Well, not always. I mean, I've never heard of Michael V. Parrott, but I had to include him just because I cannot resist '70s "Earth Food" recipes.
This pile of whole grain flakes mixed with sunflower seeds and sautéed veggies would easily fit into one of my old Rodale Press books.
And I'm sure the Roasted Nut Loaf loaded full of walnuts, whole wheat bread crumbs, brown rice, and veggies could thud onto the table (and into the stomach) just as heavily as any "roast" from the New Age vegetarians.
I liked the wide variety of sensibilities of the celebrities in the book, though. Contrast Michael Parrott's "Earth Food" with (slightly more famous Indiana Democrat) Birch Bayh's casseroles for common families:
Apparently, Birch Bayh really liked vegetables cooked under slicks of mushroom soup with a little cheese (and almonds if he wanted to get really fancy).
It was pretty funny to see these recipes sharing the same pages with offerings from designer Bill Blass, whose tastes were decidedly more upscale:
I don't often see Shad Roe Soufflé and Cold Curried Avocado Soup facing down nut loaves and soup-based casseroles in the same book, but Indiana is apparently a land that contains multitudes....
(And of course, the guy with the taste for shad roe got the hell out of Indiana as soon as he was 17, so the first four recipes are probably a better reflection of the state's tastes.)
Now wherever you are, get out there and eat something that reflects who you are. (I just had a waffle that I topped with peanut butter and chocolate hummus when it came out of the toaster oven. Feel free to speculate about what that means.)
I wonder what constitutes well seasoned chicken broth. 1/2 by volume hot sauce since those whole grain flakes are going to deaden any flavor they come in contact with.
ReplyDeleteI also love the lack of specific sizes for recipes. 2 packages frozen broccoli. These days it could be single serve to family size. I was especially entertained by the stick of garlic flavored cheese. Cheese stick, 8 oz, doesn't matter. I guess it depends on how much you like cheese.
Years ago on PBS I saw an interesting show about WWII and the 603rd camouflage battalion. It was where they sent all the artists and imaginative people that didn't quite fit in. They used inflatable tanks, jeeps, tents, etc. to make poorly camouflaged installations for the enemy to find on recognizance. They would be packed up and gone before the enemy came in, to attack... nothing. Bill Blass served in that division, and their deception helped win the war.
I think that back in the day, well-seasoned meant "Remember to add some salt to it."
DeleteMy guess is that the broccoli packages were 10 oz. since that's what a lot of other vintage recipes say when they call for frozen vegetables, but obviously, that's just a guess. It's even worse when they specify the size of something by listing its price. "Use the 10-cent size package" is super not-helpful to modern cooks!
That story about Bill Blass is way more interesting than what they put in this book. They picked the wrong focus if you ask me.
https://ghostarmy.org/about/history/intro/
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