Ration Book Cookery

[morwen_peredhil]

Just got this little gem of a book, Ration Book Cookery from English Heritage. I feel compelled to share its greatness. Don't you feel lucky?

Vegetable and Oatmeal Goulash450g (1 lb) mixed root vegetables

Comments

[morwen_peredhil]

Salad cream is foul indeed. I've been fascinated with wartime recipes for years. I have a couple of books of American ration recipes, and now I'm branching out into the even fouler British ones. Mock marzipan made of beans?

[morwen_peredhil]

Hmm. I have only ever had the real thing. My half-German stepmother even makes her own, but with almonds not beans. So good.

[lesbiassparrow]

The amazing thing is when you realise how long rationing actually lasted after the war was over. That and people actually tried to convince themselves that you could make great jam with carrots.

[morwen_peredhil]

Or parsnips. Or mock marzipan made out of beans. Ugh.

I've seen some pretty awful American wartime recipes as well, but at least the rationing never had to be so strict here since the U.S. is not a small, beleaguered island.