For some time now I have been turning over the idea of writing a diary about dpression era cooking. With the possibility of losing my or my husbands job, missing mortgage payments, and no money for groceries, now seemed appropriate. My master's thesis was about depression era cooking, and it has helped me through this very tough time.
Some of you may have heard of the depression era food writer MFK Fisher. She is my hero. Her book How to Cook a Wolf is still the epitome of how to get along with almost nothing. More than her cooking skills was her ability to make others see that just the ability to make any food and share it was a grace and a blessing. It is in this vein that I want to try to lay some ground rules for those who find themselves in the same type of situation I am in. If you have any recipes or tips about getting through this time, please share them.
- The Pantry
My husband used to scold me for hoarding food. He would complain that there was no need to have three months worth of bacon in the freezer. He doesn't do that anymore. Your freezer and cupboards are very important. Keep them full with things that you know you will eat. I have about 10lbs of chicken, 15lbs of beef, at least 8lbs of bacon, and 3lbs of butter. Along with that I have gobs of frozen vegetables, loaves of bread, and french fries. As far as the cupboards go our grandparents had the right idea when they canned everything. Try to purchase canned or dry goods that can substitute for meat as necessary such as a variety of beans and dry pasta, and canned tomatoes and tomato sauce instead of pasta sauce. I also keep canned and dried milk. Instead of cake mixes, invest in flour and cocoa powder, they are more versitile. Ramen noodles can turn into a variety of soups and salads depending on what you have on hand, plus it is easy for kids to make. Remember to keep kool aid on hand instead of soda. Coffee and tea is also a good idea to have around if possible. Your pantry can also include the space under your bed or in bedroom closets. Your goal in the pantry is to have a variety of things that are shelf stable.
- The Fridge
A full fridge uses less energy than and empty one, so does the freezer. That being said sometimes you just do not have a way to fill it. In my town I try to hit grocery stores either early in the morning or mid afternoon; these are prime markdown times. When looking at marked down produce consider the utility of what you are looking at. Dark bananas may have a day or two left in them, or could become banana bread, or mixed into pancakes, or into bread pudding, or smoothies, you get the idea. I pick up avocadoes this way for cheap guacamole, and apples, which could go into lunches or into cobbler. Many bags of lettuce will get marked down to a dollar or less, and have a couple of days on them still. Meat mark downs are my best buy. Remember the supermarket cannot sell spoiled food, the meat is only marked down because of it's sell by date, which is not the same as a use before date. When I get the meat home it is either used that night, or wrapped up and immedietly stuck in the freezer. I got 6 tri-tip roasts this way last summer, (when I had money), and I have been roasting one every other week and slicing it thin for sandwiches. Another thing to look for in the grocery store is closeouts. Discontinued items, or things that did not sell well, are generally marked down to one half of the original price just to get rid of them. Sometimes these are steals, like the guava poptarts my kids enjoyed yesterday which I had purchased for 75 cents about a month ago. There are whole discount stores out there that may sell these types of products that you may want to check out.
- The Recipes
So here is my first installment of the Depressed Kitchen recipes. If this is received favorably I will be happy to post a few every week. It is raining where I am at right now so I am going to go with pea soup. I can make a big pot of this for under $5. My youngest isn't a huge fan of this, but he is a fan of cornbread which is what I always serve with it.
1 bag of split peas (purchased for .99)
10 cups of water (from the tap = almost free)
1 onion (.50 per lb)
3 cubes of chicken bullion (maybe .25?)
whatever ham or bacon you have on hand (optional)
2 bay leaves (get the cheapest .10?)
tabasco (or any other hot sauce you have, optional)
I add oregano or majoram (optional)
salt and pepper
Boil this down until some of the water has evaporated and the peas break up easily when stirred. Be sure to remove the bay before you dish it up.
What goes with this? Corn bread of course. I always keep cornmeal on hand because nobody can turn down corn bread with butter and honey.
1 cup of flour
1 cup of cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar ( use less or none if you like)
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup liquid (milk if you have it, canned milk, or even water will do)
1/3 cup oil (vegetable, canola, safflower, peanut, bacon grease, butter, or margerine. Olive oil gives a strange taste in this recipe.)
1 egg
Be sure to grease your pan. Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes.
Now I feel very strongly about dessert. I do not want the kids to feel deprived so I always try to make one when I have the time. Today I am making brownies.
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup sugar (use less if this is too much, or you can use honey, or brown sugar, or even Karo syrup)
1/2 cup butter or margerine or vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Mix, pour into 8x8 greased pan and bake alongside the corn bread.
So, this is my dinner tonight. I will probably add some fruit, and milk for everybody. All told I estimate that the entire meal cost under 10 bucks even with the milk, and it will feed 4 with left overs for tomorrow.
Now it's your turn. Post your yummiest, cheapest recipes.