1924: domestic dishwashers

There are a few things that I feel continually thankful for day after day... my husband, work opportunities, and most recently my dishwasher. With the amount of dishes that are dirtied around here, I would likely be a less pleasant person to be around without this wonder machine.
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While the patent was purchased in 1886 and the dishwasher made its debut at Chicago's World Fair in 1893, it wasn't until 1924 that William Howard Livens invented a small dishwasher suitable for domestic use. It had many of the features of a modern dishwasher, including a front door for loading, a wire rack to hold crockery and a rotating sprayer. Although a novel idea for the time period, Livens' invention was not, however, a commercial success. 15 years down the road, electric drying elements were added making the product even more enticing.

While the dishwasher saw more success on the commercial front at first, it was the 1960's & 1970's when they started showing up in a large number of household kitchens.
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I'm not in the market for a dishwasher, but if I was, I would be lured by the following:

The Bosch product on the left is Consumer Reports favorite, while the Italian made SMEG on the right has definite retro appeal, the reviews are less than favorable.

1927: popsicles

It would be a shame if I did not pay tribute to the quintessential summer treat...the popsicle. (I had a delicious strawberry pop for breakfast yesterday & thought it was a brilliant idea.) As you enjoy this frosty treat, think about paying tribute to Mr. Frank Epperson and the "Epsicle."
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"The third member of the great novelty trimuvirate of the 1920s was born on a cold eureka-shouting morning in New Jersey in 1923. The inventor was Frank Epperson, who made lemonade from a specially prepared powder that he sold at an Oakland, California, amusement park. While visiting friends in New Jersey, he prepared a batch of special lemonade and inadvertantly left a glass of it on a windowsill with a spoon in it. The temperature went down below zero during the night and in the morning Epperson saw the glass. He picked it up by the spoon handle and ran hot water over the glass freeing the frozen mass. In his hand was the first Epsicle, later to be known as the Popsicle. Epperson saw immediately the potential of what he held in his hand and applied for a patent, which was granted in 1924. He was fortunate, because research conducted by The Ice Cream Review in 1925 revealed that a major ice cream company was experimenting with "frozen suckers" at the time of the windowsill incident, and as far back as 1872 two men doing business as Ross and Robbins sold a frozen-fruit confection on a stick, which they called the Hokey-Pokey."
---Great American Ice Cream Book, Paul Dickson [Atheneum:New York] 1972 (p. 83)
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My recipe revamp and vote for a homemade popsicle recipe is below:

Watermelon Popsicles

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups seeded diced watermelon
1/2 cup fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened, thawed
6 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in blender; puree until smooth. Strain into 2-cup glass measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour puree into Popsicle molds, dividing equally. Freeze overnight. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Keep frozen.) photo

1930: Philly Cheesesteak

To celebrate Summer as it comes to a close, Robby and I have been making every possible sandwich combination known to man. I think sandwiches are excellent summer fare. (especially when paired with corn on the cob and watermelon) I decided to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and tap into a bit of food history while I was making our homemade Philly Cheese Steaks last night. Robby would consider this a "man" sandwich...and for good reason.
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Leave it to "The City of Brotherly Love" to master the cheese steak. "Most agree the birth of Philly's cheese steak took place at Pat's King of Steaks in the Italian immigrant section of South Philadelphia in 1930. There, Pat Olivieri plied his trade by selling hot dogs and sandwiches until he thought of something else: thinly sliced beef dripping with melted cheese in a bed of sautéed Spanish onions." source
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It seems as though the cheese steak has been morphed just a bit over the years with the popularity of adding sauteed sweet and red peppers, mushrooms, & most recently Cheese Whiz. While I followed suit with the sauteed peppers and the traditional thinly sliced rib-eye steak cooked in its own fat, I couldn't take the plunge with the Cheese Whiz. My only recipe revamp on this classic would be the cheese. Instead of mozzarella or provolone, I went with a sharp white cheddar that was divine. I knew it was a good choice when Robby's first words were, "what is this delicious cheese?!"

1937: The Cobb Salad

Cobb Salad seemed to be a nice counterpart to the cornbread last week and it was oh, so delicious! But where did this hearty garden salad come from?
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The story goes something like this...
"In 1937, Brown Derby owner Robert H. Cobb went into the restaurant's kitchen to fix a late-night snack for Sid Grauman, operator of Grauman's Chinese Theater. He browsed the refrigerator for ingredients, and chopped them up finely. Thus, the Cobb salad was born. From then on, Grauman often requested that a Cobb salad be prepared for him. Word soon spread about this creation throughout Hollywood, quickly increasing its popularity. It became such a hit that film stars started requesting "Cobb's salad", and it was eventually added to the menu of the Brown Derby restaurant." source
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When it comes to a recipe revamp, the only change I would make to the classic is to make an amped up Blue Cheese Vinaigrette rather than the heavier creamy version.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, mustard, and sugar; whisk together until combined. Slowly incorporate olive oil while continuing to vigorously whisk ingredients. Stir in blue cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Vinaigrette can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

1924: America's First Lady of Food

As I was curled up anxiously engaged in my new reading material, a quote on page 16 grabbed my attention creating one of those "AH HA!" moments. The quote had to do with America's First Lady of Food, Ms. Betty Crocker. She gave, " new ideas to old cooks, and old ideas to new cooks." I am a firm believer in the concept of history repeating itself. As I consider myself a "new cook," I consistently find myself interested in old classic ideas. Well put Betty!

While we're on the subject...Betty Crocker was not one of the women pictured above. That's because she never really existed! It was the idea of her, that prompted Fortune magazine to name this happy homemaker the second best known woman in the entire United States — right behind Eleanor Roosevelt. Not bad for someone who never really existed.

Betty secured her place in history through the radio. She began local radio programs in 1924, followed by national networks 2 years later and continued to feed homemakers advice for 3 more decades. "Betty" was actually a team of home economists employed by the Washburn Crosby Flour Company. (the creator of the domestic goddess) Although she was impersonated by various actresses, her mission was always the same to salute those fine homemakers of America telling them "how to buy, what to buy, and how to make the best with what was available," according to the Chicago Daily Tribune.
(source)
In honor of Betty, I whipped out my very cherished 1st edition Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook and decided that a classic corn bread recipe was in order. I feel like this is very Julie & Julia of me and will channel my inner Julie Powell tonight. Results tomorrow. (hopefully)

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RESULTS

While Betty's Southern Cornbread recipe didn't knock my socks off, it wasn't bad. (especially when smeared with honey butter) I think this calls for a recipe revamp. I knew that there wasn't nearly enough butter or sugar in her recipe. I'll post a perfected cornbread recipe when I nail it down.
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p.s. If you would like to learn more about Betty, look into purchasing this little gem.

1945: savvy storage

Leftovers would be lonely without Earl Tupper's genius plastic food container invention. This "why didn't I think of that" idea earned Earl an early retirement in 1958 selling the company for 16 million dollars. Although the product was a hit, it was nothing compared to the success of Tupperware Parties. This inventive post-war marketing model was designed for housewives who had recently moved into a new community. There was no better way to catch up on town talk & get to know the neighbors.

p.s. This post was inspired by cleaning out my fridge today.
p.s.s. I will post the Apple Cider Cupcake recipe tomorrow. Too tired tonight...zzzzz

1931: biscuit bliss

As September wraps up, I felt it necessary to honor National Biscuit Month. (oh, the things I think about) My mother is a fabulous cook, but my memory of Sunday morning breakfasts is none other than the glorious refrigerator biscuit! It was 1931 when baker, Lively Willoughboy secured his patent for his prized product. The idea was originally acquired by the company Ballard & Ballard which was later bought by Pillsbury in 1951.

If you think like me, you want to know where that charming little doughboy came from. It wasn't until 1965 with the launch of refrigerated crescent rolls that the iconic Pillsbury Doughboy started singing, "Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven!"
As good as those darn refrigerator biscuits are, real lovin' is baked into biscuits from scratch. This is my go-to recipe in a pinch. Please enjoy!

Cream Biscuits
Yield: 8 biscuits

2 C. flour, plus extra for the counter
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. heavy cream

Adjust an oven rack to the upper middle position and heat the oven 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until the dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Pat the dough into a 3/4 inch-thick-circle. Cut the biscuits into rounds using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter or 8 wedges using a knife. Place the biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

*Adding 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper into the flour mixture makes these biscuits oh, so savory. Increase the baking time to 18 minutes.
recipe adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook