Kitchen Memories

The National World War II Museum, located in New Orleans, is collecting WWII recipes to preserve the memory of how we cooked and what we ate during the War that Changed the World. Talk to your grandparents, or dig up recipes yourself, try them and share your suggestions with us.

"Meatless Mondays"

Meat rationing came to America in 1942. Cooks scrambled to substitute and stretch their what meat they could find. The government promoted "meatless Mondays" and encouraged nutritious meals without rationed proteins. Today we can still learn from the Greatest Generation by substituting expensive meat with alternatives. The website Meatless Mondays has a selection of recipes. Get creative and save!

Piggy Butter

A reader of Pittsburgh's Post-Gazette remembers WWII and Depression-era sandwich recipes. While lard is no longer considered a healthy food, the point of Americans surviving and thriving without access to expensive gourmet grocery stores is well taken.

No-Sugar Cake

Sugar was rationed in the War, so cooks made do with less. In the modern world there's a focus on less refined, more natural cooking. Try this wartime recipe for Honey Cake.

There are more recipes here, too.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (some butter can be used in place of some of the shortening)
1 cup honey
1 egg, well beaten
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sour milk (1/2 cup milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar)
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Cream shortening in bowl. Add honey and egg.

In bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add alternately with sour milk to shortening mixture. Add nuts.

Pour batter into greased and floured 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Smooth top of batter with spatula. Batter will be sticky. Bake in preheated oven 35 minutes or until done.

Recipe makes about 12 servings.

What's Up, Doc?

Carrots are on the menu. A wartime recipe awkwardly entitled "Carrot Fudge" may be worth a go. Try it and post your results.

Ingredients:
Carrots
Gelatin
Orange essence

Directions:
Finely grate carrots and cook four tablespoons
Pour in just enough water to cover for 10 minutes.
Add flavoring with orange essence, grated orange rind or orange squash/cordial.
Melt a leaf of gelatin.
Add gelatin to mixture.
Cook quickly for a few minutes stirring all the time.
Spoon into a pan.
Leave to set
Cut into cubes

Recipes for Victory

The National World War II Museum in New Orleans wants your Home Front Era recipes according to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The museum is undergoing a major expansion with a new restaurant. Perhaps they'll use them.