VBTB Recipe Box and Tips

Pull up a chair and dust off your apron

it's time to test your inner mid-century homemaker!

How many of these tried-and-true kitchen techniques and definitions do you remember from Mom’s old recipe box?

Kitchen Know-How

1. Non-fat dry milk" (also called nonfat dry milk solids or just dry milk in vintage recipes) refers to dehydrated skim milk—milk from which nearly all the fat and water have been removed, leaving behind a dry powder. It was used to extend fresh milk, add nutrition, and improve texture in baking and cooking.

Essential Mid-Century Cooking Techniques

Canning and Preserving
Safely storing fruits, vegetables, and jams in jars for year-round use requiring precision and patience.

Blanching
A quick boil followed by an ice bath to lock in color and texture essential for freezing garden veggies.

Roasting
Mastering tender, flavorful meats like pot roast or whole chicken, often with careful basting.

Frying
Perfecting crispy fried chicken, donuts, or hash browns maintaining oil temperature was key!

Broiling
Cooking under intense heat for quick-seared meats or seafood without overcooking.

Pressure Cooking
A wartime and post war favorite for speeding up tough cuts of meat or beans tricky but efficient.

Gelatin Setting
Balancing flavors and textures in Jell-O salads or aspics, often with decorative molds.

Casserole Layering
Building hearty, balanced dishes using canned goods, noodles, and creativity.

Whipping
Achieving stiff peaks with cream or egg whites by hand or with an early stand mixer.

Sauteing
Quick cooking in a skillet timing was everything for tender veggies or meats.

Folding
A delicate technique to keep whipped ingredients light and airy in cakes or mousses.

Poaching
Gently cooking eggs or fish in simmering water without breaking or overcooking.

Freezing
Using emerging freezer technology to preserve foods or craft homemade ice cream.

Marinating
Tenderizing tougher cuts of meat with flavorful soaks essential for stretching wartime rations.

Mold Shaping
Creating eye-catching presentations with meatloaf, icebox cakes, or gelatin mold.

✨ 10 Mid-Century Cooking Tricks Every Retro Homemaker Knew

1. Stock on Ice – Freeze leftover chicken stock in ice cube trays. Pop one out whenever your soup or gravy needs a little extra oomph.

2. Celery Revival – Got limp celery? Soak it in cold water with a pinch of starch to bring back that fresh, garden crisp snap.

3. Bread Never Goes to Waste – Yesterday’s loaf becomes today’s crunchy croutons perfect for soups or a fancy dinner salad.

4. Ketchup Bottle Magic – Don’t toss that empty ketchup bottle! Wash it out and fill it with your homemade salad dressing for an easy pour retro dispenser.

5. Coffee Freshens More Than You Think – Keep used coffee grounds in a dish in your fridge to chase away stale odors.

6. Sandwich Fun for the Kids – Use cookie cutters to turn plain sandwiches into star, heart, or flower shapes. Lunchtime smiles guaranteed!

7. Grease with Ease – Save butter wrappers and use them to grease baking pans. A thrifty trick straight from Grandma’s kitchen.

8. Quick Dessert Delight – Mix canned fruit cocktail with a cup of Cool Whip. Simple, sweet, and oh-so-1950s.

9. Citrus Sparkle – Drop a slice of lemon or orange peel into sugar to keep it fresh and add a hint of zesty aroma. (Bonus: that sugar makes a dreamy rim for cocktails!)

10. A Secret Ingredient for Cakes – Slip a spoonful of mayonnaise into your cake batter for the most tender, moist slices. (Don’t tell the neighbors it’s your secret!)