A Tale of Two Sundays - November

A very robust menu from 1927 – Scotch broth, pork chops in casserole, baked apples, turnips, potatoes and boiled onions, a lettuce salad, and Washington pie. And a nap afterwards, I should think.

Where “Washington Pie” gets its name is a mystery, since it is not a pie but rather a cream-filled white cake. It was at one time a very popular dessert. This recipe has unfortunately been modernized and is missing the layers and filling (there’s a shortcut on the King Arthur Flour website that’s closer to the traditional version).

Washington Pie. Beat 3 eggs for 1 minute, add 1 ½ cups sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add 1 cup flour measured after sifting and beat 5 minutes. Add ½ cup hot water, another cup of flour which has been sifted with 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and beat 1 minute. Bake slowly in a deep pan. Cut in squares and cover with whipped cream sweetened and flavored.

The 1953 menu is lighter but more elaborate. Quails baked in wine, duchesse potatoes, baked broccoli (why would one bake broccoli?), avocado fruit salad and pumpkin Alaska pie. The salad recipe is fussy fifties cooking at its finest.

Avocado Fruit Salad Bowl

2 grapefruit
2 oranges
French dressing (oil and vinegar, at this epoch)
Romaine
French endive
1 avocado
Cottage cheese mayonnaise
Peel grapefruit and oranges, removing segments whole. Marinate in dressing; chill. Line salad bown with romaine and endive. Pare and half avocado, removing seed. Cut one half into serving portions, and place in salad bowl. Fill cavity of remaining half with mayonnaise. Arrange orange and grapefruit sections around avocado. Serves 4.