Buzz really doesn’t like ketchup, although it’s more of a mental objection than a question of taste. Initially, I’d filed this in the “things to make when I want to slightly torture him” folder.

Don’t question why I have a folder like that in my bookmarks. You’ve seen what this blog is like. Frankly, the reasons I don’t have a “things he’ll really like” folder is that such things are (a) pretty unusual, and (b) generally made immediately instead of stored away for future reference.

And as I suspected, when he first saw “bottle of catsup” in the ingredient list, he was pretty horrified.

HAMBURGER UPSIDE-DOWN BAKE

1 lb. hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
1 bottle DEL MONTE Catsup
1 can (12 oz.) DEL MONTE Brand Golden Whole Kernel Corn (Vacuum Packed)
1 package (approx. 8 oz.) corn muffin mix

In a 10-inch skillet with oven-proof or removable handle, combine first 4 ingredients with 1/2 cup of the catsup. (Be sure to use 10-inch skillet, or cornbread layer will be too thick.) Break meat apart with fork; fry till just brown. Push meat back around edge of skillet; spread undrained corn in center. Mix muffin batter as directed on package; pour evenly over meat and corn. Bake in hot oven (425°F.) 20 to 25 min. or till muffin layer is done. Remove from oven, let stand 5 min., and turn out upside down on warm serving plate. Heat rest of catsup and serve as a sauce. Serves 4 to 6.

The relief on his face was evident when he realized most of it was just going to be served “as a sauce” rather than incorporated into the corn somehow.

This ad is pretty hilarious, if you actually read the text. To paraphrase: “I doubted my darling! I went to his job and chatted with his hot secretary! She said she balances work and personal life thanks to Batchelors products! Yum, delicious, nourishing canned food!” I mean, yeah, canned food is pretty useful and convenient, but I had no idea it could also overcome chronic jealousy…

Savoury Scalloped Peas
(A luncheon or supper dish for 4 people)

1 large can Batchelors Peas
1 teaspoon chopped mint
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 lb. cooked potatoes
1 large rasher of bacon
1/2 teaspoon meat extract
3 tablespoons water

Drain peas and mix with mint and sugar. Slice cooked potatoes and chop bacon. Grease a casserole and arrange these ingredients in alternate layers, finishing with potato. Pour over the meat extract dissolved in water, and dot with margarine. Bake in a fairly hot oven, Regulo 5 or 380°F. for about 30 minutes.

“Regulo 5″ is as British a term as “rasher,” which seems to indicate that this isn’t an American brand. And then there’s this charming little jingle from 1950:

Actually, Batchelors is an Irish company. Well, to be as confusing as possible, there are two Batchelors — one British, one Irish. The Irish one still sells peas, though, and you can even get mushy peas if you’re into that sort of thing.

Over the last week, I managed to finish three projects and conclude my academic year. We also went through the emotional rollercoaster of losing our cat (who’s lived indoors for all of her eleven years), then finding her five days later at the county animal shelter. She was gone so long I had basically convinced myself that she was dead, so having her back is a huge relief. While outside, she lost a lot of weight (a combination of dehydration and no scavenging skills), so she’s no longer quite as round… although she’s been stuffing her face to recover her kittenish figure.

So, in honor of little “Juevo,” we’re having some eggs for dinner this week!

Remember last week’s bizarrely sweet Yeast-Riz crust? To my surprise, I’ve managed to find another Yeast-Riz pie — and whaddyaknow, I’ve got a spare Yeast-Riz crust sitting in the fridge!

(For the Yeast-Riz Crust instructions, see last week’s “He-Man Ham Buffet” recipe test. It’s worth noting, though, that the sugar measurement isn’t some printing error, they actually expect you to use six tablespoons of sugar.)

Egg-and-Pepper Filling

Place 5 sliced hard cooked eggs in “Yeast-Riz” Crust. Over low heat melt 1/4 cup Blue Bonnet Margarine. Add and blend thoroughly 2 tablespoons enriched flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard. Slowly add 3/4 cup milk, stirring constantly to keep mixture smooth. Cook until sauce thickens and is satiny smooth. Add sauce alternately with 1/2 cup grated American cheese, 1 tablespoon chopped green pepper and 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento to egg slices in crust. Bake in moderate oven at 350° F. for 15-20 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.

Maybe eggs and cheese will be better suited to a sweet pie crust?

Hungry husband due in half an hour? Serve “He-Man” Ham Buffet. Alternative recipes in this series: She-Ra Shrimp. Battle Cat Burgers. Eternia Eggplant Parmesan.

According to Wikipedia, this is Skeletor being served “Spoo,” but it looks more like a steaming bowl of “Casserole Greyskull” to me…

Yeast-Riz Crust

Scald 1/3 cup milk. Stir in 1/4 cup shortening, 6 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cool to lukewarm. Measure into bowl 1/4 cup warm (not hot) water. (Cool to lukewarm for compressed yeast.) Add 1 package or cake Fleischmann’s Yeast, active dry or compressed. Stir to dissolve. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, 1 beaten egg and 1-1/2 cups sifted enriched flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in an additional 1-1/4 cups sifted enriched flour (about). Knead. Let rise in warm place, free of draft, until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours. Punch down; divide into 3 pieces. Roll each into 10-inch circle. Press into 9-inch pie pan. Press edges with tines of fork. Brush with 1 slightly beaten egg white. (To decorate crust, place thin braid or small cut-outs of dough around rim. Brush with egg white.) Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 20 minutes. Prick with fork. Bake in oven at 350° F. for 8 minutes. Do not brown. Fill and bake — or store until ready to use. To store crust, cool, stack and wrap in foil. Hold in refrigerator 1-10 days. Makes 3.

Ham Filling

Cook 1 package frozen broccoli. Drain and arrange in “Yeast-Riz” crust. To contents of 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup add 1/8 teaspoon savory. Spoon half the soup over the broccoli in crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese. Arrange on top 8 rolled ham slices. Cover with remaining soup. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese. Bake in moderate oven at 350° F. for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 4-6 servings.

If I was running behind and suddenly realized I only had thirty minutes to cook dinner, I’d grab this recipe gladly. I’d then be furious when I read through and realized the crust takes about two hours. Admittedly most of that is rise time — but still!

Tasty Mince Meat Coffee Ring

Sift together 2 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
* 3 teaspoons double-action baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar

Pour into a measuring cup (but don’t stir together)…
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup WESSON OIL
Then pour all at once into the flour.

Stir with a fork until mixture cleans sides of the bowl and rounds up into a ball. Knead about 10 times without additional flour. Roll out between waxed papers into a rectangle 9- x 13-inches. Remove top paper.

Spread over dough, 1 cup well-drained NONESUCH Mince Meat.

Roll up, beginning at wide side. Use bottom paper to aid in rolling. Seal by pinching edge of dough into roll. Place sealed edge down on cooky sheet. Join ends to form a ring. With scissors make cuts 2/3 of way through ring one inch apart. Turn each section on side so mince meat shows. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in hot oven (425° F.). While Hot, frost with sugar icing (1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar mixed with 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice). Serve warm.

* If you use Gold Medal Self-Rising Flour, omit baking powder and salt.

Meatloaf is becoming a sort of regular feature on this blog every month or so. Which is fine by me — it’s a satisfying food, the kids love it, and there are a lot of variations.

Like this one, covered with … um. Applesauce and mustard. (WHAAAAAAAT?)

This very early Minute Rice advertisement comes from Life Magazine, and one of the things that struck me about it was how strongly the ad design and style resembles an actual article, at least on first glance. Black and white photographs with detailed captions, and a relatively wordy page. (Later Minute Rice ads would be either slightly more cartoony, or be just large pictures of plates of food.)

I was wondering just how old Minute Rice is — and according to Wikipedia, it was released on store shelves in 1949, so this ad is for a product less than a year old. A little more Googling turned up the interesting story of Ataullah Durrani, an Afghani chemist who invented and perfected the process of parboiling rice. (Thankfully, it’s one of those stories that ends with, “he made millions,” rather than, “General Foods stole his process and left him with nothing.”)

BUSY-DAY LUNCH … IN 16 MINUTES. Tomato Rice is a rosy, appetizing dish for 4 … on the table in jig-time. Saute 1/4 cup finely diced onion in 2 tablespoons butter. Add 1-1/2 cups Minute Rice, 2 cups seasoned tomato juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, dash pepper, 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Bring to full boil, remove from heat, cover, let stand 10 minutes. Serve with crisp bacon. You’ll taste a new kind of lusciousness — for Minute Rice absorbs all the tomato flavor and color — something no other rice can do.

As Buzz noted when we made Apricot Rice, the idea that no other rice can absorb flavor and color is pretty bizarre. But we’ll forgive them some hyperbole and try this anyway.

Ever wished you could take your kid’s favorite meal (pancakes!) and mix a lot of unwelcome vegetables in? Well, you’re in luck.

Spinach Pancakes

1/2 cup Manischewitz’s Matzo Meal
1 cup cooked or canned spinach
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup water or spinach liquid
2 onions

Chop spinach fine, then add all other ingredients except onions. Slice onions and fry in any desired fat; then drop the spinach pancakes into the same fat with the onions and fry until brown.

While I’m a little grossed out by pureed spinach, I do like fresh spinach. This was bought nearly a week ago, but was still crisp and fresh while I chopped it up.

After a five-minute steam, it’s lost some volume and gotten soft. (Still tastes good, though!) Time to assemble the rest of the necessary ingredients as well!

I feel like I’ve had a lot of super-easy recipes on recently. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it helps reflect the proliferation of ads that appealed to busy mothers (side note: not parents… just sayin’) and offered them quick and easy prep time, assisted by whatever amazing processed food corporations wanted you to buy. Plus, I actually am crazy busy this semester.

And this one has the additional benefit of fitting in with the internet’s obsession with All Things Bacon. (The salty meat product, not Kevin…)

Maplewich French Toast Sandwich

Mighty fine fare for fall mornings — and a perfect supper for the kids! Make French Toast your favorite way, put two slices together with crisp bacon between. Then — over this delicious “sandwich,” pour a golden stream of maple-rich Vermont Maid Syrup, a superb blend of finest maple and cane sugars.

I am going to take some issue with “perfect supper for the kids.” Obviously few children are going to turn down the chance to have french toast and bacon dripping with sugar, especially since it’s a “sandwich” and they can get away with using their hands instead of flatware to eat. But just because they will happily eat it doesn’t mean it’s perfect. They’d eat cake and ice cream for every meal if I let them. We have very different opinions about what’s “perfect.”

Although we do all agree that real Vermont maple syrup is better than blended stuff.

It’s yet another retro meatloaf today, this week discovered on kookychow.com. I kind of like cooking something “kooky” instead of “terrifying.” I feel much calmer about the entire experience.

NOODLE PIE

One-Half Lb. American Beauty Egg Noodles
3/4 lb. veal or beef, ground
1/2 cup milk
Minced onion, if desired
3/4 lb. pork, ground
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine meat loaf ingredients and mix thoroughly. Press mixture in a thick layer onto the sides and bottom of a pie pan. Place in oven at 359 degrees F. and bake 40 to 50 minutes. Then place on top of meat loaf the noodles, which have been cooked until tender in boiling salted water, and drained. Dot noodles with butter and return to oven for a few minutes before serving. Serve this dish in pie-shape cuts. A tomato, cheese or mixed vegetable sauce makes a fitting accompaniment for this meal. Serves six to eight persons.