Old-Fashioned Raisin Nut Omelet

Raisin Nut Omelet with toast on plateMy weekday breakfasts are boring — think oatmeal or cereal, but I like to make breakfast foods that are a little fancier on weekends, so I was thrilled when I came across a recipe for Raisin Nut Omelet in a hundred-year-old cookbook.

The Raisin Nut Omelet is topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. For the omelet, the eggs are separated and the whites beaten, which makes the omelet a little fluffier than many modern omelets. The raisins (and the powdered sugar) give the omelet a lovely sweetness, and the nuts add a delightful crunchy texture. The omelet is perfect for breakfast or brunch – though it almost has a dessert-like essence and could also be served at other times of the day.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Raisin Nut Omelet
The Modern Method of Preparing Delightful Foods (1926) by Ida Bailey Allen

This recipe was in a cookbook published by the Corn Products Refining Company, so it calls for specific brands for the corn-based ingredients. When I updated the recipe, I just listed the ingredients without the brand names.

The recipe calls for cutting the raisins in half. They probably don’t really need to be cut,  but I followed the recipe directions and cut them. The resulting raisin pieces were a nice size when dispersed throughout the omelet.

I could not figure out why the recipe called for boiling water (and thought it might prematurely cook some of the egg yolk), so I just used regular water.

And, here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Raisin Nut Omelet

  • Servings: 2 - 3
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

5 eggs, separated

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup raisins, cut in half

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts.)

1 tablespoon olive oil or  other cooking oil

powdered sugar

Step 1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Step 2. Place egg whites in a bowl, then beat the egg whites until  stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Step 3. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then stir in the salt, corn starch, and water. Add raisins and nuts; then stir until evenly distributed in the mixture.

Step 4. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Step 5. Grease a large oven-proof skillet (or use an omelet pan) with olive oil or cooking oil, then heat on the top of the stove using medium-low heat.

Step 6. Pour the egg mixture into skillet, and gently cook for 2 minutes. Then gently stir, lifting the cooked portion from the bottom of the pan to allow the uncooked portion to flow to the bottom.  After another minute, again gently lift the cooked portion from the bottom of the pan to help ensure that the omelet cooks evenly, and gently cook for another minute.

Step 7. Move the skillet to the oven, and bake for about 8 – 10 minutes or until the egg mixture is set.

Step 8. Remove from oven, and loosen the edges and bottom of the omelet from the skillet with a spatula, then turn onto a plate.

Step 9. Fold omelet in half. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the omelet. Serve immediately.

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1926 Unifruitco Bananas (Fruit Dispatch Company) Advertisement

Bananas and cereal
Source: An advertisement for Unifruitco Bananas (Fruit Dispatch Company), Good Housekeeping (April, 1926)

Bananas are tasty, inexpensive, nutritious, and easy to eat. They are wonderful in smoothies, and delightful sliced on top of cereal or oatmeal. They also are tasty in banana breads and muffins.  Mashed bananas are one of the first solid foods that babies typically eat, and they are equally popular with older children and adults of all ages.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, bananas are sometimes called “nature’s perfect snack.” They are a higher fiber food, and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. They are especially known for being a good source of potassium, which can help reduce blood pressure.

Bananas have been popular in the United States since the latter part of the 1800s. As people became aware of germs, they liked how the peel kept the banana clean until it was ready to be eaten.

By the early 1900’s, large quantities of bananas were imported into the United States from Latin America and the Caribbean. The Fruit Dispatch Company had an advertisement for Unifruitco bananas in the April, 1926 issue of Good Housekeeping. The Fruit Dispatch Company was a selling agency for the United Fruit Company back then. (United Fruit Company is now Chiquita Brands International.) Here are some excepts from the 1926 advertisement:

Offer a child a ripe banana, and see eager eyes light up with the joy of anticipated goodness. Children find an appetite allure in ripe bananas – and do you know what it is? It is sugar – mellow sweetness in its most easily digested form.

Bananas are rich in carbohydrates – the energy-building food values so necessary for children, and so good for everyone. In bananas that are fully ripe, this valuable food element is present in the form of fruit sugars, nature’s most easily digested and most wholesome form of sweetness. . .

Buy them in advance of use and let them ripen at home. . . When all green is gone from the tip, and the yellow skin has turned to a mellow gold, flecked with brown, then a banana is fully ripe and most delicious. . .

The choicest bananas you can find are Unifruitco Bananas. They are grown and harvested down in the tropics, under the most modern methods of cultivation. They come north in specially constructed ships. The Fruit Dispatch Company, Importers of Unifruitco Bananas, distributes them all over the country to wholesalers and jobbers, who keep this fruit in banana rooms until your dealer wants them.

Good Housekeeping (April, 1926)

Both a hundred years ago and now, there was recognition that bananas contain more sugar when fully ripe than when they are greener. The old advertisement recommended eating completely ripe bananas that were a “mellow gold, flecked with brown.” Today people who are concerned about maintaining a steady blood sugar often prefer greener bananas that contain more starch. According to the Cleveland Clinic article:

Green bananas can contain less than half the amount of sugar than ripe ones.

For those concerned about blood sugar levels with more yellow bananas, pairing the fruit with a protein source (such as a handful of nuts or a cheese stick) can help better regulate the increase.

Old-Fashioned Red Cabbage and Apples

I recently was browsing through a hundred-year-old cookbook and came across a recipe for Red Cabbage and Apples, and decided to give it a try.

The Red Cabbage and Apples are a delightful combination. The slightly bitter cabbage works well with the sweet, tartness of the apple. It is a vibrant, attractive, tasty, side dish.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Red Cabbage and Apples
Source: 1926 cookbook compiled by the Domestic Science Class of the Peoria (IL) Women’s Club

My sense is that  cabbage heads and apples typically were smaller a hundred years ago than they often are today, so instead of using a whole cabbage, I used  1/2 head of cabbage; and I used one apple rather than two.

The original recipe calls for flour browned in butter. I interpreted this to mean that the butter is browned and then the flour is stirred into it.

The old recipe does not call for any salt, but the flavor of the Red Cabbage and Apples is enhanced if a little salt is added.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Red Cabbage and Apples

  • Servings: 3 - 4
  • Difficulty: moderate
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1/2  head red cabbage, shredded (approximately 4 – 5 cups)

water

1 tart apple (such as Granny Smith or Braeburn), peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Step 1. Put the shredded cabbage in a large saucepan; add 1/2 inch of water. Using medium high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir the cabbage once or twice while it is cooking.

Step 2. Remove from heat, and drain using a strainer. (Keep the cabbage in the pan.) Reserve the drained cabbage water.

Step 3. Add 1/2 inch of water to the cabbage.  Heat again. Using medium high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir the cabbage once or twice while it is cooking.

Step 4. Remove from heat and drain using a strainer. (Keep the cabbage in the pan). Again, reserve the drained juice, and add to the other reserved juice.

Step 5. In the meantime. put the butter in a skillet. Heat using medium heat.  Allow it to bubble, while stirring occasionally. Continue heating until the butter turns a light brown, then stir in the flour. Gradually add some of the reserved cabbage water (about 1/2 cup), while stirring constantly. Continue stirring until it thickens. It should be about the consistency of gravy. If it is too thick add additional cabbage water. Stir in the salt.

Step 6. Pour the thickened cabbage “gravy” over the cabbage in the saucepan. Add the chopped apples.  Heat until hot and bubbly (and the apples pieces are heated through), while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and serve.

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1926 Q&A: Are Candy Cigarettes and Jaw Breakers Good for Children?

Q&A Candy Cigarettes
Source: Good Housekeeping (February, 1926)

Whew – Thank goodness some things have changed over the past hundred years. How could anyone back then think that candy cigarettes might be a good idea?

The question about whether licorice candy cigarettes and jaw breakers had any food value appeared in a question and answer column written by Dr. Harvey Wiley in the February, 1926 issue of Good Housekeeping. Dr. Wiley was concerned about adulterated foods, and advocated for more regulation of food and drugs. He was the first commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and later worked for Good Housekeeping Institute.

It’s interesting that Dr. Wiley focused his response on whether licorice was good for children rather than on whether candy cigarettes might encourage children to becomes smokers — though in 1926, people weren’t yet fully aware of the dangers of smoking.

The 1920’s was the era of the flappers, and social norms were rapidly changing. Many young women started smoking (and drinking alcohol – even though it was during prohibition) as a way of demonstrating their independence. Men also were smoking more cigarettes.  Previously men were more likely to smoke cigars, but in the 1920’s many shifted to cigarettes.

Candy cigarettes were still popular when I was a child. There was a candy store near where I lived that prominently displayed them. I remember friends buying packs of the candy cigarettes. (I don’t think that I ever bought any, but am not sure.) They would gently tear the cellophane away from the top of the pack and tear it open. They’d take a “cigarette” out, maybe offer another one to a friend, then tap it on a table or hard surface, put it to their mouth, pretend to light it, pretend to inhale, then dramatically remove it from their mouth and pretend to exhale. Just thinking about it now makes me cringe, but at the time, it seemed like a fun activity.

Bottom line – I agree with Dr. Wiley,  “Away with them!” I can’t remember the last time I saw a candy cigarette. It must have been at least 40 years ago. Candy cigarettes may still be legal; but, as we’ve become aware of the dangers of smoking, they thankfully seem to have vanished from the marketplace.

Old-Fashioned Golden West Sandwich (Ham and Cheese Grilled Sandwich)

I love to eat grilled sandwiches for lunch, so was intrigued when I came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Golden West sandwiches. This is basically a recipe for a ham and cheese sandwich made using French toast.

The bread slices are sipped in an egg and milk mixture prior to grilling. The assembled ham and cheese sandwich is then grilled using medium low heat that allows sufficient time for the Swiss (or Gruyere) cheese to melt. The grilled sandwich is then topped with a tomato slice.

The Golden West Sandwich was delightful. The grilled bread was softer and moister than the typical grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and was a nice variation of this classic.

Here’s the original recipe:Golden West Cheese (Ham and Cheese) Sandwich

Recipe for Golden West Sandwich
Source: American Cookery (October, 1926)

A spider pan is a skillet with legs. They originally were used over open fires. I just used a regular skillet to make the sandwich.

Years ago, bread crusts were sometimes removed from bread when making sandwiches. Since bread crusts are seldom removed today, I didn’t remove them when making the Golden West Sandwich.

It sounded challenging to dip the bread slices into the egg mixture after the sandwich was assembled, so I dipped the individual slices prior to making the sandwich.

I’m not sure why the old recipe calls for measuring the milk using a tablespoon. Four tablespoons of milk is the equivalent of 1/4 cup of milk, so when I updated the recipe, I went with 1/4 cup.

I used Swiss cheese when making this sandwich. The recipe gives the option of using either Swiss or Guyerë, cheese. Today, the later option is typically spelled either “Gruyere” or “Gruyère” cheese. I’m not sure whether the spelling (and the way accent markes are used) has changed across the years or if it this was a typo.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Golden West Sandwich (Ham and Cheese Grilled Sandwich)

  • Servings: 1
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

2 slices bread

butter

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk

2 slices Swiss or Gruyère cheese (I used Swiss cheese.)

2 – 3 thinly sliced slices of ham

1 tomato slice

Combine the egg and milk in a shallow dish or pan; stir to combine. Butter one side of the bread slices, then dip the slices in the egg and milk mixture. Put one of the slices on a plate, buttered side down. Put a slice of cheese on top of the bread slice, then the ham slices. Put the other slice of cheese on top of the ham slices. Top with the other slice of bread, with the buttered slide facing up.

Using medium low heat, melt enough butter in a skillet to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the assembled ham and cheese sandwich. Cook in the skillet until the bread on the bottom of the sandwich is toasted and golden brown, then use a spatula to gently flip the sandwich. Toast the other side, then remove from heat, top with the tomato slice, and serve.

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Milk Facts Presented in a Hundred-Year-Old Magazine

Drawing of milk as a cornerstone
Source: Ladies Home Journal (May, 1926)

A hundred years ago Ladies Home Journal contained a monthly Food Facts column. The May, 1926 column was about milk. As someone who grew up on a dairy farm, my interest was immediately piqued. Some of the facts in the old magazine are the same as what I commonly hear today; others have changed over the years.

Milk: What Do You Know About It?

DO YOU KNOW that the chief value of milk in the diet is as a supplement to other foods, correcting their deficiencies?

This is Why milk is often called a “protective” food.

DO YOU KNOW that milk, because it meets nearly every food requirement, is the most satisfactory single article of food consumed by man?

This is Why there is no effective substitute for milk.

DO YOU KNOW that milk is not only essential to the growth of children but to the health and vigor of adults?

This is Why a quart of milk a day for a child and not less than a pint for an adult are essential to a proper diet.

DO YOU KNOW that no other food can be taken in sufficient quantity to supply the calcium needs of the body?

This is Why a diet that is short in milk in generally short in the lime which is needed for bone structure.

DO YOU KNOW that the best milk will spoil when it is not kept clean and cold?

This is Why the careless housekeeper frequently ruins milk that has been carefully handled by farmer and distributor.

DO YOU KNOW that heating milk to 140° – 145° F. and keeping at this temperature for twenty to thirty minutes destroys most of the harmful bacteria which it may contains?

This is Why pasteurized milk is generally safer than raw milk for those who must depend on a city milk supply.

DO YOU KNOW that the lactic-acid bacteria which sour milk are not harmful or putrefactive bacteria?

This is Why we should distinguish between sour milk, which is useful, and spoiled milk, which should be thrown away.

DO YOU KNOW that from the standpoint of nutrition skim milk is worth more than the cream which is taken off it?

This is Why more use should be made of skim milk in breadmaking and other cooking processes.

DO YOU KNOW that a low temperature – under 50° F. – is the only preservation needed for clean milk?

This is Why milk that is both clean and cold can be kept sweet for three to four weeks.

DO YOU KNOW that because of its wide use as a food, milk is more closely supervised in the United States than any other article of diet?

This is Why we have the most wholesome milk supply in the world.

Food-Facts Information Service

The Ladies Home Journal

Ladies Home Journal (May, 1926)

Old-Fashioned Fillets of Flounder with Spaghetti and Mushroom Sauce

 

Flounder and Spaghetti in dish

I was recently flipping through a hundred-year-old issue of American Cookery magazine, and noticed a photo of Fillets of Flounder with Spaghetti and Mushroom Sauce. There aren’t many photos of dishes in old cookbooks and magazines, so I always assume that the dishes photographed were ones the publisher considered especially nice. The photo was black and white (and much less enticing that modern food photos), but it looked good. So, the next time I went to the supermarket, I bought some flounder, and made the dish.

This recipe is a winner. Spaghetti is dressed with a creamed mushroom sauce. Fillets of flounder with tangy broiled Parmesan cheese are then placed on top. This dish was a delight that tasted surprisingly modern.

Here’s the original recipe:Fillets of Flounder of Spaghetti

Recipe for Fillets of Flounder with Spaghetti
Source: American Bakery (October, 1926)

When I made this recipe, I purchased a one-pound package of frozen flounder fillets which contained three fillets. I thawed the fish before using in the recipe.

I used milk instead of heavy cream when moistening the Parmesan cheese. For the “rich milk” called for in the mushroom sauce recipe, I used half and half. Milk would also work, though the sauce would be a little less rich.

I used parsley instead of water cress as a garnish.

There are three components to this dish: spaghetti, mushroom sauce, and flounder with a Parmesan cheese topping. The most difficult part of this recipe is getting all of the parts cooked at the same time (and if some are finished before others, keeping those components hot). I made the mushroom sauce, and then turned the heat off. I reheated it for a minute or so when I was ready to assemble the dish.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Fillets of Flounder with Spaghetti and Mushroom Sauce

  • Servings: 3 - 5
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped (1 6.5-ounce can of mushrooms, chopped, can be substituted for the fresh mushrooms.)

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup half and half (Milk can be substituted for the half and half.)

8 ounces spaghetti

1 pound flounder fillets (3 – 5 fillets)

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon milk

parsley (optional garnish)

Step 1. Make the mushroom sauce by melting the butter in a skillet using medium heat. Place the chopped mushrooms in the skillet and sauté  until tender (3 – 5 minutes). Stir in the flour, then gradually add the half and half while stirring constantly. Continue stirring and cooking until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn off the heat.

Step 2. Make the spaghetti following package instructions. (While the water comes to a boil and while the spaghetti cooks, move on to the next steps and cook the flounder fillets.)

Step 3. In the meantime, put the Parmesan cheese and milk in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Step 4. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Put the flounder fillets in the skillet and sauté  for 2-3 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook the other side until internal temperature reaches 145° F. (Do not overcook.)

Step 5. Line a baking sheet that can be put under the broiler with aluminum foil. Gently use a large spatula to transfer the cooked flounder to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the Parmesan and milk mixture on the flounder and put under the broiler until lightly browned.

Step 6. Reheat the mushroom sauce, while stirring constantly.

Step 7. Assemble dish by putting the cooked spaghetti on a platter or flat dish. (I used a 7 1/2″ X 12″ baking dish.) Spoon the mushroom sauce on top of the spaghetti. Using a large spatula, gently put the flounder fillets that are topped with Parmesan cheese on top of the spaghetti and mushrooms. If desired, garnish with parsley sprigs.

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