Recipe Card Index

Episode 10: Bananamole and Banana Daiquiri (1977)

~ eatatlus ~ Leave a comment

In this episode, I make two recipes from The 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection published by Random House in 1977.  On the front side of the cards in this collection, there are recipes for mixed drinks and on the back there are recipes for hors d’oeuvres. I’ll be using recipe card number 208 which is in the rum section.  This card has three recipes, but I’m only going to make two: the banana daiquiri from the front of the card and bananamole from the back.  While preparing my ingredients, I talk about the history of the Cavendish banana and some of the issues with the global demand for this particular variety.

DSC_0472
The 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection for Mixed Drinks and Hors D’Oeuvres published by Random House in 1977.

CCI05082016CCI05082016_0002

Preparation
The ingredients for Bananamole in all their glory.
DSC_0465
The 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection for Mixed Drinks and Hors D’Oeuvres published by Random House in 1977.
Preparation daiquiri
Ingredients for the Banana Daiquiri.  Needs more banana.
DSC_0471
Banana Daiquiris are scrumptious.
Advertisement

Episode 8: Ham and Bananas Hollandaise (1973)

~ eatatlus ~ Leave a comment

In this episode, I make a recipe from the McCall’s Recipe Card Index called “Ham and Bananas Hollandaise” and talk about the history and science of hollandaise.  You can probably predict how the recipe turned out.  This episode is a cautionary tale about the follies of recipe card authors.

CCI04082016
Learn from my mistakes: do not make this recipe.
CCI04082016_0001
But if you do make the recipe, please share your experience on my Facebook page.
DSC_0426
They look so innocent sitting there in their baking dish.
DSC_0427
After 15 minutes in the oven, there is little hint of what a monstrosity this dish actually is.
DSC_0428
A puddle of banana flavored water started to form under the banana.  It was the banana weeping about what became of its life.

Episode 5: Baked Macaroni and Cheese (1973)

~ eatatlus ~ Leave a comment

In this episode, I celebrate my annual Macaroni and Cheese Day by making a delicious batch of baked macaroni and cheese from the 1973 McCall’s Great American Recipe Card Collection.  This episode discusses the possible origins of cheese, how cheese has changed through the ages, a little bit of science, some archaeology, and Charlemagne’s reaction to blue cheese the first time he ate it.

DSC_0404
You can’t go wrong with a slightly patriotic recipe card collection in which there’s a recipe for a clown ice cream sundae!

Baked Mac and Cheese 1

Baked Mac and Cheese 2

DSC_0237
The finished dish.  I forgot to take a picture until after the first serving was extracted, but it’s better than nothing.

Learn more about the prehistoric cheese strainer:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/12/13/167034734/archaeologists-find-ancient-evidence-of-cheese-making

Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking:
http://www.amazon.com/On-Food-Cooking-Science-Kitchen/dp/0684800012

Episode 4: Apple Bread from the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library (1971)

~ eatatlus ~ Leave a comment

Recorded on Superbowl Sunday, Lisa makes an embarrassing confession as she bakes Apple Bread from the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library.  While cooking she talks about the difference between enriched bread dough and having inclusions in the bread.  She also talks about the history of Betty Crocker and theorizes why recipe cards indexes became so popular in the 1970s.

Apple Bread 1 Apple Bread 2

The original recipe card.  I would reduce the baking time just slightly.  My apple bread was a little over baked even though I only baked it for 30 minutes.

DSC_0216

Turning the bread out onto a plate was a bit scary, but it came out ok.  If you make the dish, remember to run your knife around the perimeter of the cake to help separate it from the baking dish.

DSC_0219

My apple bread doesn’t look nearly as nice as the one in the original picture, but I blame that on it being a bit over baked.

DSC_0222

It may not be pretty, but it sure is delicious.  I couldn’t remember the name of the apple I used when I recorded the episode, but I checked later.  They were gala apples.  They had a slight tartness which worked well with the sweet caramel.