War time recipes 6 December 2022 at 5:01PM edited 6 December 2022 at 5:04PM in Old style MoneySaving 75 replies 7.7K views

RobM99

Saw a video about the effect the Allies' blockade had on Germany in WW2. Bread made with sawdust for example. Grim.

Nonnadiluca

@CapricornLass, your post reminded me of my granddaughter, age 6, who said, " I think I'll have the squid tempora I've never had it before". Totally agree about children's menus; when was it decided that children could only eat something processed with chips rather than proper food?

CapricornLass

Some of the war-time recipes are ok, though.  I have the Marguerite Patten book We'll Eat Again, which was produced in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum, and some of the soup recipes are lovely.  There was also a steamed fish roll, where I substituted smoked fish for fresh-salted cod,  and another which was a pilchard Layer loaf - basically a small loaf cut into four layers, and with a small tin of pilchards mashed up and spread between the layers, with the whole lot covered in a thick white sauce, which was very popular with my children.  There is also a good pasty recipe.

The only reason I don't do some of them now is because of a gluten intolerance (and said children have left home!)

annieb64

I have "We'll Eat Again" DD borrowed it as DGS is studying WW2 at school and had to go into school dressed as a child of that time and take a ration book packed lunch. He took a cheese sandwich, biscuits and a couple of apples. I don't know how much cheese was in the sandwich.  Last time I was over there for dinner he sprinkled about a weeks ration of cheese over his pasta.

Has anyone read "Nella Last's War" ? I would love to have seen her recipe book. 

CapricornLass

Yes, I have, and the one she wrote after the war - I was able to borrow them from the library.  She's very readable.

RobM99

This would make a great episode of Masterchef! Give them a day's WW2 ration and go!

YoungBlueEyes

But with the equipment they'd have had at the time to cook it with! 

Pollycat

YoungBlueEyes said:

But with the equipment they'd have had at the time to cook it with! 

Perfect!
 No water baths, blenders, blast freezers and silicone moulds.

annieb64

They couldn't do it although it would be interesting to see them try.

RobM99

YoungBlueEyes said:

But with the equipment they'd have had at the time to cook it with! 

Now we're talking! 

"You have to prepare three courses of great food. You have ½ oz lard, one egg, one bendy carrot, one furry piece of cheese and an unidentified tin of yellow stuff with 6¼d on it and half a crown to buy anything you can from a Spiv.

You have one hour . Let's GOOOO!"