Vintage Recipe of the Day-- 04/04/13

Aside from cooking, one of my favorite, food-related things to do is collecting vintage cookbooks. Including the electronic editions on my Kindle, my collection dates as far back as the 1830's, and my oldest "hardcopy" is from 1898, but the bulk of my collection ranges from the 1930's through the 1960's.    While some books contain real gems of recipes, many, especially the ones from the '50's and '60's geared more toward "busy housewives" are almost comical in their over-the-top presentations of some really lousy chow.  How I pity the poor husbands who came home to today's recipe, taken from Shortcut Cooking, by Meredith Corporation, 1969.

If anyone out there has the nerve to make and serve this, PLEASE send me a photo, and we'll post it on the blog! 

Bean Banquet

2- 1 lb. cans (4 cups) Pork & Beans in Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup Ketchup

2 tbsp. prepared yellow mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke

2 12oz. cans "luncheon meat"

In a 10x6x2-inch baking dish, combine beans, ketchup and seasonings.  

Cut meat in half lengthwise.  Cutting not quite through, slice each half in 7 crosswise slices.  Arrange meat "accordions" on beans.  Bake at 375F, 25 to 30 minutes, or until beans are bubbling hot.  Place in broiler a few minutes to brown meat; brush meat with melted butter.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.