While helping a client go through a few boxes of letters, journals, newspaper articles and other miscellaneous items, Kirsten Cronin of Kirsten Transcribes came across a book entitled Cooking Recipes from October 1937. The book, written at the end of the great Depression, was owned by a family that lived in Brooklyn, New York. Here are two of the recipes – reproduced just as written at that time.

Look for additional recipes every few days. Let us know if you try them and what you think!  Mushroom and Barley Soup
Wash ½ cup barley. Place in frying pan without water. Dry and brown slightly (separates). Put in 2 cups water.

Break 7 mushrooms into small pieces and add,  along with meat stock and soup greens, or butter.  Cook for one hour.

Cabbage Soup
from Bea Edlin
3 quarts water
Salt and pepper
¾ head cabbage
1½ pounds breast flanken (small pieces cut from beef short ribs)
2 bones

Cook ½ hour and then add 1 can tomatoes, juice of 1 lemon, and ¾-1 cup brown sugar. Cook 2½ hours longer.

The above is printed with permission from the family of Doris Prowler Lebow.

MF&L Staff at Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.