What's on the menu?

There has been a bit of a walk down Nostalgia Lane this week.  I’ve been sorting out old photos and boxes of stuff which have been stored for 20 years and came across my mother’s recipe book which was started back in the 1930s.

I guess some of the recipes were written in the book during wartime when ingredients were difficult to get hold of but one very well used page sets out in childish handwriting (mine) a recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie. This was the first thing I learned to cook and it was a Sunday treat. Pastry was made from scratch, a dish properly lined and the lemon sauce stirred until it boiled. A final note to the recipe is “1 egg will do but the white on top is not so thick.”

A recipe which caught my eye made me shudder a bit but again, I suppose needs must during wartime. The title reads “Sliced Heart with Carrots – enough for 5”.  As we were a family of 5, I probably was served with this particular delicacy – whether I ate it or not is a different matter as I was a very fussy eater!  The ingredients include 3 Sheep's Hearts and dripping, neither of which have ever featured in my kitchen. The method begins “Wash hearts, cutting away tubes.”  Once stuffed, they have to be sewn together to keep the stuffing in.  I quite liked the final touch “Parsley or watercress to garnish.”

There are a lot of other recipes, many of which feature cornflakes so maybe they came off the cereal packets. Apple Tufrets featured Stork margarine and had marzipan to decorate, however “If rations won’t stretch to it this can be left off.”

Another which caught my eye (and I’m sure it would be delicious) was Fish Mould!  I know what the recipe meant but it doesn’t exactly conjure up an appetising dish.

My problem now is, what do I do with the recipe book.