Government-Issue Egg Recipes

The cover of Egg Dishes for Any Meal (U.S. Department of Agriculture, issued June 1946, slightly revised February 1946) cracks me up. (Pun intended because I'm just that kind of person.)

I love the big, round font that "EGG" is written in, as if each letter kind of wants to be an egg. I love the row of eggs standing on their comically tiny legs holding banners that say "Protein," "Vitamins," and "Minerals" with their comically tiny hands. And I can't help but wonder if the "Vitamins" and "Minerals" eggs feel kind of slighted since they're mostly hidden, or whether they have stage fright and are glad "Protein" is up front to take the brunt of viewers' gazes.

The pamphlet itself is not super exciting, mostly full of standard instructions, like how to fry, scramble, poach, etc. or standard recipes like soufflés, omelets, and custards. The back reminds readers of how much home cooks had to stretch ingredients in those years so soon after the war, touting eggs as a way to add extra protein and richness to the ubiquitous white sauce.

Eggs also provide a way to stretch whipped cream when there's not quite enough.

And there is a savory custard, apparently because adding little cubes of savory custard could turn vegetables or soup or pretty much anything into a main dish.

It was a tough time.

There are a few fun recipes, though. "Eggaroni" is kind of fun to say all by itself.

I can just imagine all the kids who thought they were getting a plate full of pale macaroni and cheese and then realizing it was macaroni with horseradish-flavored white sauce and hard cooked eggs. I'll bet that went over well.

For those who love the mingled scents of cabbage and hard-cooked eggs, there's an Egg Slaw.

I can only imagine how rotten that could get during a midday picnic...

And for gelatin salad enthusiasts, there is a Molded Egg Salad.

This recipe is made with unflavored gelatin rather than lemon or lime! And mayo-haters could actually avoid it in this version of egg salad, presuming they could get out of any last-minute garnishing that might occur.

In any case, the recipes do seem to hold the promised protein, vitamins, and minerals! The family's excitement levels about this may vary, but hey-- cooks could always fall back on good old scrambled eggs and toast if savory custards and eggaroni didn't go over as well as expected.