Recipes With a Past

Church Cookbooks Tell the Story of American Kitchens & the Women Behind Them

The church cookbook: It’s a disappearing part of Americana.

They reflect our communities — reflect us. They show us who we are or were.

Lauren Hunley, the Western Heritage Center’s community historian says this type of cookbook — be it by a church, club or service group — shows us, not in words but recipes, who the accepted and respected members of that group were. They read like an anecdote of our past. Each recipe is a forever, emotional connection with the cook.

I admit, I have quite a collection of church cookbooks. My oldest is The Progressive Cookbook for the M.E. Church of Billings, MT. The book was first published in 1893, four years after Montana became a state. My copy is one that First United Methodist Church reprinted in 2000. It’s a copy of a copy of the original.

Lauren read through this historical publication. She says back in the 1890s, a cookbook was a respectable way for a woman to have her name published. It was a time when a woman had her first name published only twice in her life — when she married and when she died. A cookbook was a socially acceptable way for a woman “to brag” of her kitchen prowess under her own name, be it as Mrs. John Doe, Mrs. Jane Doe or simply, Jane Doe.

Fascinating are the ingredients in some of these recipes. They had to be available in the local stores, like canned lobster or canned oysters. I looked for canned lobster in one of Billings’ food stores recently but failed to find any. Thank goodness we can turn to the Internet.

The recipes for cakes or cookies or other baked goods don’t list an oven temperature or baking time because those wood or coal-fired ovens were impossible to regulate.

Probably my most used cookbook — weather-worn and stained with food — is Cooking Worth Crowing About from the Council of Catholic Women of St. Joseph’s Church in Rockdale, Illinois, published in 1977.

This is where my mother grew up, surrounded by other Eastern European families. For me, it’s a tasty trip down memory lane, remembering the food I enjoyed whenever we visited. That cookbook, and mixing up the flavors inside, share a part of my history.

I know the Internet gives us access to a wealth of old and new recipes, along with social media sensations who demonstrate how to prepare some of those old classics. But having the cookbook spread out on the kitchen counter with notes on the page detailing improvements or helpful hints is a connection to our community — be it Billings in the 1890s or Rockdale, Illinois, of 1970s.

Enjoy!

A Refreshing Drink

~ Recipe from Maria Parloa, The Progressive Cook Book, 1893

Put into a tumbler about two tablespoons of broken ice, two tablespoons of chocolate syrup, three tablespoons of whipped cream, one gill milk, one-half gill soda or Apollinaris water. Stir well before drinking. One tablespoon of vanilla ice cream is an addition. A delicious drink is made by using syrup, one and one-half gills milk, ice and shaking well.

NOTE: A gill is 4 oz. or ½ cup. Apollinaris water is a sparkling water from Germany

Silver or Delicate Cake

~Recipe from Lulu Browning, The Progressive Cook Book 1893

6 egg whites
1 c. sweet milk (fresh, whole milk)
2 c. sugar
4 c. flour
2/3 c. butter
Flavoring (most likely vanilla or almond extract or a mix of berries)
2 t. baking powder

Cream the butter, mix in sugar and then add milk, flavoring and part of the flour, beaten egg whites and then the rest of the flour. Bake in two tins lined with buttered white paper.

NOTES: Use two 9-inch cake tins buttered, lined with parchment paper and butter the paper. Butter should be room temperature. Fold in the egg whites and then fold in the remaining flour. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Peanut Blossom Cookies

~Recipe by Dorothy Tomasino, Rockdale Cookbook 1977, Updates by Kay Erickson

1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. cornstarch
½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. creamy peanut butter
½ c. sugar
½ c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 T. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
Chocolate candy kisses
Granulated or Turbinado cane sugar (for rolling the cookies)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, soda and salt and set aside. Cream together the shortening and peanut butter. Gradually add the sugar and brown sugar and cream well. Add the egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add the dry ingredients; mix thoroughly. Shape by rounded teaspoonful into balls and roll in granulated or turbinado sugar. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a candy kiss on top of each cookie, pressing down so that cookie cracks around the edge. Return to the oven and bake 2 to 5 minutes longer.

Rice and Cheese

~Mrs. Philip M. Gallaher, The Progressive Cook Book, 1893

Put a layer of rice, boiled in milk, in the bottom of a buttered pudding-dish; grate upon it some rich, mild cheese and scatter over it some bits of butter. Spread upon the cheese more rice and fill the dish in this order, having rice at the top buttered well without the cheese. Add a few spoons of cream and a little salt. Cover and bake half an hour, then brown nicely and serve.

NOTES: Use 3 cups of rice, cooked in milk instead of water, with about a cup for each layer. For the cheese, 2 cups of grated cheese like Mozzarella, Gouda, Havarti or Gruyere. For the butter, probably 4 tablespoons cut into pieces. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven, covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes.

Fried Oysters

~Mrs. W.B. Chrysler, The Progressive Cookbook, 1893

Drain liquor from the oysters. Beat 2 eggs or as many as required for the oysters. Roll crackers fine, season with salt and pepper; dip oysters into cracker crumbs first, then into beaten egg, then back into cracker crumbs. Fry in hot lard as you would doughnuts.