Hundred-Year-Old Recipes for Cold Winter Days
Back in 1917, The Country Gentleman — a sister publication of the Post — paired two warm winter meals with a frozen pineapple pudding. The dessert chef promises “although it is rich and takes some time for its concoction, it pays!” But if frozen treats sound like a bad follow-up to a warm winter meal, don’t worry. The editors also threw in a hot option for dessert: a yummy squash pie.
Recipes to Use on Cold Winter Days
Originally published in The Country Gentleman, January 6, 1917
Perfection Halibut
- 3 pounds halibut, thick slice
- 4 or 5 slices of onion
- ½ bay leaf
- 4 or 5 thin slices of salt pork
- cracker crumbs
- minced parsley, for garnish
For sauce
- butter
- flour
- milk or cream
- salt, pepper, cayenne
Put the fish in a baking pan with two or three tablespoonfuls of water. Put the pork, and the onion chopped fine, the half bay leaf, and a few cracker crumbs on the fish. Bake for three-quarters of an hour.
Make a white sauce of one heaping tablespoon of butter and the same amount of flour melted together, and one large cupful of hot milk or cream; stir until it bubbles, season with salt, pepper, and a bit of cayenne.
After the fish is cooked, push the flavorings off into the pan. Put the fish on a hot platter. Add one hot cupful of water to the contents of the pan, stir all together and let boil up; strain into the white sauce and pour round the fish. Sprinkle finely with minced parsley all over.
Meat Loaf
- 2 pounds of lean beef
- ½ pound of pork
- 1 tablespoonful of chopped parsley
- ½ cupful of bread crumbs
- ½ cupful of strained tomato
- 2 teaspoonfuls of salt
- ½ teaspoonful of onion
- ½ teaspoonful of pepper
- butter
- tomato sauce
Grind the meat very fine. Add the other ingredients and press into a firm roll. Bake 30 minutes. Have a hot oven to sear the surface, then cook more slowly. Baste with a liquid of one tablespoonful butter and half a cupful of hot water. Serve with tomato sauce.
Squash Pie
- 1 ½ cupfuls of squash, steamed or boiled soft
- 1 pint of milk
- 1 cupful of sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- grated rind of half a lemon
- 2 level tablespoonfuls of cornstarch, moistened with milk
- 1 cupful of shredded coconut
This recipe is sufficient for two pies. The crusts should be baked separately, first pricking them with a fork to prevent puffing. Mash the squash smooth; add the milk, hot; stir in the sugar, grated lemon rind, cornstarch and yolks of eggs, and boil 4 minutes, stirring slowly. When nearly cool, fill the baked crusts and sprinkle with shredded coconut.
A Family Favorite: Mrs. Wood’s Frozen Pudding
- 2 cupfuls of sugar
- 1 cupful of chopped pineapple
- 1 cupful of Sultana raisins or mixed candied fruit, chopped
- 1 pint of cream, whipped
- 1 pint of milk
- yolks of 8 eggs
Mix all but the fruit, and freeze [i.e., chill]; then open and stir the fruit in carefully; let it stand an hour, and then pack in molds if wished. This rule makes enough for a 2-quart freezer. The whites of the eggs may be used in angel cake; or use half the number of whole eggs, made with the milk and sugar into a custard.
I have used this recipe for frozen pudding ever since it was given to me by a notable housekeeper when I was just beginning to keep house. I serve it on most company occasions and for family festivities. Although it is rich and takes some time for its concoction, it pays! —Florence Spring
