Incidentally, this recipe was included in a chapter of the cookbook titled "French Cooking" - along with a whole mish-mash of recipes like Gnocchi and Eggplant Oriental. The author seems to be using the label "French" as a catch-all for anything European - or frankly anything non-American! Which must have been a great recommendation to some of her more adventurous readers. For 1940s Americans, France was still the capital of style and avant-garde sensibility.
When I was washing up some of Sunday's pots and pans, I spilled a ton of water on my countertop and my microwave did not appreciate it. All that water must have shorted something out, because I haven't been able to use it since. I may be able to get it repaired, but I've been toying around with the idea of not replacing the microwave if it can't be repaired cheaply. Do I really need one? The only thing it truly comes in handy for is reheating leftovers. If I'm mindful about any thawing I need to do and don't mind washing a few extra baking dishes, I might be able to make it without one. There's still a microwave a work for my weekday lunches. Hmmm... Getting that counterspace back would be killer. My microwave easily takes up 50% of my kitchen counter footage.
On a much more exciting note, I finally picked out a vintage chenille bedspread to replace the quilt I've had on my bed for ages. I bought it online, so won't get to see it in person for another few days, but this one has such a lovely homey charm to it. It probably dates to the '40s or '50s, but I don't know chenille well enough to date it any better than that. Are there any chenille aficionados out there? Here are some pictures from eBay. Though the background washes out in the picture, it's supposed to be a super pale green, with the darker leaves for contrast:
13 comments:
Hope you enjoy your new bedspread!
I just recently found your blog and love it! I'm playing catch up and going back to your first posts.
I too love the 40's and think it's super you are trying to live the life of back then.
Love your chenille bed spread. Funny I was just looking on eBay at them last night myself. I want to buy a vintage camper and thought it would be cute to use one in there.
I noticed you are not a meat eater either. I have been a vegetarian for years now and would love to know which cook book you are cooking out of. Or do you just make the dish and skip the meat?
I'll be back often to read and enjoy your blog.
Hugs,
Joanne
I've been pondering the microwave thing too. I'd love to get rid of mine as it takes up such a lot of worktop space in my small kitchen. Again, I only use it for heating leftovers. I'm pretty sure I could do without it. I may try putting it in the loft and seeing how it goes for a week or two.
That bedspread looks great. You'll have to show us a picture when you get it on your bed.
Kate
We have gone without a microwave for five years now. I thought I would go through withdrawals, but from the minute I removed it from the kitchen I didn't miss it at all.
I've had access to one since 1978 when my dad insisted on buying one. My mother was too scared to use it!
You'll have to get used to warming and reheating using the oven and stove, but that's not too hard. If it's pasta or rice, for example, add a little water and cover with another plate or foil to keep them from drying out.
I encourage everyone to try going without it. Studies have been done about whether or not microwaves change the structure of the food. They've not admitted that they do, but think about the foods that taste "different" when you microwave them. Something is going on in that box!
Hairball and Kate, thank you! It should be arriving on Friday and I can't wait to see how it looks in person.
Joanne, I'm so glad you found us! I bet a chenille bedspread would be just the thing in a camper. Not too heavy, not too light...
The cookbook I've been using is The American Woman's Cook Book (1945) by Ruth Berolzheimer. It's got a fantastic month of menus in the back, so I've been doing the breakfasts since December and recently started doing a dinner menu once a week. I'm skipping the meat recipes where included, but the meat is usually pretty well "segregated" in a dish of its own, so it's easy to eat around it. Fortunately, these wartime cookbooks have lots of meatless dishes, too, that I'm looking forward to sampling.
Dulce and Roxanne, I'm definitely going to have a test period without a microwave before I make up my mind. It would be lovely to not have to clean around that thing! On the other hand, I've been trying to figure out how on earth to reheat my Stuffed Cabbage Leaves. I guess I should put them in a baking dish and cover it with foil. They've got all that Tomato Sauce on top, so there should be plenty of liquid.
Nice bedspread!
I'll chime in with the others for ditching the microwave. When mine dies I decided not to replace it and have been without for over 10 years now. Given the lack of counter space in my kitchen, I don't think I could justify getting one again. Yes, they're good for reheating leftovers, which is how I use the one at work, but I find the stovetop and oven perfectly fine for home.
The way you described reheating the cabbage leaves is exactly what you should do.
We have to stop and think what people did before microwaves!
I second (third, fourth?) all of the comments about not having a microwave. Although you can get them fairly cheaply, its not something I want to move around between my student digs. Some have had microwaves, but my current one doesn't. Its not the first time I've been without and, for the most part, I don't really notice. There are a few things that its nice to have them for-reaheating is faster and more energy efficient, melting, softening and defrosting for cooking is faster, and if you are into prepackaged foods, alot of them only have microwave only directions. I don't really eat many things out of packets, so that isn't an issue for me. I usually cook two or three times a week and just eat it until its gone. It all reheats fine using old fashioned methods!
It does sometimes mean washing more dishes, and it does mean I use more energy...but I'm not sure its enough to outweigh production and transport costs.
The chenille looks great! I'm sure it will be encouragement to keep up the bedroom cleaning!
Thanks for the cook book name. I just ordered one off of eBay. Looking forward to reading it.
Can you also tell me where you found all the info on the daily chores and beauty updates.
Thanks
Joanne
We don't have a microwave either. You will learn to reheat leftovers without it. We replaced ours with a toaster oven - we make toast and reheat small quantities both in the toaster oven and on the stove.
Thanks to all of you for your thoughts on the microwave situation. Losing the quick (and extra dish-free) reheat would be tough - especially with all of the chores I now have in the evening. I does make the transition between work and chores a little easier when dinner is quick and doesn't create any extra dishes. I'm going to try and live with this for awhile and just see how it feels.
Joanne, the book I always refer to as "the manual" is America's Housekeeping Book (1945). If you scroll way, way down on my blog page, you'll see pictures and titles, etc. for each of my three guidebooks down there. The beauty routine came from a vintage issue of Good Housekeeping. I think the date is in the post that contains the routine. The books are such treasures --- like little windows into a lost world!
Been lurking for a while, but speaking up to say that I haven't had a microwave for almost two years and haven't had a problem. If you're willing to plan ahead a little (let things defrost overnight, cook frozen vegetables on the stovetop, reheat food in the oven), you'll forget all about the microwave. Plus, food reheated in the oven is way crisper and nicer.
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