Lee's Recipe Book - The Captive's Kitchen
Santo Tomas Internment Camp had a lending library of about 700 books donated from the local YWCA and other Manila civic groups. As hunger took its toll, cookbooks became internee favorites. As indicated in the novel, Lee began copying recipes into a blank, spiral-bound notebook given to her as a birthday gift in 1943. (It was precious because paper was scarce.) She transcribed in pencil a total of 374 recipes from the camp's cookbooks, squeezing two lines of text on to each notebook line. Lee (the future librarian) concluded her master work with a bibliography of the thirty-eight cookbooks she had consulted. Leonore's Suite features some of the recipes. For all you 1930s and '40s, foodies, out there, here are some of Lee's picks. For the modern reader, I've spelled out many of the abbreviations that she used.
Grand Slam Bridge Dessert (Recipe #5)
1/2 c. butter 2 T. milk
1 c. powdered sugar 1 t. vanilla
4 egg yolks (well beaten) 4 egg whites
1 c. sifted cake flour 3/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder 1 c. chopped English walnuts
Cream butter and sugar and stir in egg yolks. Sift flour and baking p. together. Add alternately with milk and vanilla. Pour into 2 round 8" oiled pans, preferably with removable bottoms. Beat egg whites til stiff and add sugar while beating. Spread both layers of batter with this. Sprinkle with chopped nuts [and bake in oven 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool and put cream filling between layers]. and fill with filling:
Filling:
1 egg yolk 1 T. cornstarch 1 T. butter
2 T. sugar 1 c sour cream 1 t. vanilla
Beat egg yolks, add sugar mixed with cornstarch and sour cream and cook in d.b. (double boiler) til it coats the spoon. Add butter and vanilla. Cool. Serve same day.
Lee's recipe inadvertently omitted the text in italics, but baking the meringue is key, and the recipe found online is almost verbatim text! (In the novel, this recipe is featured on pp. 235-237).
1/2 c. butter 2 T. milk
1 c. powdered sugar 1 t. vanilla
4 egg yolks (well beaten) 4 egg whites
1 c. sifted cake flour 3/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder 1 c. chopped English walnuts
Cream butter and sugar and stir in egg yolks. Sift flour and baking p. together. Add alternately with milk and vanilla. Pour into 2 round 8" oiled pans, preferably with removable bottoms. Beat egg whites til stiff and add sugar while beating. Spread both layers of batter with this. Sprinkle with chopped nuts [and bake in oven 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool and put cream filling between layers]. and fill with filling:
Filling:
1 egg yolk 1 T. cornstarch 1 T. butter
2 T. sugar 1 c sour cream 1 t. vanilla
Beat egg yolks, add sugar mixed with cornstarch and sour cream and cook in d.b. (double boiler) til it coats the spoon. Add butter and vanilla. Cool. Serve same day.
Lee's recipe inadvertently omitted the text in italics, but baking the meringue is key, and the recipe found online is almost verbatim text! (In the novel, this recipe is featured on pp. 235-237).
Cranberry Turkey Mold (Recipe #217)
First Layer
1 T gelatin 1 c. chopped celery
2 T. cold water 2 c. minced turkey
2 c. turkey broth salt and pepper
1 green onion (chopped)
Soften gelatin in water and dissolve in hot turkey broth made from boiled and strained turkey. Add onion and season. Cool till slightly thick. Fold in remaining ingredients. Fill large oiled mold 1/2 full. Chill till firm.
Second layer
1.5 cups sugar 1 ground orange rind
3/4 cup water 1 T. gelatin
4 c -cranberries 2 T. cold water
1 2" stick cinnamon 1/2 c. dried apples
4 whole cloves 1/2 c, chopped nutmeats
Dissolve sugar in water, bring to boil. Add cranberries, spices, and rind. Cook slowly til skins pop open. Put thru fine sieve. Soften gel in cold water. Dissolve in hot cranberry mixture. Cool - slightly thick. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour over congealed turkey mixture. Chill. Serve on lettuce with mayonnaise and pimento, green pepper.
(In the novel, this recipe is featured on p. 337).
First Layer
1 T gelatin 1 c. chopped celery
2 T. cold water 2 c. minced turkey
2 c. turkey broth salt and pepper
1 green onion (chopped)
Soften gelatin in water and dissolve in hot turkey broth made from boiled and strained turkey. Add onion and season. Cool till slightly thick. Fold in remaining ingredients. Fill large oiled mold 1/2 full. Chill till firm.
Second layer
1.5 cups sugar 1 ground orange rind
3/4 cup water 1 T. gelatin
4 c -cranberries 2 T. cold water
1 2" stick cinnamon 1/2 c. dried apples
4 whole cloves 1/2 c, chopped nutmeats
Dissolve sugar in water, bring to boil. Add cranberries, spices, and rind. Cook slowly til skins pop open. Put thru fine sieve. Soften gel in cold water. Dissolve in hot cranberry mixture. Cool - slightly thick. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour over congealed turkey mixture. Chill. Serve on lettuce with mayonnaise and pimento, green pepper.
(In the novel, this recipe is featured on p. 337).
Pineapple Raisin Ice Cream (Recipe #361)
1.5 cups milk 1 c. crushed pineapple
2 T. minute tapioca 1/2 t ground orange rind
2 T sugar 1 c. whipping cream
1/8 t. salt 2 t. vanilla
1 c. raisins
Scald milk in double boiler. Add tapioca & cook 10 min. Combine sugar and salt and strain milk thru very fine sieve (so tapioca doesn't get thru.) Cool. Cover raisins with water. Bring to boil, cook 5 minutes. Drain and cool. Blend with milk, pineapple, orange rind. Fold in beaten whipped cream and vanilla. Freeze.
(Featured in Leonore's Suite on page 406.)
1.5 cups milk 1 c. crushed pineapple
2 T. minute tapioca 1/2 t ground orange rind
2 T sugar 1 c. whipping cream
1/8 t. salt 2 t. vanilla
1 c. raisins
Scald milk in double boiler. Add tapioca & cook 10 min. Combine sugar and salt and strain milk thru very fine sieve (so tapioca doesn't get thru.) Cool. Cover raisins with water. Bring to boil, cook 5 minutes. Drain and cool. Blend with milk, pineapple, orange rind. Fold in beaten whipped cream and vanilla. Freeze.
(Featured in Leonore's Suite on page 406.)