Recession dishes

I have been in food service for 30 years. Most restaurants don't do recession type food. I grew up with Recession parents. I remember Sunday dinner at about 1pm. Mom would boil a chicken halfway, and then take the chicken and bake it in the oven. She would take the broth with a bit of parsley and serve it pipping hot with a big bowl of cold egg noodles in the center of the table. The idea was to cool your bowl of broth with the chilled noodles, and try to fill you up. The Chicken with fixings would then feed 5 people. The other meals I remember and still cook today are, Stuffed cabbage rolls, meatloaf, goulash,lasagna,beef stew,creamed tuna on toast. Mac and cheese,eggplant Parm, spaghetti and meatballs & Italian sausage, Hot Beef sandwich. I would go to a Greek Diner in Bridgeport, Connecticut and they had all this on the menu.............GGGEEEZZZZZZZ I miss those kind of places

You mean Depression, eh?

I did too.

When they passed on in 1999 at 89 years of age they left us their house they bought in 1949 - it had still not had air conditioning put in and it had the dining room table they bought in 1949.

They had one fan in the whole house. 

Every modern gizmo we got them over the years were still in their boxes in the attic.

They lived simple but enjoyable lives.  I sometimes wonder why folks have let greed usurp their lives nowadays.

I just began the Depression unit in my history class. I gave the kids the full lowdown on how to eat poke salad. They got a kick out of the fact that you have to boil it three times before it's no longer poisonous! My dad made us eat it in the prosperous 60's, that is until the pressure cooker blew up. Don't forget sour dock, squirrel, and pecans.

My mom's pressure cooker lasted them their entire marriage (60 years).

What we do in this unpleasant time is barely eat out at all.

Some things that stretch:

The whole chicken --- the leftovers can be used for chicken salad, chicken burritos, etc. etc. etc.

Spaghetti

Lasangna (it might be expensive to make if you make it as we do but  there are plenty of leftovers and it freezes well)

A crock pot of chili and freezing the leftovers.

Breakfast for dinner --- always good.

Beans, cole slaw, and corn bread.

Red beans and rice.

Cabbage rolls, etc. etc. etc.

The main thing is to make things that freeze well for leftovers.  Reducing eating out, though we enjoy eating out, has made a big difference.

Andrea

One of the things I have become enamored with is the Bisquick "Quiche".  Other than lots of Jarlsberg Cheese, almost everything else I throw in is the bits that are leftovers.....sausage, bacon, hamburger(even cooked), pork or any combo thereof,  Chicken (but separately), and usually some veggies.....broccoli, peas, onions, tomatoes cut-up, bok-choy (once).  sometimes it's all veggies.  With salad and bread, it can serve 6 easily.  And leftover/leftovers re-heat nicely.

My mother often made a Depression-era recipe that her mother had always made. They called it "Spanish Stew" for some reason. It consisted of browned ground beef simmered with whole tomatoes, green peppers, and crushed red pepper. They'd serve it over mashed potatoes.

Random thoughts...

AndreaB ===What we do in this unpleasant time is barely eat out at all. ===

As a cook, this attitude has really affected me work-wise; but I truly understand as I am not going out either. I can do it better and cheaper at home. What you list seems to be on my current menu. I am in a real pasta mode lately

Learn to cut up a chicken. There were no boneless skinless breasts back then.  In fact during the depression I don't think chickens needed to be bought in rural areas.  Plenty of eggs and when one bird stops laying,  a chicken becomes nervous...   dinner is served.
 
90% of what I have posted in the 'Lunch/Dinner. What did you have?' thread is based on frugal cooking.

I use my vacuum sealer for many things. For instance, I will cut up my lasagne into individual portions and heat them up in boiling water. There are burritos and home made eggrolls in the freezer at the moment.

READ COOKBOOKS!!!!  The Joy of Cooking is my favorite suggestion. Going through my collection I found this book. It was the epitome of of cheap recipes for its time and holds true today. The recipes are pretty good too.

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Stamp-Gourmet-William-Brown/dp/B0006W0IGI

Any cookbook that features Fat Freddy from The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers is okay with me.  Their motto for tough times was "Dope will get you through times of no money, better than money will get you through times of no dope."
I will keep this saying in mind when I start my victory garden. Speaking of 'Victory Gardens' here is another cookbook I have:

http://www.amazon.com/Victory-Garden-Cookbook-Marian-Morash/dp/039470780X


mark

My late grandfather grew up in England during the Depression as a youngster.
I remember him telling me that things were so tight that even home-made bread with lard (yes lard, think fat) on it was considered a treat at the time.
No-one had any money whatso-ever, not like today, there was no welfare or anything like tat, if you had no money, basically, you starved.

But, what people back then did, is an un-heard of concept these days, is they grew their own vegetables and herbs and spices, in a garden.
Imagine that!

Sorry to be facetious folks, but, you can make a bloody good soup without meat in it (I am by no means vegetarian and may that be recorded in the minutes), but man have I had some very good soups over the years.
A garden takes almost nothing to look after, OK you do have to put the hard yards in digging it and planting out and weeding it, but, hell, look what you get back from it, eh??

A garden is the gift that keeps on giving.

Cheers,
Mike.

FriedClamFanatic


One of the things I have become enamored with is the Bisquick "Quiche".  Other than lots of Jarlsberg Cheese, almost everything else I throw in is the bits that are leftovers.....sausage, bacon, hamburger(even cooked), pork or any combo thereof,  Chicken (but separately), and usually some veggies.....broccoli, peas, onions, tomatoes cut-up, bok-choy (once).  sometimes it's all veggies.  With salad and bread, it can serve 6 easily.  And leftover/leftovers re-heat nicely.

We cleared out the fridge with one of those last night! Always satisfying.

===90% of what I have posted in the 'Lunch/Dinner. What did you have?' thread is based on frugal cooking. ===

Truth is that many of the meals and pictures that are submitted fall into this category.
I think that thread should be moved to here.  I feel that it is a topic in purgatory.
I love to see what others are eating and this could be inspirational to many people.
John A's dinners are very much in this category for frugal cooking.

mark

xi is that kefaltori a Greek cheese?

Grillmeister


I just began the Depression unit in my history class. I gave the kids the full lowdown on how to eat poke salad. They got a kick out of the fact that you have to boil it three times before it's no longer poisonous! My dad made us eat it in the prosperous 60's, that is until the pressure cooker blew up. Don't forget sour dock, squirrel, and pecans.

Poke Salad Annie
The gators got your granny (chomp... chomp... chomp)
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her mama was a workin on the chain gang

Some people say that pokeweed is still poisonous, even after 3 boilings. I never ate it. It grew wild all around where I grew up, we used the berries to paint our skin like Indians. I forget what we called it, not pokeweed but something else.

I’ve seen several articles in the news which talk about how cooking healthy is too expensive.  I can’t help but think that people who write these articles, don’t cook.  Basic ingredients still cost far less than prepared foods, and taste better to boot.  IMHO, anytime something isn't processed it's better for you. 
 
Mbrookes, you mentioned pork tenderloins.  I grew up on those things, we were fortunate to get them fresh off the farm from a nice family from church.  I get them in the store now, although they aren’t quite as good.  I fry them, simmer them in bbq sauce, and then serve over egg noodles.

doggydaddy-have to agree with you about "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook-great recipes that s-t-r-e-t-c-h a food budget.And the recipes are great tasting!

Mosca

Grillmeister


I just began the Depression unit in my history class. I gave the kids the full lowdown on how to eat poke salad. They got a kick out of the fact that you have to boil it three times before it's no longer poisonous! My dad made us eat it in the prosperous 60's, that is until the pressure cooker blew up. Don't forget sour dock, squirrel, and pecans.

Poke Salad Annie
The gators got your granny (chomp... chomp... chomp)
Everybody said it was a shame
Cause her mama was a workin on the chain gang

Some people say that pokeweed is still poisonous, even after 3 boilings. I never ate it. It grew wild all around where I grew up, we used the berries to paint our skin like Indians. I forget what we called it, not pokeweed but something else.

Mamaw Smith who lives next door always had poke salad in the spring.  She would pick the very young shoots and boil them with ham hocks, onions, garlic.  She would top the salad with sliced boiled eggs.
 
We never had any toxic affects from it but I understand that many do.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_salad
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

"The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book" also has recipes that stretch, including canning.  Ours is a battered hardback edition from 1973 that my husband got when he left home. 

Re gardens, ours was awful last year --- we've had more success with planting  tomatoes and peppers in containers on the deck.  I'm already planning to do another for this year, but haven't decided what to plant.

Andrea

BillyB


I have been in food service for 30 years. Most restaurants don't do recession type food. I grew up with Recession parents. I remember Sunday dinner at about 1pm. Mom would boil a chicken halfway, and then take the chicken and bake it in the oven. She would take the broth with a bit of parsley and serve it pipping hot with a big bowl of cold egg noodles in the center of the table. The idea was to cool your bowl of broth with the chilled noodles, and try to fill you up. The Chicken with fixings would then feed 5 people. The other meals I remember and still cook today are, Stuffed cabbage rolls, meatloaf, goulash,lasagna,beef stew,creamed tuna on toast. Mac and cheese,eggplant Parm, spaghetti and meatballs & Italian sausage, Hot Beef sandwich. I would go to a Greek Diner in Bridgeport, Connecticut and they had all this on the menu.............GGGEEEZZZZZZZ I miss those kind of places

Hey billy, you just described roadfood places.

Gardens are a great idea, but have the soil tested for lead first. It can creep into your veggies (esp. broccoli and stuff, for some reason). 

I don't hold out much hope for a garden at our new house. It's nice that it's rather isolated and traffic-free, but this means a lot of four-legged traffic instead. I once saw 8 deer in the front yard. Eight! We also have the ubiquitous bunnies, squirrels, and even foxes.  I'd have to cover any garden with a mesh of chicken wire, and probably wouldn't have the time to tend it properly, I'm afraid.

blue heaven


xi is that kefaltori a Greek cheese?

Yes, it is.

Last night, tonight, and tomorrow night- lunch meat sandwiches. Normally, I love 'em, but only when we have the works to put on them- tomatoes, dill pickles, banana peppers, black olives, at least 2 types of cheese, and 3-4 types of lunch meat. The ones we're having now are at the bare minimum- one slice of cheese and cheap turkey and even cheaper ham!

I remember 2 things my dad refused to eat.  1 was turnups.  as a kid, during the Depression he told me they lived on them.  To this day he cant stand the sight or smell.
The other was Spam.  When he was in the South Pacific during WWII there was a mix up with supply and all they had for a long time was spam and powdered eggs.  For a change of pace they fished with handgrenades.  All they got was sharks.  The water was so infested with them none could swim.

Found some wonderful  .99 lb spiral baked ham (Morell)  at Krogers.. Could not say no...
The fridge is now full at 2~Sure we can find lot's to create!  What a deal......(especially for Kroger )

I haven't been around in ages, and am almost scared to post now (contentious recession-food-thread!), but...

I have three kids, and recently discovered fry bread tacos.  Killer.  Dinner for five, using almost 1/2 lb of ground beef is a winner, any day.  

The fry bread is basically 4cups of flour, 2T of baking powder, 2 tsp. salt, and 2 cups of milk. Stir, let sit, knead until everything is basically incorporated (laziness is fine too - if you stir briskly, you can avoid kneading - I discovered that by accident my first attempt).  Then pull off chunks of dough about the size of a golfball, spread it out as much as possible - about 5 inches diameter/ thinner in the middle - and fry in hot/360degree oil, turning during cooking to brown each side evenly.

Top with whatever "taco fixings" you prefer (and sneak either pintos or refried pintos in for further $$ savings).  But the BEST is the leftovers - serve as dessert with honey, or dust with sugar & cinnamon, then honey.  Or use for breakfast the next day (again, with honey).  They are SO darned good.

My other go to lately is chicken and dumplings - which I would have sworn I "hated."  As it turns out, I LOVE them.  My one hint - take whatever dumpling recipe you find, and sub. about 1/4 of the flour for cornmeal. It makes for a lighter dumpling.   

Both of these are suitable for guests, too - the fry bread is unique enough for most of us to impress, and the ck & dumplings is "Grandmother Food" that a lot of us don't bother with.

I completely forgot to mention - when money is tight, bake bread.  Any kind of bread.  Biscuits, French bread, artisinal... SO cheap, and such an easy way to stretch your main dish.  (Especially if you're like me, and fill up on bread as it comes out of the oven.)  It really doesn't have to take long.  (Your waistline may suffer while your bottom line benefits, however.)

  A couple of weeks ago I made Kentucky Hot Browns. It is one of my wife's favorite dishes. I had to buy a whole turkey breast and roast it for the recipe. Alas, what to do with the left over turkey? I made a very tasty casserole with it tonight.

  1 lb chopped roasted turkey
  1/2 lb par cooked egg noodles
  1 can cream of celery soup mixed with 1 can of whole milk
  2 carrots, peeled and diced
  2 ribs celery, chopped
  1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  1/2 lb frozen peas
  1/4 lb grated, sharp cheddar cheese
  1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
  2 tsp each fresh ground pepper and rubbed sage

  In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients except the crumbs and cheddar and mix well. Pour into a large buttered casserole dish. Top with the cheddar and then coat evenly with the bread crumbs. Bake in a 375 degree oven foe one hour. That's it. The process only took about 20 minutes except for cooking time.  Total cost: about $8.00  and change to feed 4. The cheese and turkey were the most expensive ingredients but I usually have some kind of poultry and cheese in my fridge most of the time anyway.

David O.
 
 
 

...I love lurking and reading all the great stuff scattered throughout this forum. This thread has to be one of the better ones IMHO. I have a simple, artery clogging recipe that my mom used to whip up for us when we were kids. She said her mother made it even long before great depression and it kept everyone happy and full during hard times. It seems that a large potato chip factory was relatively close to their home and chips could be bought dirt cheap. More often than not, they used to look in the back of the factory and there were many boxes of "seconds" or broken chips that the company used to throw out and they picked up as many boxes as they could. They took these broken chips and made tuna casserole with 'em. All it really consisted of was chips, tuna, flour, milk, lard and wild mushrooms if available to be found. She told me they eventually used a "new soup" that was introduced instead of the mushrooms and flour...Cream of Mushroom soup...LOL...I loved this simple casserole as a kid and I love it occasionally today as an adult as well...


Today's version of:

"Depression Tuna Casserole"

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of chips...broken up
2 cans tuna
2 cans mushroom soup
1 1/2 cans milk more or less as you like to make it the consistency you prefer.
butter

Butter up the inside of a large casserole dish.
Mix everything else together well in a large mixing bowl.
Pour into the casserole dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for about an hour.
It will brown up nicely with a crusty top and creamy insides...mmmmmmm...