The West Australian And Dinner Menu Suggestions... (1929).
This article is a continuation of the blog posts titled the 'Sunday Times Recipe Contest (1900-1910)' posted outlining some of the recipes the women (and men) from Subiaco shared in a competition held by the Sunday Times newspaper in the early years of the colony.
In the late 1920's and early 1930's the West Australian newspaper ran a competition where by people (both men and women) contributed recipes for dinner menu suggestions that won prizes and were published. Women from Subiaco contributed, had their recipes published and won prizes and received honourable mentions. In 1929 Mrs. M. Dorfsha of 151 Hamersley-road, Subiaco received honourable mentions for contributions to a menu suggestion of a Salmon Loaf and Curried Bananas.
The first article titled 'The Daily Dinner' published on 1 January, 1929 provides menu suggestions and cooking tips for those preparing meals during the hot Australian summer and a wonderful insight into what family dinners may consist of for example entrée, main meal and dessert and what was being cooked.
Over 90 years later many of those menu suggestions such as serving cold meat and salad in hot weather and cooking tips remain part of the daily life of the average West Australian. For example, those residents today without air conditioning keep the house cool during the middle of the day by keeping the windows closed and have fly screens on windows where flies are a problem. Fruit although not stewed is regularly eaten for breakfast.
The second article titled 'The Daily Dinner' published on 29 January, 1929 provides advice to the reader about what is considered healthy eating for children and adults of the time.
The articles and photographs are from Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia. No copyright intended.
West Australian, 1 January 1929
THE DAILY DINNER.
Menu Suggestions.
The average housewife finds the preparation of meals a trial just now. Extra work in the kitchen necessitated by cooking, rising temperatures, and catering difficulties due to the holidays when so much marketing has had to be done ahead have all tended to fatigue.
Yet in warm weather family meals must be provided that are appetising. Large quantities of heavy food are not needed, but everything should be served daintily. Effort should be made to keep the dining-room cool. Much can be done by the quick removal of each meal and the immediate airing of the room, which should afterwards be kept dark.
It may be advisable during the hottest part of the day to keep the windows closed, or open a little only at the top. All dining-room windows (and door if necessary) should be screened with wire gauze. Where flies are specially troublesome ventilators and fireplace openings may have to be covered also.
Cold meats and salads are advocated by many for hot weather dinners. When convenient they should be provided. But a dinner with hot meat as its main dish is necessary sometimes. Smaller joints than usual, extra vegetables and cold sweets will be appreciated.
The scarcity and high price of fruit for stewing through the holidays has been deplored by most housekeepers, especially where families are large. Stewed fruit for breakfast, luncheon and dinner is a hot weather dish that is always welcomed by young and old, and one that is easily prepared. It is, extremely beneficial to health.
Wednesday.
Rice soup.
Stewed duck.
Mashed potatoes. French beans.
Rhubarb amber.
Stewed Duck. — Peel and cut up into dice two or three medium sized onions, and fry them in a little butter, or pure beef dripping until nicely browned; then drain well and put them into a stewpan with a carrot cut in Julienne shreds, a bunch of savoury herbs, about a pint of good stock, and the remains of cold ducks, which have been neatly cut up into joints and slices, and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. Cover the stewpan closely, and simmer the contents gently for about half an hour.
Have ready on a hot dish a firm neat bed of stewed cabbage or smoothly mashed turnips, and upon this arrange the stewed duck. Strain the liquor remaining in the stewpan, slightly thicken it and when quite boiling pour it over the ducks; then garnish around with a few dainty fried crisp potato croquettes and serve.
Thursday.
Celery soup.
Lamb cutlets.
New potatoes. Green peas.
Banana snow.
Banana Snow.
Required: A packet of gelatine, two cupsful of sugar, three eggs, one pint milk, one teaspoonful cornflour, essence of lemon and bananas. Pour half pint boiling water over gelatine and add the flavouring of sugar. When nearly cold add the whites of eggs, beaten to a froth. Beat the whole together and put into a mould which has been lined with bananas. Let cool and set. Make a boiled custard of milk, yolks of eggs, cornflour, and sweetening of sugar. Serve with the custard.
Friday.
Steamed schnapper and parsley sauce.
Salmon loaf.
Mashed potatoes. Swede turnips.
Stewed peaches and custard.
Salmon Loaf. - Flake into bits with a fork enough salmon to make a pint. Sea son with salt, pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Cook together in a saucepan one tablespoonful butter and one tablespoonful flour, and when blended pour upon them a cup of milk (or cream if possible). Stir to a thick white sauce, then add flaked salmon. When scalding hot remove from fire, put aside till almost cold, then stir in half-cup of bread crumbs and one beaten egg. Steam for one hour. Turn into a mould and put away to cool. Serve, cold, garnished with parsley.
(Honourable mention. Mrs. M. Dorfsha, 151 Hamersley-road, Subiaco.)
Readers of 'Woman's Interests' are invited to contribute tried recipes suitable for inclusion in these menus. A prize of 10/ will be awarded each week for the. best recipe submitted. Recipes should be addressed to 'Ixia,' 'The West Australian' Office, Perth, whose decision will be final. Prize-winning recipes will be published on Fridays. The names and addresses of senders of published recipes will be announced.
West Australian, 22 January 1929
THE DAILY DINNER.
Menu Suggestions.
The provision of a really good dinner daily depends not so much on the housekeeping allowance in the average home, but upon its wise apportionment. The following rules apply to the 'average healthy family. They may be modified to meet individual need.
Milk - Spend as much for milk as is necessary to secure for each child from three-quarter quart to one quart of milk a day, and a pint a day for every one else in the family. Cheese may replace a part of the milk for adults, if preferred. Two ounces of cheese may be substituted for about one-third of a quart of milk.
Fruits and vegetables - It is desirable to serve fruit twice a day and fresh fruits in the height of their season. When they are cheapest, store can, and dry them for winter use. Dried fruits, such as prunes, peaches, apricots and raisins are probably the most in expensive of all fruits. Oranges are a particularly wholesome fruit and should be used as often as possible unless replaced by tomatoes. A child can eat two medium size potatoes in a day, and a quarter of a pound or more of other vegetables. A grown person can eat twice that amount.
Cereals - Buy cereals in variety. A generous proportion of cereals made from the whole grain, should be kept, in stock. These contain elements of nutrient that are lost when the outer coat is removed, and also, furnish part of the necessary roughage in the diet. Such cereals are specially desirable when it is difficult to use as much vegetables and fruit as these rules call for.
Fat - For each grown person, every day, provide at least one and a half ounces, of fat (butter or : butter substitute, cream, fat from meat, etc.). For children provide at least one half of that amount, unless the child is getting a quart of whole milk daily, in that case, a large allowance of fat is contained in the milk.
Wednesday.
Cream of celery soup.
Corned-beef.
Potatoes. Carrots.
Jellied peaches
Cream of celery soup.
Take one head of celery, 1 quart of milk, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 slice onion. Wash and cut celery into one inch lengths. Boil in water to which a teaspoonful of salt has been added, and boil until tender. Next make a smooth paste with flour ,and a little water, add this to the, milk and onion and add pepper to taste ; Boil for 10 minutes ; When the celery is tender, mash it in the water it was boiled in and add to the mixture of milk, etc. Strain and serve hot.
(Honourable mention Mrs. D. Webb, 45 Malcolm-street, Fremantle)
Thursday.
Tomato soup.
Cold corned beef and salad.
Potatoes. French beans.
Orange sponge.
Orange Sponge - Take 2oz. cornflour, 1 1/2 pints milk, 4oz. sugar, juice of 2 oranges and grated rind, 1/2 oz. butter and 2 eggs. Mix the milk gradually with the cornflour, put into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the butter, sugar and the yolks of eggs and boil for 8 minutes, stirring constantly ; stir in the juice and grated rind of oranges and allow to cool. Beat up the whites of eggs to a stiff froth and stir lightly into the sponge. Bring to the boil again for a moment, set in a mould and turn out when firm. This dish may be made of water instead of milk, and served with a garnish of whipped cream.
(Honourable mention Miss Holly Loud, Pemberton)
Friday.
Pea soup.
Baked eggs in rice.
Curried bananas.
Apple snow.
Baked eggs in rice.- Take 1 cupful rice, 1 cupful tomato sauce, 4 eggs, 2 teaspoonfuls salt. Wash and boil the rice, dust with one teaspoonful of salt, spread on a hot platter, and with the back of a spoon make four hollows, each to hold one egg. Dust with salt and pepper, place in the oven for five minutes, remove, and cover, with the tomato sauce.
(Honourable mention Mrs. A. McCallum, Yilgarn-street, Beaconsfield)
Curried bananas.— Required: Six bananas (fairly green), 1 cup desiccated cocoanut, 1 teaspoonful anchovy sauce, 1 pint. milk, 1 teaspoonful Worcestershire sauce, a little cayenne and salt, 2 tablespoonsful curry powder and 1 egg. Put the cocoanut into a basin and pour over it the milk and allow to stand 1 hour ; then put it into a saucepan with the other ingredients. Peel and slice the bananas and add to the curry. Allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Just before serving beat up the egg and stir, it in. Serve with boiled, rice garnished with tomato and beetroot.
(Honourable mention Mrs. M. Dorfsha, 151 Hamersley-road, Subiaco).
Western Mail, 16 September 1937.
KITCHEN COMPANY
Saturday morning in a suburban home. As usual the son is acting as official taster, while the daughter lends a hand in a more practical way.
Daily News, 26 September 1933
IN A MODERN KITCHEN
The whole of I lie up-to-date kitchen is based on cleanliness and simplicity.
