Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1917, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Pitt came out for a short visit and for the first time in twenty years, we had only the four children at home for a dinner. They were not allowed to mention their families. We sat each in their accustomed place. We all enjoyed it immensely. It carried us back many years when we were all much younger. I wish we could do it every year.”
Moses wrote this in the spring of 1917; he was sixty-one years old at the time. His children ranged in age from twenty-eight to thirty-eight years old and the United States was preparing to enter World War I. Just a few months later, we would enter the fray and family dinners would become creative tales on rationed foods. I will say that if the “homemakers” ran the world, they would plan ahead and there would be no shortages of food or supplies. Those in charge of children and managing homes have to plan for every event or disaster that Mother Nature throws at them, intimately understanding how to stretch rations. Unfortunately in 1917, woman were still unable to vote.
Different times have different demands. What was once scarce is now attained without restriction. I first began to panic about the current pandemic when I encountered when no flour or rice at our local grocery store. It was a wake up call for me. I now sit at home, planning, shopping and cooking for both my own family and my parents during COVID-19. I am a planner; I know how to grow food, the canning process and stretching small amounts of meat for a week. This is not the case for many around the world and we will all find ourselves living next to those who have not. Family dinners are important. Think about your next door neighbors and check in on them. It is time to pay it forward, especially if you have the means and are able to gather your loved ones together for a meal.
Supply and demand is affected during many events or disruptions in distribution. The demands also change from decade to decade. In 1917 red meat and white flour were among the precious commodities that we shipped overseas, causing demand to outweigh supply on the home front.
On April 6, 1917, the United States of America entered WWI. By the fall of 1917, an increasing number of meat-free and other helpful recipes appeared in newspapers. A caption next to “War Bread Recipes” announced “Remember Jack Spratt. Why serve the fat to those who don’t care for it? The trimmings saved from slices of ham will shorten gingerbread” (“Herald and Review,” Decatur, Illinois, page 18). Yesterday, I read an internet post that stated we will now all understand why our great grandmothers washed used foil and saved bacon fat.
“War Bread Recipes” accompanied the heading, “Meatless Day No Bugbear With These Recipes.” An entire page was devoted to cooking with limited supplies; great recipes for vegetarians by the way. The “War Bread” article noted, “Because graham, bran and whole wheat are flours made from wheat, many housewives have been wondering if they are being disloyal by using breads made from these flours on wheatless days. They are not, because the Government does not prohibit the use of these coarser flours. They are note shipped to Europe. Only the white flour, which has better keeping qualities, is shipped there, and the coarser, darker flours may be used here as substitutes for white flour. Wholewheat flour is the fine, clean, and sound product made by grinding wheat without the removal of more than 1 per cent of the wheat in the form of bran. Graham flour is the unbolted wheat flour made from clean, sound wheat in the form of bran. Bran flour is made up of the broken coat of seed of wheat separated from the flour by sifting and bolting. It is the coarse, chaffy part of ground wheat. Bakers in Decatur are using these coarse flours considerably well. Local bakers said that last week that but little change in the taste of breads would be noticed when the new recipe Herbert Hoover is sending out is used.”
On September 9, 1917, the “Chicago Tribune Cookbook” included a section on fish and potatoes for the family dinner (page 2). A pescatarian’s delight today. The article reported, “It is again going to be a point of honor in our country to eat fish in certain amounts, if not on certain days. Possibly presented food conditions would lead us to eat it any day instead of on a church day. Many a grandmother of ours answered the question, “What shall we have for dinner”” by saying “Fish and potatoes.” And in the days when it was appoint of honor to serve the sacred cod even at dinner parties there originated a number of food dishes that are just as attractive today as then.”
To be continued…
