VBTB Recipe Box and Tips

apple hand pie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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