When bananas grew scarce during the war, the banana filling in Hostess Twinkies was changed to the vanilla-flavored cream we enjoy today. Although the frequency with which military kitchens served SPAM made it the butt of many jokes, returning GIs made SPAM a best seller. Perhaps SPAM was served with Minute Rice, since American soldiers were drafted by General Foods to taste-test the "instant" rice during its development in the 1940s.
The government printed monthly meal-planning guides complete with daily menus and recipes. Good Housekeeping magazine included a special section on cooking with rationed foods in its 1943 cookbook; other national publications featured articles explaining rationing. But how Americans dealt with rationing has not been extensively documented. Much of what we know about the impact of rationing on the home front is anecdotal, available to us through the memories of those who lived through the war years. The next time you see your grandma, ask her about rationing.
An interesting recipe from the era of rationing is one for Beef Kidney Stew. Organ meats were often used in place of more expensive cuts, since they required few or no ration points and were plentiful in supply.
Beef Kidney Stew
2 beef kidneys
1 large bunch parsley
1 teaspoon salt
boiling water
6 medium onions
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons oleomargerine
Wash beef kidneys well, cut in half, remove core and membrane. Soak in cold water for 1 hour. Drain, cut into small pieces, and rise well. Combine with thinly sliced onions, parsley cut fine with scissors or a sharp knife, salt and enough boiling water to cover. Simmer for 3 hours. Thicken with a roux made of the blended margerine and flour. Serve in a noodle ring.
The above recipe was taken from You'll Eat It Up, by Charlotte Adams (New York: M. Barrows and Company, Inc., 1943). The above article first appeared in the September/October 1994 issue of Michigan History Magazine.
