A peak-'50s potluck

Potluck Cookery (Beverly Pepper, 1955) promises "delightful ways to make a royal meal from leftovers or whatever you have on hand." 

As always, the "delightful" is a bit suspect. Tastes always vary anyway, but if people in the 1950s thought it was great... well... that's not usually a selling point today. The book is seriously committed to the "leftovers or whatever you have on hand" part of the premise, though. The chapters are built around various types of leftovers, and the final chapter tells what to make if you're out of pretty much everything except a few pantry staples. (Make bread-crumb-based dumplings in bouillon or gratinée that leftover bread!) I could see this book being a great help to families on limited budgets and/or with one car and no nearby grocery.

The recipe writing reflects this "use what you've got" attitude too. 

Besides specifying only the minimum amount of leftovers you need to make this recipe work (at least a cup of leftover cooked ground beef), Pepper emphasizes that the soup can incorporate "Cream of chicken soup, bouillon, or what-have-you (at least two cups)." I love that flexibility and the feeling that it's almost a friend cheering you on to use what you've got and reassuring that it will be fine.

Some recipes sound like they'll be familiar, but they're a bit of a surprise. For instance, when I hear "Sweet Potato Pie," I think of dessert.

Not here! It's more of a savory side dish. And it's more of a casserole than a pie. But "Sweet Potato, Onion, and Milk-Toast Casserole" just doesn't have the same ring.

If you want a real pie, though, well... Here's a good old double-up-on-carbs pie.

Yep-- Maria's Spaghetti Pie basically turns leftover spaghetti and meatballs into a spaghetti pot pie! Doesn't sound bad, exactly, but I think I'd feel weird about eating a pie crust full of noodles. (And making the variation by throwing in some sure-to-be-overcooked peas wouldn't help.)

The recipes can definitely suffer from '50s ideas about seasoning, too.

Can you really call it Kofta Curry if the full range of spices is a pinch each of chili powder and ginger, plus a pinch of turmeric if you're really feeling crazy? 

But my favorite representative of 1950s cooking just might be Jellied Ham Salad.

Not only does the ring mold feature ham, hard-cooked eggs, and asparagus floating in a cloud of mayonnaise-flavored gelatin, but the center of the ring gets filled with sliced avocado and American cheese! Yes. Let that sink in. Not only does the book manage to hit peak-1950s recipe construction, but it builds everything on a foundation of leftovers. No wonder I'm in love with this little book. (But not in love enough to make any of this stuff...!)