Food Friday: Smelt Anyone?
So here's my true confession of the day.
Ready?
I never took home economics in school.
Yes, it's true. I rebelled against it. I couldn't think of anything more horrible than taking a class where I had to cook and sew. I rebelled against it because it was expected of us girls. Boys took woodshop and girls took home ec. I took neither. No disrespect to those who took the class or taught it. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
Despite my youthful rebellion over the homemaking arts I love reading the recipes of home economics teachers. There are quite a few cookbooks that they feature prominently in.
Today's recipe comes from one of those cookbooks, Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers. Americana Cookery. An Illustrated Cookbook of Regional America's Traditional Recipes (1971). In an era before televised cooking shows and chain restaurants, regional food was much more pronounced. This cookbook tries to illustrate those food differences by presenting each region's history and recipes. For today's Food Friday I figured I would choose a West Coast recipe.
I present to you, Deep Fat Fried Smelt.
I wonder if classes at Clear Lake High School in Wisconsin actually made this. That would not have gone over so well at my Southern California high school. As you probably have guessed I've never ate this myself and didn't realize it was a traditional recipe. Sometimes "regional" foods are not so regional. But everything is better once it's been fried or wrapped in bacon.
Any home ec teachers out there who submitted recipes for the Favorite Recipes of Home Economics series of cookbooks?
Ready?
I never took home economics in school.
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| Students in home economics showing girls learning cooking skills, Washington. University of Washington. Flickr the Commons. |
Yes, it's true. I rebelled against it. I couldn't think of anything more horrible than taking a class where I had to cook and sew. I rebelled against it because it was expected of us girls. Boys took woodshop and girls took home ec. I took neither. No disrespect to those who took the class or taught it. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
 |
| From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega |
Despite my youthful rebellion over the homemaking arts I love reading the recipes of home economics teachers. There are quite a few cookbooks that they feature prominently in.
 |
| From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega |
Today's recipe comes from one of those cookbooks, Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers. Americana Cookery. An Illustrated Cookbook of Regional America's Traditional Recipes (1971). In an era before televised cooking shows and chain restaurants, regional food was much more pronounced. This cookbook tries to illustrate those food differences by presenting each region's history and recipes. For today's Food Friday I figured I would choose a West Coast recipe.
I present to you, Deep Fat Fried Smelt.
 |
| From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega |
I wonder if classes at Clear Lake High School in Wisconsin actually made this. That would not have gone over so well at my Southern California high school. As you probably have guessed I've never ate this myself and didn't realize it was a traditional recipe. Sometimes "regional" foods are not so regional. But everything is better once it's been fried or wrapped in bacon.
 |
| From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega |
Any home ec teachers out there who submitted recipes for the Favorite Recipes of Home Economics series of cookbooks?
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