It’s a Long Way to Tupperwar-ee

In 1918 America was in the thick of World War I. In those days, mustard was a gas, prohibition was being discussed as a war measure, and a new bureaucracy, the Food Administration, was established to promote food conservation. Folks fighting on the home-front planted “War Gardens” to contribute to the war effort and to provide extra fruit and vegetables. Anti-German sentiment even led people to rename sauerkraut as “Liberty Cabbage!” (and you thought “Freedom Fries” was original) That year also saw the publication of the book, Foods That Will Win the War and How to Cook Them, or what I like to call it, The Original Guide to Cheap Eats.

One look through the aforementioned book and you’ll see that not much has changed. Some sage advice about food includes:

1. Buy it with thought
2. Cook it with care
3. Serve just enough
4. Save what will keep
5. Eat what would spoil
6. Homegrown is best

Good, solid advice for any home economist, and in the case of number six, any Grateful Dead fan. (Seriously though, the growth of community gardens and SPIN farming has taken the concept of backyard gardening to a whole new, and sometimes profitable, level.) Here you can find patriotic homemakers drying scraps of bread, rendering fat and saving drippings, even making vegetable stock from trimmings. Just knowing that Mom could feed the family and fight the Huns while making such exotic dishes as Venetian Spaghetti or the ever-popular Hindu Salad was enough to make a doughboy proud.

The homemaker was told to be so thrifty that the only things to go in the garbage were:

• Egg shells—after being used to clear coffee.


• Potato skins—after having been cooked on the potato.


• Banana skins—if there are no tan shoes to be cleaned.


• Bones—after having been boiled in soup kettle.


• Coffee grounds—if there is no garden where they can be used for fertilizer, or if they are not desired as filling for pincushions.


• Tea leaves—after every tea-serving, if they are not needed for brightening carpets or rugs when swept.


• Asparagus ends—after being cooked and drained for soup.


• Spinach, etc.—decayed leaves and dirty ends of roots.

Wow, they were tough! I knew there had to be a good use for those pesky banana skins and tea leaves other than, say, compost. Still, Foods That Will Win the War, is surprisingly ahead of its time on concepts of portion sizes, balanced diets, and menu planning. The best thing is that it’s available through gutenberg.org absolutely free. In the meantime, try some wonderfully easy chicken in white wine, a favorite at Verdun.

Coq au vin blanc (Chicken in white wine)

4 ea chicken legs and thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots peeled and cut into oblong slices ½ inch thick
3 celery stalks cut into oblong slices ½ in thick
1 large onion peeled, cut through root and sliced into half moon slices
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup white wine mixed with one cup water
1 pint chicken stock
1 bay leaf
6 large mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
Salt and pepper


In a Dutch oven heat oil until quite hot but not smoking. Pat chicken parts dry with a paper towel and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Chicken should be honey colored. Remove chicken and reserve. Add vegetables and sauté 5 minutes. They should begin to cook but not color. Add flour and stir to make a light roux. Add wine and mix to distribute flour. Add chicken stock and bay leaf. Replace chicken and add mushrooms. Stir gently. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. Before serving, skim any fat from the surface. Add salt, pepper. Serve with generous amount of broth and a portion of the vegetables. Serve with boiled potatoes or steamed rice.