Saturday, November 6, 2010

The Glamour Magazine After Five Cookbook by Beverly Pepper

The book jacket claims that "Here at last is the specialty cookbook designed to liberate the working girl, the busy housewife, and the harassed but hungry bachelor."  The Gourmet Magazine After Five Cookbook, published by Doubleday, Inc. in 1952 was the forerunner to Rachel Ray's thirty minute meals with the foundational theory of "A triumphant year of delectable eating and never the same dish twice.  Over 300 menus which can be prepared in an hour or less, containing more than 1000 different recipes with shopping lists included".

I tried finding information on Beverly Pepper and the only reference I found was to a Beverly Pepper who was a famous sculptor-artist but who lived at the same time that this book's author lived.   There was no indication anywhere that they were the same person. Even in this day of instant Google searching, some things remain obscure; nevertheless, Pepper's book is ahead of its time and has a most cosmopolitan and sophisticated bent.  I think she hit the nail on the head when she said in her introduction that ..."here is a...cookbook which is not a cookbook--not in the ordinary sense, but a declaration of independence from kitchen slavery, a declaration of love for good eating.  Taken broadly, perhaps it is also a frank admission of a change in the American way of life.

The book is organized by the months of the year and the weeks of the month.  Each week includes 7 menus prefaced with a shopping list for the week and a staple list to keep your pantry's inventory up to date. The Sunday menu is more time consuming and often includes a roast, the leftovers of which will show up later in the week.  At the back of the book she includes menus for holidays, company and large groups.

Sadly, the worst feature of this book is its liberal use of convenience foods such as canned soups and vegetables (including canned potatoes) which are not difficult to make yourself, nor particularly time consuming, albeit with a little planning.  However, there are a great many innovative and very tasty dishes that do slap together quickly but don't taste like it and it was the beginning of real meals quickly.  The shopping lists and the frugal use of leftovers is to be commended.

A sample Week (1st in December) is as follows:
Sunday:
     Roast Loin of Pork w. Spiced Fruit Sauce
     Baked Idaho Potatoes
     Peas & Cauliflower
     Tossed Green Salad
     Brandied Bing Cherries
     Coffee

Roast Loin of Pork with Spiced Fruit Sauce: 5 1/2 lbs.  Rub with salt, pepper, 1 cut garlic clove.  Roast uncovered in slow oven (325) 4 hours.  Pour off fat, leaving 3 tbs. drippings.  Pour in 2 c. boiling water, 2 tbs. orange marmalade, 2 tbs. cherry jam. grated rind and juice 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. powdered clove, 1/4 c. sherry.  Bring to boil, serve with pork. (Save 1 1/2 c. meat for Tuesday.)

Peas and Cauliflower:  Cut 1 head cauliflower into flowerets.  Boil in salted water to cover 8 min.  Drain.  Cook 1 box peas as directed.  Drain.  Mix with cauliflower, 2 tbs. melted butter. 

Brandied Bing Cherries:  Chill 1 can cherries.  Add 1 tbs. brandy to each serving.  Garnish with whipped cream. 

The aforementioned Tuesday menu then, is as follows:

    Tomato Soup w. Herbs
    Curried Pork, Almond & Raisin Rice
    Escarole Salad
    Chocolate Refrigerator Cake
    Coffee

Tomato Soup w. Herbs:  1 can.  Prepare as directed.  Add 1 tsp. mixed herbs.

Curried Pork:  Cut leftover pork in small sticks.  Saute 1 chopped onion, 1 bay leaf, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1/8 tsp. thyme in 3 tbs. butter.  Mix 1 1/2 tbs. flour with bouillon, stirring until smooth and thickened, 1 diced tomato, 1 chopped unpeeled apple, 1 chopped banana, 1 tbs. white wine.  Simmer 5 min.  Add pork, cook 10 min.

Almond & Raisin Rice:  Prepare 1 1/2 c precooked rice as directed, adding 1/4 c. shopped blanched almonds.

For tomorrow:  Marinate 3/4 lb. sliced round steak in 1 c. vinegar, 1 c. water, 1 sliced onion, 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 1 tsp. salt

For me, the strong point of this book is the pre-planned menus which can be tweaked to fit today's life style with the use of more fresh ingredients, but which provide shopping lists and ideas to streamline the cooking day.  My own preference for planning ahead would then include a "cooking weekend"  wherein I would prepare everything possible ahead from scratch ingredients and have them at the ready during the week.  But it really helps to have a menu plan from which to operate.

The book jacket is a whimsical and delightful design; the use of many variety meats which are not even commonly sold in today's market much less eaten by American families for the most part is also interesting from the historical viewpoint. 

All the menus appeared originally in the magazine as an aid for the working girl.  The series brought a torrent of enthusiastic mail from housewives, club women, mothers and even bachelors.  It is a delightful peek at the historical beginnings of modern American cuisine.