I have an old recipe box of my mother’s we found cleaning out her house. I have taken pictures of some of the most egregious to share with daughters and grandkids and we all laugh in horror. Here’s a sample:
Jello Mold (Asparagus)
1 can cream of Asparagus soup
1/2 cup water
Cook together then add
1 package lime jello
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
Set aside to cool, then add
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Mold and chill
I do not EVER remember being served this monstrosity.
Oh God...this jumped me straight back to the 1970s and a variety of absolutely horrible terrines made with literally who knows what. The aspic; the clear gelatine... the grim tins...I remember local parish cookbooks too: a chance to laugh at a well known local woman's dreadful recipe. My Dad's one dish he made was called Jam Omelette Soufflé. It was vile: none of us would touch it.
I remember every 70s cookbook being very garish; a bit like the High Victorian era, everything had to be super fancy, garnished, piped, even the meat with the silly little frilly paper hat things on.
I suppose it was (I speak of the UK) the extreme opposite of what all the grown ups during that time had themselves grown up with: austere, basic postwar rationed food with not enough sweetness, not enough flavour. My Dad's family weren't poor but they ate bread and dripping.
But what I really came here to say was the the other day, in desperation, I finally ate a sad ancient tin of Campbells celery soup from the back of the larder, expecting a horror show...it was utterly delicious and not for the first time, a reminder that celery is a powerhouse of delicate flavour. Not that I'd buy I again mind you. Thanks for cheering me up!!
"Jam Omelette Soufflé" sounds genuinely appalling. And oh yes, those garish 70s photo cookbooks with their obsession with aspic and little paper garnishes. To be fair, Campbells do make some very edible soups.
Let us know if anyone takes you up on that offer! We have a couple of recipes from a collection published by my brother’s school, back in the day, with recipes from the mums. One of these is called “unusual cabbage dish”, and is an excellent easy curried cabbage that we cook to this day. Great as a side dish with sausages or the like, or on its own, old from the fridge. There were some horrors in that book though, mostly involving mayonnaise or tinned soups.
Fry 2 chopped onions and 1 crushed clove of garlic in a little oil until soft and lightly caramelised. Add 1-2 tablespoons of curry powder (to taste) and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, stirring gently. Add 2 tablespoons of good tomato ketchup and 2 tablespoons of good chutney and stir. Then add 1 cabbage, chopped finely but not too small, and simmer till nearly cooked - about 20 minutes. I add a splash of hot water from the kettle if it looks a little dry. I also toss in a handful of sultanas because I like them in curry.
You can eat this hot, on its own or with sausages or cheese sandwiches or whatever. It makes an excellent meal likewise when cold. In fact, cold may be even better.
I think I can top (?) the emerald salad. I have my grandmother's old recipe box, full of index cards "from the kitchen of..." It's a wonderful trip down memory lane, I love seeing recipes written out by my grandmother, other relatives, and family friends I remember from when I saw a kid...but one of those cards is for a corned beef salad that includes lemon jello, consomme, canned corned beef, onion, green peppery, celery, hard boiled egg, mayonnaise, and V8 juice.
A longtime favourite of mine is 'The Islington Cookbook' which was sold to raise money for the NSPCC. Bought whilst living in a top floor flat on Upper Street. All recipes supplied by local residents, including the then MP for Sedgefield a Mr. T Blair esq.
We have a bookstore in Long Beach that sells new and used cookbooks and cooking related books, and they usually have a section full of those kind of cookbooks.
I will not risk repeating the recipe for banana-egg-cheese "salad" for any reward... It sounds really strange...
But I also have a lot of experience in adapting to "foreign" cuisine, by the way, not the last one in the world. This is Italian cuisine. Until I was 38, I was little acquainted with it. My favorite recipe is melanzane parmigiana. Before that, eggplants seemed tasteless to me.
It is still a very traditional cuisine, which has not undergone changes over time.
Of course, it is safe to say that there is no single Italian cuisine. The northern regions are influenced by neighboring countries Piedmont in France, Alto Adige and Lombardy in Germany. In the southern cuisine, the use of tomatoes and chili peppers reigns. The best dishes of regional cuisines have conquered the world: basil pesto, Bolognese sauce, pizza, pasta in general.
Tomorrow at my house for the New Year's party we will cook cotechino with lentils (which according to popular belief bring a lot of money in the coming year).
P.S. My personal preferences include indisputable mushroom soup and leek soup with potatoes.
Happy New Year to you, your entire family and all your subscribers and readers!!!!!!!
And to you — I hope you're having a great festive season! It is amazing the way Italian food has truly conquered the western world: especially in America, I think there are many children who don't eat much except pasta and pizza until they're in their late teens!
I would love to spend a while touring Italy and sampling the regional variations...
I took some time to “organize” your trip to Italy. And this is what came out of it.
A gastronomic journey in Italy!!!
It's a big, great idea!!!
Traveling a lot has contributed in recent years to the diffusion and in a certain sense to the fusion of culinary knowledge in the world.
Undoubtedly, even the cuisines of Northern and Southern Italy (so different from each other) have had mutual influences.
They are united by the common characteristics of great value. The use of olive oil instead of animal fats ( even if in the North of Italy butter continues to prevail) it promotes digestibility, lightness and an added flavor to any dish. A large amount of vegetables and fish, cheeses of all types, accompanied by red wine and olive oil. And of course, comfort food. Lately, under heavy scrutiny by food critics. For me … it is not only good for … the stomach, but above all … the soul.
Food tourism business does not need to be advertised. The levels for a long time…. very high offer the best of the best. Countless books on Italian food by famous people, countless articles in the most prestigious magazines offer an embarrassment of choice.( I am reminded of the book by E. Gilbert “Eat, Pray, Love”. The chapter “Eat” has the subtitle “In search of pleasure” and is entirely dedicated to food in Rome, Naples, Matera, Bologna, Florence, Venice.)
1. I would start from Rome 1 week. Naples, as a day trip and stay. (train). To try the pizza “ “Da Michele” . Described in the book as the best pizzeria in Naples. Afterwards I would change hotels, moving to Tuscany., certainly Florence and after- Venice.
The most fun thing about the culinary tour in Italy, precisely that you travel in Italy. Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice—- can you imagine the most beautiful places, famous for works of art in the world more than these? I could (really I could) list infinite restaurants, trattorias and most famous pizzerias, but …. let’s also leave room for sweet wandering, finding even the places a little hidden, less famous as a discovery of the trip.
2. An alternative to such a demanding trip could be an organized tour in Tuscany. (Booking is entirely done in America). It is called “Chianti tour” to be precise. Very well organized, it usually includes accommodation in the areas of production of the very famous “Chianti Gallo nero” wine. Usually it is the city of GREVE, very close to Florence. In addition to tasting wines and Tuscan cuisine, it can also include basic lessons in Tuscan cuisine. From Florence it will be very easy to move to Venice by train for a few days or even for a short visit without an overnight stay. (seafood cuisine)
On behalf of my family, I would like to invite you to the coast. Where famous fish cuisine abounds.
That's so, so kind of you! Thank you for taking so much time and effort... I shall save this comment and have a good think about it. Thank you — I really appreciate it :-)
To fully appreciate this country’s gastronomic delights, you have to visit other states besides California. I’ve primarily lived in Idaho, Alabama, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts before moving to California, but my extended family is from Texas. The culinary adventures in the American South alone would shock and surprise you, and every area of the country has its own specialties. These range from the delicious to the oh my god what is that? (I’ll note that I’ve had that experience in England, too.) Culinary wonders await you.
I'm being thick here but what exactly are you talking about when "jello" is mentioned? K Owen's mentions it as well. Are you talking about the same thing? Is there a UK equivalent?
Also I need some help with my tax returns and English Lit homework...😉
You're on your own with the homework, mate. Jello is basically what we'd call "jelly". Of the type you get in those weird wobbly slabs and make with hot water.
I think it sounds quite nice.. not sure about the cheddar. I would choose Camembert. The eggs are added as part of a kind of custard/pudding. I would try it/make it but it serves 12 and I’m bad at maths. I wouldn’t call it a salad though 😊
This essay kicked up so many memories that if we were at a party I'd be talking your ear off right now. The kale. The jello "salad" appearing at every family gathering for 2 years. Even the leek and potato soup. But...those cookbooks. I still have a box of such cookbooks - many of them created as fundraisers for local organizations - that didn't even come from thrift shops, but from my actual life. Unthrowawayable, and I have tried. The only specific one I can remember offhand (because I am not going into that box today, speaking of memories) was created by the wives of the all-male volunteer fire department of a small town I lived in for two years.* The group was called The Firebelles. I think the cover was a cartoon of a woman wearing a fire chief helmet and carrying an axe and a spoon. Cheers, Michael.
I wish we were at such a party right now! And you're right, that's what those books are... little packets of memory. Some, like yours, like photos from your own past... others like finding ancient black and whites of people you've never met in a town you're just passing through. Somehow weirdly pregnant with the past either way.
I'm supposed to eat kale for my iron deficiency anaemia. When I go shopping tomorrow, I'll buy the ingredients and try my hand at this concoction. I'll let you know if it's something I might consider adding to my diet or not. BTW, today, at the City Council, I stroke an acquaintance with their employer 😉 -- a cat that looks quite similar to the one in your picture, in the bookstore. I guess he says Hi. Happy New Year, Mr Smith!
I have an old recipe box of my mother’s we found cleaning out her house. I have taken pictures of some of the most egregious to share with daughters and grandkids and we all laugh in horror. Here’s a sample:
Jello Mold (Asparagus)
1 can cream of Asparagus soup
1/2 cup water
Cook together then add
1 package lime jello
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
Set aside to cool, then add
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Mold and chill
I do not EVER remember being served this monstrosity.
Oh dear LORD. That's exceptional. I'm an open-minded person but I don't see how this could cause anything but unhappiness.
I didn’t even know they made cream of asparagus soup. I like asparagus mind you but that sounds gag worthy.
I don't mind cream of asparagus soup actually...
Oh God...this jumped me straight back to the 1970s and a variety of absolutely horrible terrines made with literally who knows what. The aspic; the clear gelatine... the grim tins...I remember local parish cookbooks too: a chance to laugh at a well known local woman's dreadful recipe. My Dad's one dish he made was called Jam Omelette Soufflé. It was vile: none of us would touch it.
I remember every 70s cookbook being very garish; a bit like the High Victorian era, everything had to be super fancy, garnished, piped, even the meat with the silly little frilly paper hat things on.
I suppose it was (I speak of the UK) the extreme opposite of what all the grown ups during that time had themselves grown up with: austere, basic postwar rationed food with not enough sweetness, not enough flavour. My Dad's family weren't poor but they ate bread and dripping.
But what I really came here to say was the the other day, in desperation, I finally ate a sad ancient tin of Campbells celery soup from the back of the larder, expecting a horror show...it was utterly delicious and not for the first time, a reminder that celery is a powerhouse of delicate flavour. Not that I'd buy I again mind you. Thanks for cheering me up!!
"Jam Omelette Soufflé" sounds genuinely appalling. And oh yes, those garish 70s photo cookbooks with their obsession with aspic and little paper garnishes. To be fair, Campbells do make some very edible soups.
🤢
Let us know if anyone takes you up on that offer! We have a couple of recipes from a collection published by my brother’s school, back in the day, with recipes from the mums. One of these is called “unusual cabbage dish”, and is an excellent easy curried cabbage that we cook to this day. Great as a side dish with sausages or the like, or on its own, old from the fridge. There were some horrors in that book though, mostly involving mayonnaise or tinned soups.
Huh - I quite like the sound of curried cabbage...
UNUSUAL CABBAGE DISH
Fry 2 chopped onions and 1 crushed clove of garlic in a little oil until soft and lightly caramelised. Add 1-2 tablespoons of curry powder (to taste) and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, stirring gently. Add 2 tablespoons of good tomato ketchup and 2 tablespoons of good chutney and stir. Then add 1 cabbage, chopped finely but not too small, and simmer till nearly cooked - about 20 minutes. I add a splash of hot water from the kettle if it looks a little dry. I also toss in a handful of sultanas because I like them in curry.
You can eat this hot, on its own or with sausages or cheese sandwiches or whatever. It makes an excellent meal likewise when cold. In fact, cold may be even better.
I think I can top (?) the emerald salad. I have my grandmother's old recipe box, full of index cards "from the kitchen of..." It's a wonderful trip down memory lane, I love seeing recipes written out by my grandmother, other relatives, and family friends I remember from when I saw a kid...but one of those cards is for a corned beef salad that includes lemon jello, consomme, canned corned beef, onion, green peppery, celery, hard boiled egg, mayonnaise, and V8 juice.
Ooh lord. That sounds... challenging. Really very challenging.
A longtime favourite of mine is 'The Islington Cookbook' which was sold to raise money for the NSPCC. Bought whilst living in a top floor flat on Upper Street. All recipes supplied by local residents, including the then MP for Sedgefield a Mr. T Blair esq.
That's cool :-) I shall add it to the list to track down!
You are so ON with that challenge!
As an addendum to your leek and potato soup, pick some nettle buds, wash them and fry them with the vegatabubbles.
Best when spring growth is coming.
Do you have nettles in the uSA?
Nettles? Don’t they sting?
Not after they've been cooked... you can make a nice soup with nettles alone.
I’ve heard of nettle tea. I’ll take your word on the soup. 😉
And it’s incredibly good for you. Nettles are rich in minerals, especially iron and they are used by herbalists for their anti histamine qualities.
Ooh. We do have them — a local pizzeria does a fabulous nettle pizza — and that sounds like an excellent addition...
Step 4… how do I turn my heart down low? 😉
Just start being a bit cold with people.
NUTS — good spot, thank you... fixed ;-)
If your heart isn't already turned down low, you're on the wrong substack 😁
LOL
Bastard.
We have a bookstore in Long Beach that sells new and used cookbooks and cooking related books, and they usually have a section full of those kind of cookbooks.
BUY THEM ALL
Well now I'm tempted. I'll stop by when I get home next week.
Hmm, I too have a substantial collection of This Sort Of Cookbook. (And a very moribund blog about same; maybe I'll resurrect it this year....)
Let me know if you do!
Oh! Yes, Michael!
No, no, no…
I will not risk repeating the recipe for banana-egg-cheese "salad" for any reward... It sounds really strange...
But I also have a lot of experience in adapting to "foreign" cuisine, by the way, not the last one in the world. This is Italian cuisine. Until I was 38, I was little acquainted with it. My favorite recipe is melanzane parmigiana. Before that, eggplants seemed tasteless to me.
It is still a very traditional cuisine, which has not undergone changes over time.
Of course, it is safe to say that there is no single Italian cuisine. The northern regions are influenced by neighboring countries Piedmont in France, Alto Adige and Lombardy in Germany. In the southern cuisine, the use of tomatoes and chili peppers reigns. The best dishes of regional cuisines have conquered the world: basil pesto, Bolognese sauce, pizza, pasta in general.
Tomorrow at my house for the New Year's party we will cook cotechino with lentils (which according to popular belief bring a lot of money in the coming year).
P.S. My personal preferences include indisputable mushroom soup and leek soup with potatoes.
Happy New Year to you, your entire family and all your subscribers and readers!!!!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
And to you — I hope you're having a great festive season! It is amazing the way Italian food has truly conquered the western world: especially in America, I think there are many children who don't eat much except pasta and pizza until they're in their late teens!
I would love to spend a while touring Italy and sampling the regional variations...
Hi, Michael!!!
I took some time to “organize” your trip to Italy. And this is what came out of it.
A gastronomic journey in Italy!!!
It's a big, great idea!!!
Traveling a lot has contributed in recent years to the diffusion and in a certain sense to the fusion of culinary knowledge in the world.
Undoubtedly, even the cuisines of Northern and Southern Italy (so different from each other) have had mutual influences.
They are united by the common characteristics of great value. The use of olive oil instead of animal fats ( even if in the North of Italy butter continues to prevail) it promotes digestibility, lightness and an added flavor to any dish. A large amount of vegetables and fish, cheeses of all types, accompanied by red wine and olive oil. And of course, comfort food. Lately, under heavy scrutiny by food critics. For me … it is not only good for … the stomach, but above all … the soul.
Food tourism business does not need to be advertised. The levels for a long time…. very high offer the best of the best. Countless books on Italian food by famous people, countless articles in the most prestigious magazines offer an embarrassment of choice.( I am reminded of the book by E. Gilbert “Eat, Pray, Love”. The chapter “Eat” has the subtitle “In search of pleasure” and is entirely dedicated to food in Rome, Naples, Matera, Bologna, Florence, Venice.)
1. I would start from Rome 1 week. Naples, as a day trip and stay. (train). To try the pizza “ “Da Michele” . Described in the book as the best pizzeria in Naples. Afterwards I would change hotels, moving to Tuscany., certainly Florence and after- Venice.
The most fun thing about the culinary tour in Italy, precisely that you travel in Italy. Rome, Naples, Florence, Venice—- can you imagine the most beautiful places, famous for works of art in the world more than these? I could (really I could) list infinite restaurants, trattorias and most famous pizzerias, but …. let’s also leave room for sweet wandering, finding even the places a little hidden, less famous as a discovery of the trip.
2. An alternative to such a demanding trip could be an organized tour in Tuscany. (Booking is entirely done in America). It is called “Chianti tour” to be precise. Very well organized, it usually includes accommodation in the areas of production of the very famous “Chianti Gallo nero” wine. Usually it is the city of GREVE, very close to Florence. In addition to tasting wines and Tuscan cuisine, it can also include basic lessons in Tuscan cuisine. From Florence it will be very easy to move to Venice by train for a few days or even for a short visit without an overnight stay. (seafood cuisine)
On behalf of my family, I would like to invite you to the coast. Where famous fish cuisine abounds.
That's so, so kind of you! Thank you for taking so much time and effort... I shall save this comment and have a good think about it. Thank you — I really appreciate it :-)
I’m still reeling from your previous use of the word “pajamas”.
I’m not ready for Grandma’s Emerald Fever-Dream just yet.
That's fair. I'm not sure anybody is.
To fully appreciate this country’s gastronomic delights, you have to visit other states besides California. I’ve primarily lived in Idaho, Alabama, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts before moving to California, but my extended family is from Texas. The culinary adventures in the American South alone would shock and surprise you, and every area of the country has its own specialties. These range from the delicious to the oh my god what is that? (I’ll note that I’ve had that experience in England, too.) Culinary wonders await you.
Oh yeah... and I sense the Midwest is where the true motherlode lies...
The Midwest is a scary place.
I'm being thick here but what exactly are you talking about when "jello" is mentioned? K Owen's mentions it as well. Are you talking about the same thing? Is there a UK equivalent?
Also I need some help with my tax returns and English Lit homework...😉
You're on your own with the homework, mate. Jello is basically what we'd call "jelly". Of the type you get in those weird wobbly slabs and make with hot water.
Only it comes as a powder here, which is no fun at all as you can’t nick a cube to eat as it is.
I think it sounds quite nice.. not sure about the cheddar. I would choose Camembert. The eggs are added as part of a kind of custard/pudding. I would try it/make it but it serves 12 and I’m bad at maths. I wouldn’t call it a salad though 😊
I wouldn't call it FOOD.
the potatoe leak sounds really good. will try.......and thanks for the marigold tip.
Thank YOU for reminding me I used the last of ours this morning! Over to Amazon I go...
This essay kicked up so many memories that if we were at a party I'd be talking your ear off right now. The kale. The jello "salad" appearing at every family gathering for 2 years. Even the leek and potato soup. But...those cookbooks. I still have a box of such cookbooks - many of them created as fundraisers for local organizations - that didn't even come from thrift shops, but from my actual life. Unthrowawayable, and I have tried. The only specific one I can remember offhand (because I am not going into that box today, speaking of memories) was created by the wives of the all-male volunteer fire department of a small town I lived in for two years.* The group was called The Firebelles. I think the cover was a cartoon of a woman wearing a fire chief helmet and carrying an axe and a spoon. Cheers, Michael.
*coincidentally, the jello years
I wish we were at such a party right now! And you're right, that's what those books are... little packets of memory. Some, like yours, like photos from your own past... others like finding ancient black and whites of people you've never met in a town you're just passing through. Somehow weirdly pregnant with the past either way.
I'm supposed to eat kale for my iron deficiency anaemia. When I go shopping tomorrow, I'll buy the ingredients and try my hand at this concoction. I'll let you know if it's something I might consider adding to my diet or not. BTW, today, at the City Council, I stroke an acquaintance with their employer 😉 -- a cat that looks quite similar to the one in your picture, in the bookstore. I guess he says Hi. Happy New Year, Mr Smith!
PS. Yes, he definitely is their employer, not the other way around cat😻
Ha — always :-)