Old Cookbook

[oldfella]

When counting our cookbooks the other day, I came across the first cookbook I bought back in 1949.
The reason I bought a cookbook was simply that I couldn't cook and living in one room on your own, you cooked or starved as in those day there was no take aways except of course, Fish an Chips, but even they lost their appeal after four or five days, and earning only 18 shilling a week, and paying 10 shillings a week for the room, there was not a lot left to spend in the Lyons Corner House I mean 3p for a Tea and 2 Rock Cakes was the height of luxury, and the Rock cakes weren't all they were cracked up to be. But I digress, So I had to learn to cook, but what did I have to cook, well first things first, where is my "Ration Book" that buff coloured book full of coupons that told you were entitled to, Meat 6 ozs, Cheese 3 ozs, Dried Eggs, 4 Oz's Bacon about 3 Rashers, Sugar about 10 Oz's,Tea 2Oz's, and other bits and pieces.
Of course, you could buy veg ,milk, rabbit, offal, and go Scrumping in the season but in one room you could do very little conserving. So there you have it, I got my cookbook and my rations, and I was ready to cook my first meal.

So I decide to have Eggs and Bacon with two slices of Freshly sliced bread with a smear of Margarine (4 ozs a week,) at this stage I encounter my first problem how do you slice Bread with no knife and, at this point I realised why in the Bible they always broke bread when they went visiting, cos they had no knives, so I tore my loaf into lumps and then put one rasher in the pan, and proceeded to make my Egg and at this stage, I like many before me decided to wing it, IE ignore the book, MISTAKE, now I don't know if you like your eggs runny, but , well you get the picture, after boiling my liquid egg soup I discover that my bacon about the one quarter of the size of the original, black on the underside and when I put my fork to it, it shattered into a million pieces.
Over the years I have learnt to cook, but those first lessons taught me that you must first learn the basics about anything in life and to enjoy the learning, laugh at your mistakes and listen to those who you know, knows better than you for as the man said ,

"You only go round once"

[Green Aura]

Brilliant! And I bet you retrieved every tiny bit of bacon.

Looking at the rations makes me realise how much we eat now. 6oz meat - for a week ! Now many people would eat that at one meal. Sort of makes you think, doesn't it!

We've been talking for ages about cutting down the amount of meat we eat, which we've managed quite successfully, and reducing portion sizes. I have to admit we're not so successful on that score.

I've got a couple of old wartime cookbooks, must dig them out and have a look - might help to get a bit of rationing in this house!

[Milims]

I decided to try and teach my daughter some economy cookery basics. We started with broth. She was horrified that I went to the butchers and asked for bones to make the stock!

[indy]

Funnily enough I was having the exact same conversation with the OH when he took me out for meal for my birthday and I got treated to a delicious rump steak..all 8 ounces of it. It does make you think about the portion sizes nowadays