JUMP TO RECIPE

Once again, my great respect for the 1940s wartime homemaker has been reaffirmed. It all happened because of the J. R. Watkins Company.

Watkins has been around since 1868—right after the Civil War—and was well established by the time World War II began. But only as the makings of war were getting a strong foothold in Europe did the company release its first full cookbook. This was in 1936, only three years after Hitler had been appointed chancellor in Germany.

The World on the Eve of War

It was the year King Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, Gone With the Wind was published and the Spanish Civil War began. An estimated five million people died in the West China Famine. In the USA, the Rural Electrification Act became law, making it possible for farmers and others in rural communities to finally have electricity in their homes. The Hoover Dam was completed and five players—including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth—became the first inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

It was also the year of the first round-trip Hindenburg flight and the Summer Olympics in Berlin. American Jesse Owens won four Gold medals only two weeks before Hitler’s troops marched into the Rhineland, breaking the Versailles Treaty and interring nearly 1,000 gypsies. The same year Nazi Germany signed a treaty of cooperation with Fascist Italy and a pact with Imperial Japan.

In the midst of such earth-shaking events, homemakers were doing the oft-hidden, repetitious and terribly important work of keeping home and family in good working order. What was Domestic Science in 1936 had become Home Economics by the time World War II started. It was a new field. The era was ripe for expert cooks to share their tips and recipes with the millions of women who needed inspiration.

A Wartime Meal

Elaine Allen, the Director of Home Economics for J.R. Watkins Company, authored several editions of the Watkins Cook Book. It was in one of these I found recipes for a 1940s meal of chicken fricassee with rice, glazed carrots, broiled tomatoes and Watkins Economy Spice Cake.

I have yet to find a 30-minute one-dish meal from the 1940s. My guess is, that would be an opened tin of sardines. I continually struggle to imagine how women got these meals on the table in addition to so much other work. My 1940s-style meal took well over 30 minutes. The ingredients, however, were exceptionally simple and inexpensive provided you have a decent stock of spices. This meal cost only a few dollars, made enough to easily feed four (or more) and will definitely be made again. It was so good! The chicken dish had me worried as my husband hates olives, but we both devoured it. The carrots were especially good and the store-bought tomatoes tasted almost as good as homegrown.

Watkins Economy Spice Cake

It is best to start with the Economy Spice Cake. This is an easy recipe but the liquid portion needs time to cool before adding the dry ingredients. The cake uses the lion’s share of the rationed ingredients. Because this is a dark, spicy and moist cake, it would be more forgiving with whole wheat flour. Almond flour or possibly oat flour could have also been used. The sweetness of the raisins permeates the entire cake, thanks to the way they are cooked before mixing the batter, so the brown sugar could be cut by at least ¼ cup or substituted with whatever sweetener could be found. The cake needs no icing and makes nine generous servings.

Fricasse Chicken (Spanish)

The chicken needs the next longest time. The recipe calls for it to be served with rice, and any kind of rice would be good. Rationing would have made the fat the most challenging part of the dish to obtain. In this recipe, the onions could be cooked in water, and I added only about a tablespoon of olive oil to fry the chicken. The meat could be braised instead, which is mostly how it cooks in the sauce, anyway. I made this dish with one package of five chicken legs. Whichever pieces you prefer, bone-in offers the most nutrient value.

The original recipe calls for canned tomato soup. This might have been hard to find during the war in many places so I made a homemade version. I would use it anyway, to avoid the chemicals and additives in canned soups. To eight ounces of tomato sauce, add 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk together and use just like the canned stuff.

Glazed Carrots

These need only a few minutes to cook before glazing. The water they are boiled in—as well as the vegetable scraps from the entire meal—would have been saved to make soup stock or some other dish. No food could be wasted! The butter and brown sugar might have been cut by half during rationing.

Broiled Tomatoes

These take mere minutes. The recipe does not include how to peel them. The best way is to boil water in a small saucepan; immerse the tomatoes for 30 seconds; then, remove and peel with a paring knife. The skins will slip right off. In much of Europe, bread was somewhat difficult to come by. In England, it was illegal for shops to sell white bread. Broiled tomatoes are a great way to use up a leftover bit of any kind of bread.

The tomato recipe calls for one fresh egg, which would have been difficult to find in many places. Fortunately, there are lots of substitutes for eggs when breading things. Mixing water with an equal amount of corn starch, arrowroot powder or flour; milk or buttermilk; 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water; or the liquid from tinned beans would work.

If you really want to experience a typical 1940s meal, including the meal prep, this would be a great one to try. The recipes are forgiving and allow for many variations depending on what a homemaker could get. The ingredients are simple, easy to find and not expensive. I was surprised by how tiny the grocery list was. And, it was all delicious! Just the thing for tired families after a long day of work or volunteer duties.

References

A Natural History. The Watkins Company.

Allen, Elaine. Watkins Cook Book. Winona, MN: The J.R. Watkins Company, 1948.

“It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:8