Sun Jul 17, 2011 4:34 pm

I love Clara. My grandmother and mother taught me to cook and for that I'm grateful. I worry about all those who don't have a granny to teach them. Clara on the internet fits the bill somewhat.
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Post by NoSnacker » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:36 am

Funny I was 1 in a family of 10, my mom must have learned a lot of these recipes as I'm sure she grew up in the depression:

Fried bologna and potatoes (always a 5lb bag :)
Fried hot dogs and potatoes
Fried onions and potatoes,

Our all time favorite was Hot Dog Stew...we sometimes my siblings still make it for get togethers,,always better the next day.

Thanks for sharing..brought back memories and I'm 54 and not part of the depression era.
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Post by wosnes » Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:31 pm

debrabuf wrote:
Our all time favorite was Hot Dog Stew...we sometimes my siblings still make it for get togethers,,always better the next day.

Thanks for sharing..brought back memories and I'm 54 and not part of the depression era.
So tell us about the hot dog stew.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by harpista » Sat Jul 30, 2011 2:46 am

wosnes wrote:
debrabuf wrote:
Our all time favorite was Hot Dog Stew...we sometimes my siblings still make it for get togethers,,always better the next day.

Thanks for sharing..brought back memories and I'm 54 and not part of the depression era.
So tell us about the hot dog stew.
Seconded; I want recipe!!! :lol:
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Post by wosnes » Thu May 15, 2014 9:10 pm

Just an update. Several weeks ago I googled Clara (the woman in the videos) and learned that she died last November at the age of 98.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by anra » Sat May 17, 2014 9:49 am

yes wosnes, she passed away last year. i love that series so very much.

i cried when i found out she had died, that video of her grandson giving the sad news is just heartbreaking.
simplicity is the purest form of elegance.

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Post by wosnes » Sat May 17, 2014 12:58 pm

anra wrote:yes wosnes, she passed away last year. i love that series so very much.

i cried when i found out she had died, that video of her grandson giving the sad news is just heartbreaking.
Clara was born the same year and reminded me some of my mother. In her book she mentioned going to the Aragon and Trianon ballrooms (dance halls) in Chicago. My parents went there, too. There were other similarities as well.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Mariposa1127 » Sat May 17, 2014 1:38 pm

I was not able to read all the posts. But did you see the one on Great Depression Cooking-Depression Breakfast?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zXqkHvs0po

I thought that was great because she said they only had cookies on Sunday morning before church. Yummy!

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Post by automatedeating » Sat May 17, 2014 8:31 pm

I had avoided this thread title because I don't like to cook. Usually threads about cooking just make me feel guilty. But then somehow I wandered here today, and wow! Like, I can cook that. That's not hard, that doesn't require a long grocery list or items that will only be used for one dish. This sounds like cooking I could do!!

And the hot dog and potato dish, my dad made that one all the time while I was growing up.

So, thanks for bumping this thread (even though the reason it was bumped due to the sad news that Clara had passed away).
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Post by wosnes » Sat May 17, 2014 9:00 pm

Mariposa1127 wrote:I was not able to read all the posts. But did you see the one on Great Depression Cooking-Depression Breakfast?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zXqkHvs0po

I thought that was great because she said they only had cookies on Sunday morning before church. Yummy!
There should be 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) softened butter in that recipe. Cream the butter and sugar before adding the eggs. It's certainly a simple recipe.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by wosnes » Sat May 17, 2014 10:57 pm

automatedeating wrote:I had avoided this thread title because I don't like to cook. Usually threads about cooking just make me feel guilty. But then somehow I wandered here today, and wow! Like, I can cook that. That's not hard, that doesn't require a long grocery list or items that will only be used for one dish. This sounds like cooking I could do!!

And the hot dog and potato dish, my dad made that one all the time while I was growing up.

So, thanks for bumping this thread (even though the reason it was bumped due to the sad news that Clara had passed away).
Automated, this will come as a surprise to many, but I don't really like to cook. I don't hate it, but it isn't something I do for fun or relaxation. I do, however, really like to eat. Cooking for me is a means to an end. I cook, I get to eat. Eating out or eating packaged foods/meals aren't daily, or even weekly, options for me.

Nothing I make is very complicated, though some things are time consuming. I don't like long lists of ingredients, though a lot of steps are more likely to put me off.

If you look, there are many very similar simple recipes like this.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Dale » Mon May 19, 2014 10:03 am

I'm sorry to hear that Clara has passed away. I hadn't heard of her until you bumped up this thread, but now I've been catching up on her videos.

Pasta with peas isn't what I expected! I've made something I would call pasta with peas for years, using frozen peas and spaghetti. I used spaghetti because it was the cheapest type of pasta to buy. My mother used macaroni which I think used to be cheaper years ago. And now penne is the cheapest (here in the UK, anyway), so I've had to adapt to that!

We didn't eat hot dogs when I was young and I don't think they were so cheap, but we did eat a lot of other, cheap meat products such as sausage, haggis, black pudding, etc. These are quite tasty and I still use them (sausage and mash!). Cheese and fish were cheaper (than meat) then. We used to eat a lot of fish growing up, but I can't afford it often now, and the supermarket fish is pretty horrible!

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