For the past week I have been trawling vintage cookbooks from the 1920s to 1950s trying to compile a vintage menu plan. In the end I decided less on a plan than a guide.
Women in early to mid-twentieth century Australia often seem to follow certain principles; for example, roast on Sunday, leftovers on Monday, perhaps a grill one night and often fish on Fridays. Many women would have had set nights for certain meals, although my mother told me that she learnt during her dietitian's training in the late 1950s that it is poor form to do this.
A standard weekly menu might have looked something like this:
Friday
fish
Saturday
fish cakes made from leftover cooked fish mixed with mashed potato, then crumbed and fried
Sunday
roast
Monday
a pie made from roast leftovers or maybe cold meat and salad in hot weather
Tuesday
rissoles made from leftover meat
Wednesday
soup using stock made from the bones from Sunday's roast
Thursday
grilled chops
The most common accompaniments to meals would have been potatoes and boiled vegetables. Desserts would have been things like stewed fruit, rice pudding, baked custard, junkets and blancmange.
I think there is much we can learn from this kind of cooking, even if we choose to forego the dripping, overcooked vegetables and general monotony. For example, planning for leftovers and having as little waste as possible both make a lot of sense. Also, spending the bulk of one's grocery money on fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy rather than processed items makes excellent financial and budgetary sense.
My own menu for this week is based on the one above with a few modern twists. Some of this food was already in my freezer, such as the cutlets, chicken breasts and thighs, so didn't have to be bought. I work from 9 until five on Mondays and Tuesdays so I plan the easiest meals for these days, and if I cook a dessert it's usually on the weekend, when I have more time. This is an autumn menu, so uses pumpkin, corn, eggplants, apples, pears and other autumn produce.
Friday (shopping day)
fresh Tasmanian salmon baked in foil with lemon juice and capers
potato gratin
peas and corn
fresh fruit (mandarins, pears, apples, bananas)
Saturday
crumbed lamb cutlets
crispy sauteed potatoes
Women in early to mid-twentieth century Australia often seem to follow certain principles; for example, roast on Sunday, leftovers on Monday, perhaps a grill one night and often fish on Fridays. Many women would have had set nights for certain meals, although my mother told me that she learnt during her dietitian's training in the late 1950s that it is poor form to do this.
A standard weekly menu might have looked something like this:
Friday
fish
Saturday
fish cakes made from leftover cooked fish mixed with mashed potato, then crumbed and fried
Sunday
roast
Monday
a pie made from roast leftovers or maybe cold meat and salad in hot weather
Tuesday
rissoles made from leftover meat
Wednesday
soup using stock made from the bones from Sunday's roast
Thursday
grilled chops
The most common accompaniments to meals would have been potatoes and boiled vegetables. Desserts would have been things like stewed fruit, rice pudding, baked custard, junkets and blancmange.
I think there is much we can learn from this kind of cooking, even if we choose to forego the dripping, overcooked vegetables and general monotony. For example, planning for leftovers and having as little waste as possible both make a lot of sense. Also, spending the bulk of one's grocery money on fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy rather than processed items makes excellent financial and budgetary sense.
My own menu for this week is based on the one above with a few modern twists. Some of this food was already in my freezer, such as the cutlets, chicken breasts and thighs, so didn't have to be bought. I work from 9 until five on Mondays and Tuesdays so I plan the easiest meals for these days, and if I cook a dessert it's usually on the weekend, when I have more time. This is an autumn menu, so uses pumpkin, corn, eggplants, apples, pears and other autumn produce.
Friday (shopping day)
fresh Tasmanian salmon baked in foil with lemon juice and capers
potato gratin
peas and corn
fresh fruit (mandarins, pears, apples, bananas)
Saturday
crumbed lamb cutlets
crispy sauteed potatoes
grilled eggplant and tomatoes
apple crisp with custard
hot chocolate (for family movie night)
Sunday
roast beef
roast vegetables (potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, onions)
peas
lemon delicious pudding
Monday
cold roast beef
salad
bread
various relishes and pickles
stewed fruit (apples or pears) with cream or custard
Tuesday
macaroni and cheese
salad
fresh fruit (mandarins, pears, apples)
Wednesday
gingery chicken and vegetable stirfry with rice (modern I know but too healthy to forego)
frozen yogurt
Thursday
chicken and vegetable curry with rice
raita
baked apples
(I often cook a curry the the night before I shop as this is a great way to use up the week's leftover vegetables.)
apple crisp with custard
hot chocolate (for family movie night)
Sunday
roast beef
roast vegetables (potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, onions)
peas
lemon delicious pudding
Monday
cold roast beef
salad
bread
various relishes and pickles
stewed fruit (apples or pears) with cream or custard
Tuesday
macaroni and cheese
salad
fresh fruit (mandarins, pears, apples)
Wednesday
gingery chicken and vegetable stirfry with rice (modern I know but too healthy to forego)
frozen yogurt
Thursday
chicken and vegetable curry with rice
raita
baked apples
(I often cook a curry the the night before I shop as this is a great way to use up the week's leftover vegetables.)
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