― From the 1918 Metropolitan Life Cookbook for "Healthful Eating"

EDITOR’S NOTE: The article is decorated with ads from 1918 Ladies’ Home Journal and McClure’s Magazines.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

STUFFED CABBAGE

• 1 medium-sized cabbage
• 1 pound beef
• 1 slice bacon or salt pork
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• Seasoning
• 1 green pepper

Select solid cabbage, not too large, remove outside leaves, cut out stalk end, leaving a hollow shell. Chop uncooked beef, with bacon and onion. Add crumbs soaked in milk, beaten egg, salt and pepper. Shape mixture into balls or cakes, arrange in cabbage. Arrange strips of sweet pepper on top of cabbage, tie in cheesecloth, then steam or boil until tender. Serve with tomato sauce.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

OKRA, RICE AND TOMATOES

• 1 quart okra pods
• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 can tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper
• Sprinkle of paprika

Wash rice and cook in boiling salted water until tender.

Drain, and add butter, salt, pepper and paprika.

Cut okra in slices and cook in small quantity of boiling water.

When nearly ready, add tomatoes and rice. Serve hot.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

PEAS WITH PORK

• 1 quart peas
• 1/4 cup pork
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 small white onions
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cut pork into small bits. Put butter in stewpan, cover and place over the fire.

When butter is melted, add pork and cook gently until a light brown, then add water, peas, onion and pepper.

This is a good way to cook peas when they are a little old and hard.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

MASHED POTATOES

• 1 pint boiled potatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Speck pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup hot milk

Mash the hot potatoes with wire masher, or put through ricer.

Add seasoning.

Quantity of milk used will vary with quantity of potatoes. Use just enough to moisten well, but potatoes should not seem watery.

Place over fire again and beat till light and smooth.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

POTATO CROQUETTES

• 2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg or 2 yolks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt

Beat the eggs, mix with potatoes and add other ingredients. A little milk is sometimes needed if potatoes are dry.

Heat mixture in a saucepan, stirring; when it leaves the side of the pan, turn it on to flat dish.

When cool, divide, shape, crumb and fry.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

STUFFED POTATOES

Select medium-sized, smooth-skinned oval potatoes. Bake in a hot oven 450°F. until tender, about 50 minutes, being careful not to over-brown the skin.

Cut the potatoes in two, lengthwise, remove the potato pulp, being careful to leave shells unbroken. Mash the hot potato, add either milk or cream as for mashed potato.

Season as follows: To each cup of potato add:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt,
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper,
• 1/2 teaspoon onion juice and
• 1 teaspoon butter.

Fill the shells with this mixture, rounding the surface so that it is the shape of the original potato.

Bake for 10 minutes in a hot oven. Grated cheese may be sprinkled over the top.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

POTATOES AU GRATIN

Remove the skins from boiled or baked potatoes and cut them in cubes.

Arrange the cubes in layers in a buttered baking dish, covering each layer with White Sauce II (repeated below), and grated cheese. Sprinkle the top with buttered crumbs and bake the potatoes for about 20 minutes.

― White Sauce II (repeated from article "1918 Meats Part 1: Meats Overview, Stuffing and Sauces . . . " ―
CREAM OR WHITE SAUCE

- II -
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in saucepan, then add flour, stirring till mixture becomes foamy, but not brown. Add milk, continue stirring to insure smoothness, cook till thickened. Season.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

CREAMED POTATOES

Dice cold potatoes.

Melt in a saucepan 1 tablespoon of butter for every cup of potatoes.

Add the potatoes, tossing them about in the butter.

Dredge lightly with flour, 1 tablespoon for each tablespoon of butter.

Season with salt and pepper, cover with milk, allow to cook 5 minutes and serve.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

ESCALLOPED POTATOES

Peel and cut raw potatoes in slices 1/4 inch thick.

Put a layer in a buttered baking dish, dot with butter, salt and pepper.

Repeat until dish is 3/4 full.

Pour scalded milk over the potatoes until it reaches the top layer.

Bake at a temperature of 350°F. for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

GLAZED SWEET POTATOES

• 6 medium-sized sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter

Wash and pare potatoes. Cook 10 minutes in boiling salt water.

Drain, cut in halves lengthwise, and put in a buttered pan.

Sprinkle with sugar; add butter melted.

Bake in slow oven 325°F. about 1 hour.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

ESCALLOPED TOMATOES

• 1 pint peeled and cooked tomatoes or 1 can No. 2
• 2 cups grated bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• A suggestion of pepper

Reserve 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs and spread the remainder on a pan.

Brown in the oven, being careful not to burn them.

Mix the tomato, browned crumbs, salt, pepper and 1/2 the butter together, and put in a shallow baking dish.

Spread the un-browned crumbs on top, and dot with the remainder of the butter cut into bits.

Bake in a moderately hot oven 350°F. for 1/2 hour. The top of this dish should be brown and crisp.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

TOMATOES, CORN AND CHEESE

• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 pint canned tomatoes
• 1/2 pound cottage cheese
• 1 tablespoon cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter

Fresh corn and tomatoes can be used also.

Put a layer of corn in a buttered baking dish, layer of tomatoes, a layer of cheese, and repeat.

Sprinkle cracker crumbs over top, dot with butter, and bake for 1/2 hour at a temperature of 375°F.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

BROILED TOMATOES

• 6 good-sized tomatoes
• 1 cup finely ground cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons grated cheese
• Milk
• Salt
• Pepper

Sprinkle flour over cooked chicken and add milk enough to moisten well.

Heat in saucepan until thickened.

Cut tomatoes in half crosswise, spread with chicken mixture, sprinkle cheese on top.

Put under broiler turned on half way. Broil until lightly browned on top.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

FRIED TOMATOES

Slice firm unpeeled tomatoes.

Dip in flour to which salt and pepper have been added.

Fry to a light brown on both sides; about 5 or 6 slices at a time, taking care not to break them.

Remove from pan, pour in top milk and let come to a boil.

Pour over tomatoes. Usually enough flour is left in pan to slightly thicken sauce.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

BAKED BEANS

• 1 quart beans
• 1/2 pound salt fat pork
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon salt

Pick over and wash beans; cover with cold water and soak overnight.

In the morning, drain, cover with fresh water and cook slowly below boiling point until soft, then drain.

Put 1/4 inch slices of salt pork in the bottom of an earthen bean pot or covered crock.

Put beans in pot and bury the remaining pork (which should be gashed in several places) in the beans.

Mix the salt, mustard and molasses in a cup.

Fill the cup with boiling water and pour the mixture over the beans.

Add enough more boiling water to cover beans.

Cover bean pot, put in oven, and bake in a slow oven 300°F. 5 to 8 hours. If baked a long time, they become dark and have a rich flavor.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

RED BEANS

Red beans may be cooked as lima beans. They may be served in White Sauce, tomato or meat-stock sauce.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

STUFFED PEPPERS

• 6 green peppers
• 1/2 cup English walnuts, chopped
• 1 large onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon melted fat
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk

Select broad peppers that will stand on end and are easy to serve.

Cut top from each pepper.

Remove seeds and parboil 15 minutes.

Stuff with filling mixed in the order given above.

Bake 20 minutes at 400°F., basting frequently with hot water.

Any left-over meat can be substituted for the nuts. Tomatoes and rice make an excellent filling for peppers.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

CHILI CON CARNE

• 1 pint dried lima beans or kidney beans soaked overnight
• 2 cups beef, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup suet, forced through food-chopper
• 1 red pepper, cut in strips
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• Tomatoes to cover

Arrange ingredients in layers in a bean pot. Cover with water and bake slowly at a temperature of 300°F. 3 or 4 hours.