A word from Jess about Corned Beef Hash

During the Second World War, up until the attack on Pearl Harbour the United States had remained neutral.

On March 11 1941 the Lend-Lease Agreement was signed between the British and Americans by which America would “lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defence of the United States."” In terms of rationing and food supplies it meant they were able to send over tinned products such as corned beef and spam to help feed the British.

The term “corned” does not just define the vegetable but also the state in which the product is preserved. Brine, made from water, salt, brown sugar and pickling spices is used to prolong the life expectancy of the beef. Whilst this concentration of beef causes it to be high in protein, preserving it means that it has a high salt and fat content. The recipe we used to create the corned beef hash is extremely simple. It requires little cooking knowledge and by listing the ingredients before the method allows it to be followed easily and effectively.

Unfortunately during the cooking process the smell became unbearable and I was unable to even try the dish however, in an archive of WW2 experiences created by the BBC, June Stillman describes meat as “something else rationed, even cooked meats. So to make the 2 ounces of corned beef (per head) go further it was turned into a hash” even going as far to state, “Even today I enjoy a corned beef hash”. I find the advertising used to promote Spam quite humorous, I can’t put my finger exactly on why but perhaps it’s just how American it seems!

Each poster sends the same message; Spam can be used in any circumstance for any dish and makes me feel even a little Spam crazy! In relation to how we read the posters, they seem quite colloquial, as if one was talking to a friend... Suggesting perhaps "why would you not use Spam?” The third poster has a little world play on the "Dig for Victory", an extremely predominant slogan during the war. On the other hand, compared to corned beef, Spam has a lot more fat and a lot less protein so whilst it may be considered a tastier alternative or substitute its nutritional value is lacking.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/80936-corned-beef-nutrition/#ixzz1IltMPXk5 http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=old&doc=71#

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/43/a2177543.shtml

A word from Carmen about Corned Beef Hash

A travesty to the taste buds, an assault on the nose and eyes; a decent into the most foul tasting ingredients and their concoction, all encapsulated so innocently in a simple recipe.

The layout adheres to conventional cooking standards as the ingredients are listed with the two types of measurement available. The recipe aims once more to create an edible meal from, quite frankly inedible corned beef. It presumes the presence of an adult, or a cook with experience as it uses culinary terms. This is illustrated through use of words such as ‘dice’.

However, nothing in this layout prepares the supper guest or cook for the other elements of this recipe, such as the smell whilst cooking- let alone taste. It is clearly demonstrated here that there is a vast difference from the image words create on a page, and the realities of the kitchen. The recipe lays out a guide for the objective creation of a dish - to the point of disregard in reference to miniscule matters such as taste; it cannot portray for the reader the actuality of eating the dish, nor can it transfer this objectivity to the human taste-bud.

Each recipe is written to be angled at a certain readership, and awaken in the mind of every cook a desire to try out that particular dish or even take it into their own repertoire, however as we have discovered, the actualities of the kitchen and those ideals portrayed in every perfectly lain out recipe are quantum leaps apart.

Corned Beef Hash

This recipe is also derived from the same children's cook book as the macaroni and the potato piglets.

CORNED BEEF HASH

8 oz (225g) corned beef 8 oz (225g) cooked potatoes 8 oz (225g) tomatoes 1/2 oz (15g) dripping 2 medium-sized onions, peeled and grated Seasoning Dice the corned beef and cooked potatoes. Slice the tomatoes. Melt the dripping in a frying pan, then add the onions and fry gently until soft. Add the diced corned beef and potatoes, cook for several minutes, then add the sliced tomatoes and a little seasoning. Cover the pan with a lid or a plate and cook very slowly for 15 minutes. Serves 4.

What we bought

Putting the ingredients into the pan!

We were unable to post a third and final video due to a quick evacuation of the kitchen and the sulphurous stench it was emitting!!!

EVACUATE!!!

Moses B&A. Wartime Cookbook: Food and Recipies from the Second World War 1939-45.Wayland, 1995

A word from Jess about Potato Piglets

This recipe was taken from “Wartime Cookbook” which was written in order to educate young children in rationing and the lifestyle during World War 2.

To date, this is the most delicious dish we have recreated and also the most simple; what the recipe doesn’t explain is just how tasty the potato is after the fat of the sausage cooking inside it has been absorbed! The substitution of potato for pastry was extremely successful.

Method wise, we didn’t have an apple corer to hand which was perhaps the safer method to removing the centre of the potato. Furthermore the recipe didn’t give any further suggestions as to what to do with the left over potato, anti- waste was an extremely large campaign with posters declaring “a clear plate means a clear conscience”

or even “don’t ask for bread unless you really want it” so it may not be as authentic as recipes produced during the war period.



In terms of promoting certain foods characters such as Potato Pete were used;




He also came with a song;

Potato Pete, Potato Pete,

See him coming down the street,

Shouting his good things to eat,

‘Get your hot potatoes

From Potato Pete’.


The using of songs was common as a tool for informing and interesting the British public. Light hearted songs such as Potato Pete can help to alleviate the tensions perhaps felt by those having to live through rationing. One can also see it as a form of marketing on behalf of the Ministry of Food or even as propaganda as it seeks to influence the attitude of the British public. A further example of influencing the public to use potatoes but also not to waste them can be seen in another song by the Ministry;

Dearly beloved brethren,

is it not a sin,

To peel potatoes and to throw away the skin.

The skin feeds the pigs

And the pigs feed us.

Dearly beloved brethren is that not enough?

Use of "dearly beloved" and "a sin" could be interpreted as conjuring imagery of a church service and if read as such could be seen as something to adhere to, similar to that of the Bible.





This recipe can be seen as a great example of good food created from a substitution.

A word from Carmen about Potato Piglets

Children are consistently taught never to play with their food however, this does not stop parents from revamping their culinary masterpieces in order to create a new dynamic in otherwise monotonous food stuffs.

Although this is a simple war time recipe; the layout in the children’s book from which it has been sourced includes a prefix; its main method layout includes implements which may not necessarily have been easily come by in the Second World War. The use of an ‘apple corer’ is very specifically child friendly, whilst the average cook- Jess and I included, would go for the good old fashioned knife.

The marketing of the recipe, as illustrated on a plethora of other occasions throughout this blog, is integrated into the language of the recipe and furthermore its layout. On this occasion the simplicity of the concept and ingredients, create a meal which is both nutritious, adheres to the Ministry of Foods guidelines of the time about potato consumption and is easily cooked.

Potato Piglets

This recipe is also derived from the same children's cook book as the macaroni and the corned beef hash.

Potato Piglets

This recipe was a tasty substitute for sausage rolls, although sausages were difficult to come by in wartime.

6 medium potatoes, well scrubbed

6 skinned sausages

Remove a centre core using an apple corer, from the length of each potato. Stuff the hole with the sausage meat. Bake the stuffed potatoes for about an hour at 220 °C, 400 °F, gas mark 6. Serve on a bed of chopped cabbage - raw or cooked

What did we use?

How to core your potato!

The end product!!

Moses, B&A. Wartime Cookbook: Food and Recipies from the Second World War 1939-45. Wayland, 1995

A word from Jess about the Bacon Macaroni

This recipe uses very easily accessible ingredients, especially the vegetables that would have been grown in peoples own back gardens- this we discovered during the “hot pot” blog entry. Nutritionally this meal provides a well rounded meal, vitamins from the vegetables, protein and fat from the meat and carbohydrates from the macaroni. In relation to how it tasted the flavour was lacking but it was by no means unpleasant. Once again the style of the recipe is simplistic, taken from an informative recipe book for children this is what one would expect and it therefore does its job well.

Curiously pork was not the most rationed of meats as many set up “pig clubs” where by a group of people would work together to help feed a pig to then share the meat once it was butchered, many were even raised in empty cages at London Zoo. The Ministry of Food used their informative songs to remind the public of the value of pigs;

Because of the pail, the

Scraps were saved,

Because of the scraps, the

Pigs were saved,

Because of the pigs, the

Rations were saved,

Because of the rations, the

Ships were saved,

Because of the ships, the

Island was saved,

Because of the island, the

Empire was saved,

And all because of a

Housewife’s pail.

According Richard Moss; “The gentle art of persuasion and propaganda remained paramount. In 1944 the Ministry of Food Public Relations Division spent an astonishing £600,000 on posters and publicity.” It seems that any literary productions created by the Ministry were to send a message, the public needed support and knowledge and the Ministry would use their words to provide this.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/history+%26+heritage/war+%26+conflict/world+war+two/art76042

A word from Carmen about the Bacon Macaroni

This is a simple recipe, simply lain out, which does not push on culinary capabilities, but simply provides a basic recipe with ingredients that bring out the natural under-tones of each other to provide a meal, worthy of any child’s supper time.

There are no prefix's or suffix's to pre-empt hazardous incidents, or explain certain elements, suggesting that this recipe; although presented in the chapter 'Making do with less' does not compromise on taste or nutrition. The explanation of how to make vegetable stock suggests that the implied reader is very inexperienced. In fact it is aimed at children, and is also a children's dish.

The language enables the younger child to read and create a dish, which they would enjoy eating. At a point children took the back seat in society and were funnelled out into countryside idylls, such innocent activities as cooking may have alleviated, to a certain extent, their boredom.

Macaroni and Bacon Dish

Eggless sponge, carrot marmalade, liver savoury or nettle tea are just some of the recipes British people ate during World War Two. This new version of the Wartime Cookbook, with simplified text, looks at rationing and how British people coped with limited supplies. Full of recipes for children to make at home or at school using only wartime ingredients, the Wartime Cookbook shows you just what life was like in wartime Britain.

MACARONI AND BACON DISH

1/2 oz (12.5g) dripping, or other fat

2 oz (50g) leek or onion, peeled and chopped

2 0z (50g) bacon, chopped

1 pint (500ml) vegetable stock, made by dissolving a vegetable stock cube in boiling water

6 oz (150g) macaroni

salt and pepper

Melt the dripping in a pan and fry the leek and bacon until lightly browned. Add the stock, bring to the boil, and add the macaroni and seasoning. Cook for 20 minutes or until the macaroni is tender and the water is absorbed. Garnished with watercress. Serves 4.

What are we using in this dish?

Going into the pan!!

The taste test!

Moses, B&A. Wartime Cookbook: Food and Recipies from the Second World War 1939-45. Wayland, 1995

A word from Jess about the Meat Roll

What appeals about this recipe is the simplistic way in which it was written- just add all the ingredients together and wrap. The language of the recipe however is extremely instructional and does not make use of descriptive language which in today’s society may cause it to be rejected or not interesting enough to be considered.

As shown in the reference this recipe belongs to ‘The Good Housekeeping Institute’ which still exists today. Its role in society was and still is to provide women with relevant articles relating to their diets and health but experienced some amendments during the war time;

Good Housekeeping. The Best of the 1940’s.

Unfortunately when I found this recipe in the archives of the Imperial War Museum I was unable to find an exact date. From the research I’ve previously conducted this recipe seems a little farfetched as eggs were rationed and also meats such as minced beef were often substituted for something else such as whale meat which was un-rationed and thus people could buy as much as they liked.

Whale meat became available towards the end of the Second World War and was offered in a variety of tinned forms such as “whale steak casserole, whale steak and kidney pudding and whale-meat roll.” (War Time Cookbook). The dish itself was actually very tasty however; it may be interesting to try the dish again if we were to substitute the minced beef and eggs for their tinned and powdered alternatives.

The recipe suggests eating the dish with potatoes which were commonly recommended as they provided a large source of carbohydrates and “meant that people ate less bread, which meant in turn that less wheat had to be imported to make flour”. I will research further into the functionality of potatoes within the Potato Piglets entry.

A word from Carmen about the Meat Roll

This concoction although plentiful in ingredients, remains one of the simplest recipes to undertake. It barely takes a sentence to convey to the reader how to mix it and moreover that this roll is little more than an assortment of ingredients thrown together in a somewhat haphazard fashion and then baked into submission.

There are no preliminary introductions or tantalising forays into the world of edible words, far from it; this roll mean business. It is a simple, delicious and nutritious recipe for the family. Whilst in the modern day, this roll may be regarded as the result of three hours cooking and perhaps saved for the more favoured of days, in the 1940’s this roll would have been ideal as a dish which is tasty both hot and cold.

Its breadcrumbs enable the ingredients to keep for slightly longer making it perfect for the dinner table, stuffed into pockets during air raids and for snacking on during a long shift. The recipe layout becomes emblematic for the no-nonsense attitude the roll purveys.

Meat Roll

This recipe was sourced from the Imperial War Museum archives, it is by pure chance that this was found but unfortunately their system was unable to give an exact date.

Meat Role- 3 pounds of minced beef, 2 pounds of bacon ends, 2 pounds of onions (minced) 2 pounds of bread (soaked in stock or milk) Mixed herbs, salt and pepper to taste, 6 eggs. Mix all ingredients together into a thick role and tie in greaseproof paper. Steam for three to four hours and serve hot with gravy and vegetables.

Why the Meat Roll?

Not so appealing anymore?

How to make it roll!

'The Good Housekeeping Institute'. Found in the Imperial War museum archives. (1940's, exac date unknown)

A word from Jess about Mock Fish

Heath Ambrose’s recipe is presented traditionally on the page alongside 5 other substituted recipes such as toad in a hole and his style is very similar to that of Mrs Peel’s very descriptive recipes, this one doesn’t even list the ingredients and it is instead up to the reader to sift through his method to discover what is needed. After making this recipe I would chose to accept this dish without complaint. The replacement of fish for rice was very triumphant as the texture was very similar to that of a fish finger and did not taste too dissimilar either!

Through my research of rationed foods I discovered this timeline;

1939 World War Two begins

1939 - Petrol rationing (ended May 1950 )

8 January 1940 - Rationing of bacon, butter and sugar
11 March 1940 - All meat was rationed
July 1940 - Tea and margarine were added to the list of rationed foods.

March 1941 - Jam was put on ration.
May 1941 - Cheese was rationed
1 June 1941 - Rationing of clothing (ended 15 March 1949)
June 1941 - Eggs were put on ration
July 1941 - Coal was rationed as more and more men were called up to serve in the forces.

January 1942 - Rice and dried fruit were added to the list of rationed foods.
February 1942 - Soap was rationed so that oils and fats could be saved for food. Tinned tomatoes and peas were were added to the list of rationed food.
17 March 1942- Coal, gas and electricity were all rationed
26 July 1942 - Rationing of sweets and chocolate. Each person was allowed about 2oz (55 grams) a week
August 1942 - Biscuits rationed

1943 - Sausages are rationed

1945 World War Two Ends

Rationing continued on many items until 1954.

In no part of this timeline is the rationing of fish mentioned. Through further research I found that there is no real mention of rationed fish at all, fish could often be obtain in can or tin form so I wonder why Heath Ambrose found it necessary to create a mock fish recipe? Perhaps it was to give him the image of an 'all knowing' chef or just as an offer if one was unable to obtain fish at the time. Regardless I would consider this as a good substitute for breaded fish due to its taste but I'm not sure of the purpose or reason behind the word ‘mock’. Why feel the need to ‘mock’ anything when could simply create an original recipe? Perhaps it's a nostalgic reasoning, our home comforts are no longer available and we would do best to pretend? Or perhaps it’s a tool on behalf of the writer in order to attract their readers, the potential to create something we used to have? Regardless I've begun to wonder whether the British chose to create ‘mock’ recipes to seem superior to the rationing and substitution of food or were in fact too sensitive to seem defeated by their rationing.

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/war/rationing4.html

A word from Carmen about Mock Fish

Once more we delve into the fine art of mimetic, substitutory cooking, this time from the latter war period. Its 1944 and the recipe is back to the original paragraph format.

This cook does not have time to shop, list or procrastinate, but instead is taken straight into the details of the assemblage of the appropriate ingredients... is it tautological for me to point this out once more... we appear to have discovered a trend. However, delight of delights, this author appears to thrive on unusual imagery; ‘a piece of margarine the size of a small walnut’? This really does expand on the stereotypical kitchen terminology.

“Guesstimation” can be seen to be a large part in differentiating between the experienced and inexperienced cook, so images such as this, help to create a bridge between these two cooks.

Mock Fish

A selection of broadcaster John Miles’ famous early morning radio recipes supplemented by suggestions from his listeners. Cooking rationed and non-rationed food with recipes, hints on how to cook a very good dinner under difficult circumstances, herbs as substitute for the rare onion and lots more in this little book.

Bring half a pint of milk to the boil, and when it is boiling, shower in two ounces of ground rice, and add a teaspoonful of chopped onion or leek, a piece of margarine the size of a small walnut, and a seasoning of anchovy essence. Let this simmer gently for twenty minutes, then take the pan off the fire, and stir in a well-beaten egg. Mix well together, and then spread the mixture out on a flat dish: it should be about half an inch thick. When it is cold, cut it into pieces the size and shape of fish fillets, brush these with milk, roll them in breadcrumbs, and fry until golden-brown. Serve parsley sauce with them.

What fish?

In the saucepan!

The end product!

Heath, A. More Kitchen Front Recipies. A & C Black, 1941

A word from Jess about Siege Cake

A Kitchen goes to War

"More than a hundred well-known men and woman have contributed the 150 odd recipes in this book.

Cabinet Ministers or their wives, authors, actors, sportsmen, famous chefs and food experts have sent the recipes in the hope that they may help the housewife to plan interesting meals in wartime.

Using our food supplies to the best advantage will help to win the war. We can avoid waste and keep ourselves fit. We need variety and a well-balanced diet. These recipes give you both."


John Miles' positive introduction gives me a great opportunity to debate my argument; can rationed or substituted food still be good food? Within his cookbook Miles proposes that the recipes will not only empathise with the rationing but also remain varied, interesting and nutritionally rewarding. He also draws his audience in with the alluring list of contributers, surely his meals will thrive if even the 'famous' in society are willing to eat them?


The Seige Cake was contributed by Mrs Chamberlain, wife to the Prime Minster and proclaims it requires no egg and little sugar. What interests me however is her quote; "Men like this dish as well as women." The presence of men during the wartime in Britain was severely limited due to their service. I think this could add, in a similar way to the ‘mock’ recipes the idea of carrying on as if little has changed and also carries a glint of hope that the men shall return home soon. The power of words is very predominant within this cookbook.

A word from Carmen about Seige Cake

We can all collude and pretend that Mrs. Neville Chamberlain wrote this recipe, and furthermore that she cooked it. A publicity stunt, working to curry favour with housewives, also enables housewives across the country to delude themselves into the mindset that; we are all in the same boat.

Another chatty recipe, that pre-empts a lack in certain ingredients and sides with the reader by stating ‘No eggs and easy on the sugar’. What more could a rationed cook want but such a chance to create a cake which carefully finds all loopholes in rationing to create a sumptuous-if a little rich- cake.

The title refers to a colloquialism of war- ‘Siege’ being war language for -complete resource use in a certain situation in the hope of gaining the upper hand. And so this recipe does the same. It resources every ingredient which has not been rationed to sweeten, bulk out and create a cake. Having written a foreword which enables the reader to opt out of said ingredients, the writer then goes on to create a simple ingredients list with a liminal note, enabling the author to suggest a similar recipe, when shortages occur. By doing this the author can maintain the illusion of food as an obtainable resource, which can be used to create interesting alternatives to the traditional sponge, and the reader can collude in this by reading the recipe... which as discovered makes a wonderful cake.

However in this collusion both parties know that the alternative ingredients will not produce the same effect, and most probably will be a less savoury nibblet, however the imagination of the reader is awoken, and the housewife is able to self-blind and pretend that the cake tastes better than it does. Simple cookery terms are used throughout such as ‘beat’, ‘sift’ and ‘bake’.

There will be no floury language from the Prime Minister’s wife. At every turn, this recipe seeks- not only to enable the reader to create a cake- but also to put Mrs. Chamberlain in line with the current mood of the day.

Siege Cake

This book contained 150 recipes given by famous people of its time.

(No eggs and easy on the sugar)

4 oz. dripping or lard. The grated rind of a lemon 4 oz. moist sugar. 4 oz. golden syrup. 1 level teaspoonful bi- carbonate of soda. 11/2 teacupfuls butter milk 12 oz. flour 4 oz. stoned raisins. 1 Notes.-To save sugar 6 oz. of syrup and 2 oz. of sugar can be used. If the butter-milk not available use ordinary milk, 1 level teaspoonful of cream or tartar, and 1/2 teaspoonful be-carbonate of soda. METHOD: Grease a cake-tin measuring about 7 inches in a diameter. Beat fat, sugar and golden syrup until the consistency of whipped cream, gradually work in the butter-milk. Sift the flour with bi-carbonate of soda and work it lightly into the mixture. Bake in a moderate oven for about 11/4 hours. Mrs. NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN: "Men like this dish as well as women," says the Prime Minister's wife.

What can we use to make a siege cake?

Changes we made!

Finally a cake!

Ed. Miles, J. A Kitchen Goes to War. John Miles, 1940

A word from Jess about Chocolate Fluff

The recipe for chocolate fluff cream reads like a dream for any sweet-toothed fan. The combination of all things chocolaty and sweet is appealing and the seemingly simple instructions add to its allure.

When we began to make the chocolate fluff we encountered a series of problems that led to a somewhat failed dessert, perhaps it was our lack of patience or our inability to find an extremely cold place to prepare the dish! Regardless the chocolate did not fluff and we were left with a deliciously smelling chocolate liquid instead of something I imagined to be belonging to the ‘Angel Delight’ family.

In September 1939 every member of the British public had to register their household and household members in order to receive a ration book prepared by their local Food Offices. Rationing was then implemented on 8th January 1940 due to fewer ships being able to import foods to Britain and the first foods to be rationed were butter, sugar and bacon and ham.

Nutritive Values of Wartime Foods, published in 1945, showed that a lot more nutrients such as protein and carbohydrates could be found in powered or dried foods such as powdered milk which during the period of War were cheaper, came in larger quantities, lasted for longer durations and were more easily accessible. This of course affected the literature of the time, the Ministry of Food would publish ‘Food Facts’ in news papers in attempts to entice their readers to become more creative and be more aware of the nutritional value of food they were eating. In terms of deserts, the Ministry of Food tried to do their best to show how varied a diet could be with limited ingredients publishing articles such as the one shown here;

This article presents the idea of being economically aware, sympathising with the reader for a not-so-filling dinner but also carries the sense of pride that seems noticeably present in many recipe books of the period. However, I myself find it interesting that products such as ice cream were “banned after 1942, on the grounds that ... it had no food value” (Jonathan Croall). In terms of whether the "chocolate fluff cream" recipe provides good food, nutritionally it may be lacking simply due to its lack of nutritionally valued foods. It does not openly admit to substituting any foods as such and instead advertises itself as requiring "no milk of any kind". Replacing the water with milk may produce a more appealing or successful cream and as a result one could argue that what this recipe actually does is conceal well its principle point which is to offer an alternative dessert which does not use milk.

“Jonathan Croall, Don't You Know There's A war On? The People's Voice 1939-45”

http://www.fortunecity.co.uk/meltingpot/oxford/330/collection/pcrationing.html

A word from Carmen about Chocolate Fluff

Chocolate fluff or the equivocal liquidate evergreen of the kitchen as we discovered. Once again, there was a vast difference in the presentation and actuality of this recipe.

Terry insists on quipping that no ‘milk of any kind’ is used in this pre-word. But also proposes by default that the usual fluff, created from a mixture of cream and egg would pale in comparison. The title itself allures the reader into a false sense of security as it whips up the imagination in a flurry of those three tantalising words... Who can resist a fluffy, chocolaty, creamy delight, when all three have been rationed out of existence for the average cook.

However the harsh reality... whether in translation over 50 years later or at the time... sets –with its refusal to set- a different picture. After many an hour of whipping and cooling and whipping and cooling, we discovered that this combination of gelatine and cocoa was more liquidated than promised. Whether there was a disparity between the gelatines of our differing times or whether the recipe led us astray, the end result was invariably disappointing. Once again reader discretion has to trump the initial recipe and technology is the enemy of the author.

Chocolate Fluff

Everytime we serve a meal we stand in the limelight...

Chocolate fluff cream
(No milk of any kind required)
Ingredients: 3/4 pint warm water, 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of cocoa, 1 dessertspoonful of treacle (or syrup), saccharin if necessary, vanilla essence (optional), and the amount of powdered gelatine sufficient for one pint liquid. Refer to the instructions on the packet for this.
Method: dissolve the gelatine in very little boiling water.
Add the treacle to the cocoa. If necessary, add a few tablets of dissolved saccharin. Add the water gradually, stirring strongly. Add the vanilla essence. Taste for sweetening. Add the gelatine, stir well and store in a cool place.
When it begins to set, whisk for about 10-15 minutes and put at once in the coldest place you can find. If you cannot spare 10-15 minutes at a stretch for whisking, this can be done at intervals; but always keep in a cold place meantime.

What is chocolate fluff?

How to fluff the chocolate!

The chocolate doesn't fluff!

Josephine Terry, 'Food Without Fuss' (London: Faber & Faber, 1944)

A word from Jess about Risotto

The layout of this recipe was appealing to me as both a reader and cook. It encompasses everything you would need such as how long it takes to make, lists the ingredients first and even gives advice on what to do if the dish doesn’t taste quite right.

However it does read slightly as a “make what you can out of what you have left in the cupboard” recipe but during the wartime this could have been seen as resourceful rather than a final resort, due to the constant propaganda of not wasting food. During the war time period it was considered a crime to waste food.

Marguerite Patten, a food advisor to the government described the wartime view on food to the BBC News Magazine in 2007; “Back then if you didn't use every bit of food you'd end up with nothing to eat," she says. "You were proud to use everything because you felt you were helping the war effort - we all felt we were pulling together. Using leftovers also felt like getting a free meal and that was satisfying in itself.”

In some ways the risotto dish is extremely resourceful as it could be eaten cold the next day. In our society today, infected with fast food and throw away meals we often neglect our resources and after producing this recipe I have become a lot more aware of how I cook and use my ingredients.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7071501.stm

A word from Carmen about Risotto

This recipe follows the exact format of the previous one, as it comes from the same book.

However there is one interesting difference; that of the ‘Reason for failure’ section. It is well known that Risotto is a harder rice dish to master, and that it differs in its treatment of rice from the average meal. This final section pre-empts any ill fated attempt at the dish and forewarns the reader -through its inclusion- that this is not for the kitchen-ophiles. This section also becomes beneficial for those uncertain as to the finer details of risotto cooking, once more being as unobtrusively patronising as possible.

The recipes initial reference to the need for ‘1 dessertspoonful grated cheese’, creates an assumption that this will be a part of the Risotto and not, as later discovered, a garnish. The notion of the one spoonful underlines a tendency towards frugality and furthermore to small concepts of luxury. Whilst its appearance in the Ingredients section proposes that this item is essential, in reality it can be discarded- and so we did. The introduction of cheese as a garnish enables the housewife to discriminate about the tastes and pecuniary inhibitions of her family. However, the inclusion of this final ingredient also permits the housewife to feel she is treating –if she can include it occasionally- herself by incorporating it and in such a frugal manner.

But... and this is a major spanner in the works... this recipe is bland and if it were not for the seasoning the complete lack in ingredients creates a dish which is uninteresting and far from exotic in its foundations. In fact, the use of the term risotto should be used lightly as this implies an Italian dish, but in reality maintains the same ingredients with a veneer of originality as the rice is cooked differently. In post war periods such subtle differences in recipe, may have been responsible for the maintenance of morale in the kitchen.

Risotto

This recipe also derives from The Daily Mail Cookbook.

Moderate heat. Time 30 minutes.
Ingredients.- 4ozs. rice; 1 oz. fat; 1 gill tomato pulp; salt and pepper; 1 dessertspoonful grated cheese.
Method.- Wash the rice, soak it for 12 hours, and put it to cook in boiling water to which salt has been added. When the rice has boiled for about seven minutes, strain off the water, melt the fat in a pan, add the rice, and fry it gently for a few minutes. Pour in the tomato pulp, and let it simmer very gently with the rice until the latter is swelled and soft. If found too stiff add a little stock or water. Season well with pepper and salt.
To dish.- Place in a gratin dish or pie dish. Sprinkle over with grated cheese and serve hot.
Reasons for failure.- If the rice is not simmered gently and stirred often it will burn. It is best to cook it in a double saucepan.

Risotto in the pan!

With the tomato...

Peel, C, S. The Daily Mail Cookery book. London Associated Newspapers Ltd, 1919

A word from Jess about Mock Duck

The point system was introduced to the rationing scheme as a way of allowing the public to obtain ‘home comforts’ on top of using their stamps. Everyone received 16 points a month- later raised to twenty- to spend as they wished at any shop that had the desired items.

However before this system was introduced food stuffs such as duck were hard to come by and many ‘mock’ recipes were circulated. Lentils are often considered a great substitute for meat and Mrs C. S Peel puts great detail into the method creating the idea that she takes substituting seriously and that these meals can be just as successful and good as the regular recipe. This is very similar to Heath Ambrose (Mock Fish) and whilst I would argue that one can not by any means present this even remotely like a duck it seemed humorous to do so.

Judging from how informative her recipe is, I do not think this was her intention and perhaps during this war time period the women of the kitchen would also take this seriously; maintaining a happy and well presented exterior despite the circumstances was a usual occurrence.

In light of the language, the last piece of advice about “scrap fat” unfortunately makes little or no sense to me. I would suggest that perhaps she means reusing the fat to keep the mock duck moist in the oven whilst it cooks would be a good way of not wasting anything but possibly this does not translate to modern day cooking. Taste wise this recipe seemed successful, it had a texture similar to that of stuffing and nutritionally contains all things one would need to create a well rounded meal so I would consider this substituted dish as good food.

A word from Carmen about Mock Duck

Salutations from the blog of a satisfied customer.

The Daily Mail Cookery Book certainly excelled in its mock duck recipe. However- as you can see- the final product was less like carnivorously tucking into roast duck and more... well herbivore to be exact.

This recipe differs in layout to those which we have previously experienced. The books release in 1919 may in part be implicated in the change of layout. As the British public saw the back of the First World War, the never ending battle for food and recipes with which to entice the family did not falter.

This editor has innovatively decided to display the ‘Ingredients’ in a separate section to ‘Method’. This divides the materials that need to be sourced from the instructive sentences. By doing so, the author immediately creates a clear and distinctive recipe which is both easy to follow and pre-empts the shopping list. The Method section is also far longer than those of the previous recipes, adding more verbs and adjectives such as ‘lightly’, ‘slowly’, ‘sprinkled’... and even the odd conjunctive such as ‘or’ and ‘but’. These points, factored together, create an altogether different recipe experience.

Whilst the ‘mock’ food itself can be regarded as exotic; the writer ensures that, the leeway’s in the recipe all result in a similar dish, and factors in both time and resources. This writer uses chatty colloquialisms which draw the reader in to a sense of friendship with her. She takes pains to explain to her reader, or expand on details which she thinks they may find confusing; for example in the final sentence on ‘Scrap fat’. This engendering of readership friendship creates a bond which teaches without being patronising. It also marks the first in our series of books to cater for the housewife with un-assumed cooking skills.

Mock Duck

Shortages in the First World War taught many British house managers the art of thrifty cuisine. This 1919 book was packed with interesting recipes and advice for its female readers.

Moderate heat and a fairly hot oven. Time to boil the lentils, 30 minutes. To roast, 15 minutes. Ingredients.- 1lb. red lentils; 2 large onions; 1/2 teaspoonful of sage; 1/2 teaspoonful sweet herbs; 1/4 lb. rice or mashed potatoes; 2 ozs. fat. Method.- Wash the lentils, mince the onion finely, melt the fat in a pan, fry the onion lightly, add the lentils, and 1 quart of cereal or vegetable stock; bring all to the boil and simmer slowly until lentils are soft; add the mashed potatoes, chopped or powdered sage and herbs, season well; shape as much like a duck as possible. Put on to a greased baking sheet with a little fat or dripping sprinkled over the top, and back in a fairly hot oven until brown. Baste often. The lentils should absorb the stock, but if they get too dry before they are soft, more stock must be added. If rice is used instead of potatoes, wash it, and cook with the lentils. Instead of frying the onion it can be minced and cooked with the lentils. Scrap fat, that is, the shrivelled pieces left over after clarifying fat, do to put over the top of the roast instead of dripping. To dish.- Place on a hot dish and pour brown or tomato sauce round.

So what's in a mock duck...

Making it look like a duck!!

Is it a duck?

Peel, C, S. The Daily Mail Cookery book. London Associated Newspapers Ltd, 1919

A word from Jess about the Muffins

An article by Paul Harris printed in The Daily Mail in 2010 proposed the idea that:


“There were two wars being fought in Britain after September 1939.

One was against Hitler. The other was in the kitchen.”

Marion Neil’s recipes from “The Thrift Cookbook” all encompass an authentic wartime theme with each appropriately and proudly titled with names such as “Brave Boy Rolls” and “Liberty Bond Bread” which allows it to fit in with the British “Dig for Victory” propaganda of its time. Her ‘Over the top’ muffins add to the charm with its sense of indulgence during a period of rationing and substitution.

Specifically, within this recipe only one substitution was present with the use of a butter substitute commonly known today as margarine. As a pair Carmen and I struggled and thus failed to find soy bean flour and chose instead to just use more plain flour making our own substitution. Thankfully the various types of measurements meant we were able to comprehend the recipe however I still remain unsure as to what size one “cup” is or even if we were able to measure accurately because of this. Stylistically the recipe is written clearly with the instructions listed below the ingredients, which in terms of preparation and making is a lot easier to follow especially as a modern day user of recipe books.

However what did the muffins taste like? Surprisingly, after how wonderful they looked, they were disgusting! It may perhaps have been due to the confusing measurements and as a result we added the quantity of baking soda inaccurately causing the horrible taste! From a nutritional point of view, muffins contain carbohydrates providing the consumer with energy however they do not provide a good source of protein and are instead quite fatty. The recipe also uses one egg, which is quite indulgent as most had to use the substitute of powdered egg that has a much longer shelf life. According to the British Egg Products Association, the production of powdered eggs is as follows;

“Shelled eggs are washed, rinsed, sterilised and candled. They are then broken, separated automatically and checked for quality and flaws.

Liquid whole eggs and yolks are clarified, filtered and usually pasteurized before being spray-dried. To stabilise the product and preserve colour when dried, glucose is removed from egg whites before spray-drying.

In order to ensure that the dried egg does not harden and solidify, ingredients such as anti-caking agents, sugar or salt may be added to the mixture. Egg whites are often treated with whipping agents such as sodium lauryl sulfate, to ensure aeration properties on reconstitution.”



Recipes such as "Welsh Eggs" were also created as a way of encouraging the public to be unafraid of using powdered eggs as a substitution.

I would consider trying this recipe again in order to get the flavour right!!

http://www.bepa.org.uk/egg-products/dried-egg-products/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250047/Powdered-eggs-Spam--generous-dash-ingenuity.html#ixzz1IZH7a2su

A word from Carmen about the Muffins

This recipe was presented as a delicious and war conscious snack, for the duration of its time in the oven, there were wafts of sugar and honey. To add to the moistening of our taste buds the muffins looked absolutely enormous. However as this particular venture drew to a close and we came to taste the muffins... To our horror our mouths repelled the far too predominant taste of baking powder. What had we done wrong? How could a food, presenting itself as delicious to every other sense, be so harsh to the taste bud?

As you can see the instructions for the baking process are laid out clearly, the language, simple and to-the-point. This leaves the list of ingredients and potential differences in measurement sizes as the recipe is translated from a 1918 cook book to the modern day kitchen.

We presumed that ‘butter substitute’ stood for margarine... specifically to us I can’t believe it’s not butter. Paul Clark from ‘The marketing of Margarine’ provides the answer as he reveals that ‘between 1900 and 1920 oleomargarine was produced from a combination of animal fats and hardened and unhardened vegetable oils’. This provides a stark contrast to the ingredients of modern day margarine but rather a combination of vegetable oils, buttermilk and man-made ingredients. Another noticeable feature of measurement sizes, the use of ‘cup’ and ‘teaspoon’ throughout the recipe, indicates the average cup/teaspoon size of the time, however this does not necessarily match up to cup sizes of today and hence ingredient amounts may differ in correspondence. In the case of our muffins, this lead to a rather over matched amount of baking powder which although heartily adding to muffin size, rather took from the taste.

Now for the title. As you can see the title creates a reference to the men on the front line, ‘over the top’ was a common phrase used by the men, as they had to breach the top of their trench in order to run across the no-man’s land and bring the front line forward. This particular cook book sees the return of many such phrases such as ''loved boy plum pudding', 'blighty salad' and 'french peasant's soup' in a bid to create a closer link between the civilians and soldiers on the front line. By using these colloquialisms, the book steers their usage away from their more brutal connotations.

"Over the Top" Muffins

This recipe was read alongside other small, convenient and war inspired recipes. Its individual title marks the end of the First World War and retaliation from the kitchen.

"Over the Top" muffins. 2 tablespoon of butter substitute, 3 tablespoon of sugar or honey, 1 large egg, beaten, 3/4 cup o' milk, 1 cup of soy bean flour, 1 cup flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Beat butter substitute with sugar or honey to a cream, add egg and milk. Sift flours, baking powder and salt and mix thoroughly with egg mixture. Divide into 12 greased and floured gem or muffin pans and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes. These are delicious when served hot with maple syrup or honey. Sufficient for 12 muffins.

What's in the muffins?

Muffin Moulds!

Muffin Explosion!

Marion, H. Neil, 'The Thrift Cook Book' Edinburgh: W&R Chambers, 1918 (or shortly after)