The Christmas of 1932 my aunt Theresa gave my grandmother a cookbook titled: “Reliable Cook Book” - Trinity Ladies Aid and Missionary Society in Moorhead, Minnesota. Dispersed throughout the cookbook are advertisements for businesses in the Moorhead, Minnesota area. (The ads are almost as interesting as the recipes contains within the pages.) I have not had the opportunity to try any of these recipes but I have included some of the ones that sounded “interesting.” You will notice some of the directions assume that you know how to assemble and cook/bake the item!

Potato Dumplings
1 1/2 lb. lean salt pork
2 qts. cold water
8 med. sized potatoes
1 large onion
1 T. salt
1 t. pepper
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1 c. flour
Boil 1 pound salt pork slowly in water. Grind potatoes, onion, 1/2 pound salt pork and mix well with other ingredients. Shape into balls size of an egg and drop into kettle with salt pork. If necessary, add sufficient water to cover dumplings. Boil about 3/4 hour. Caraway seeds may be used, if desired. Any left overs may be sliced and fried in butter.

Six-Layer Dinner
2 c. sliced raw potatoes
2 c. chopped celery
2 c. raw ground meat
1 c. sliced raw onions
1 c. finely cut green peppers
2 c. canned tomatoes
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Place ingredients in order in greased baking dish, sprinkle salt and pepper on each layer. Bake 2 hours in moderate oven (350º F.). Add butter to each layer if desired.

Scalloped Corn
1 can corn
4 eggs, beaten
1 T. flour
1 T. butter
2 c. milk
2 T. sugar
Cover with bread crumbs and bake.

Escalloped Spinach
1/2 pkge egg noodles
1 can spinach
cheese
milk
Cook noodles until tender, place layer of noodles in greased casserole, next layer of grated cheese, layer of spinach, continue until dish is full, having layer of noodles and cheese on top, salt & pepper to taste fill with milk and bake 1/2 hr.

Vegetable Meat Casserole
3 med. potatoes
1 lb. hamburger
1 large onion (chopped)
1 small chopped green pepper
Butter
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c. water
1 c. Rice Krispies
1/8 lb. grated cheese
Salt and Pepper
Place layer of sliced raw potatoes in bottom of greased casserole; then a layer of meat with chopped onion, pepper and seasonings. Alternate layers of meat and potatoes until casserole is filled. Add tomato soup diluted with water. Sprinkle Rice Krispies on top, then cheese and dot with butter. Cover and bake in moderate oven (350º F.) for about one hour. Remove cover the last 10 minutes so the Rice Krispies will brown.

Creamed Cabbage and Ham
1 small head cabbage
1 t. salt
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 lb. ham, cooked
1 c. corn flakes
Shred cabbage. Cook uncovered in boiling water, salted, until tender.
Melt butter, add flour and mix well. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce thickens. Add chopped ham. Drain cabbage, mix thoroughly with ham sauce. Put in buttered casserole and cover with corn flakes. Put in oven until thoroughly heated (370º F.) Any left-over meat or 1/2 c. grated cheese may be used instead of ham.

Potato Omelet
1 c. mashed potatoes
3 eggs, beaten separately
1 heaping t. flour
1 scant t. salt,
pepper
1/2 c. sweet milk
Heat and butter a large frying pan, pour mixture into it. Keep on top of stove at moderate heat until set and browned on under side. Set on grate in oven to brown on top. Serve hot.

Cucumber-Salmon Salad
Select short thick cucumbers cut in halves lengthwise. Scoop out seeds to from boat. Cut slices of cucumber into small strips, marinate in French dressing and let stand 1/2 hour. Drain salmon form oil, remove skin and bones, marinate in french dressing. Let stand 1 hour. Drain and mix lightly with cream mayonnaise. Sprinkle boat with finely chopped parsley and fill with salmon over which sprinkle strips of cucumber. Make a frill of mayonnaise lengthwise across boat. Place on lettuce leaves.

Orange Biscuits
2 c. white flour
4 t. baking powder
3 T. lard
1 t. salt
3/4 to 1 c. milk to make soft dough
Roll dough thin and spread with orange filling.

Orange Filling
2 T. butter
1 T. orange juice
1 orange, grated rind
4 T. sugar
Cook until slightly thickened, cool and spread over dough. Roll up like a jelly roll. Cut in 1/2 inch slices, sprinkle with sugar and bake in muffin tins in hot oven.

Sugar Cookies
1 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1/2 c. (scant) milk
3 1/2 c. flour
2 level t. cream of tartar
1 level t. soda
Mix and shape into a roll. Cover with wax paper and place in refrigerator until chilled. Cut into thin slices. Bake.
Date Rocks
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter
2 eggs, well beaten
1 c. walnuts
1 1/2 c. chopped dates
1 t. soda
3 T. hot water
3 - 3 1/2 c. flour
1 t. vanilla
Drop from spoon. Bake in 350º F. oven.

Peanut Bars
1/2 c. sugar
1 heaping t. butter
3 eggs, beaten separately
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. boiling milk
Pinch of salt
Bake in loaf. Cut in squares. Roll in powdered sugar icing, roll in ground peanuts.
Mock Angel Food Cake
1 c. milk
1 heaping c. cake flour
1 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3 egg whites
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla
Sift dry ingredients 4 times. Heat milk to boiling point and pour into flour mixture. Beat until smooth. When eggs are half beaten add cream of tartar, then fold into cake the beaten egg whites. Bake in ungreased angel food cake tin in slow oven.
Banana Chiffon Pie
1 1/2 t. gelatin
2 T. cold water
3/4 c. mashed bananas
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. grated lemon rind
1/8 t. grated orange rind
3 T. sugar
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 t. salt
2 egg whites
2 T. sugar
1 - 8 inch pie crust, baked
Mix gelatin with water. Mix bananas & lemon juice. Add lemon & orange rind, 3 T. sugar, egg yolks and salt. Cook slowly, remove from heat; add gelatin, cool. Beat egg whites until stiff, then add 2 T. sugar gradually and beat. Fold in banana. Pour into crust.
Mock Cherry Pie
1 large cup cranberries cut in two
1 c. sugar
1 T. flour
1/2 c. water
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract
pinch salt
Mix all together and bake with two crusts.

Last weekend, May 3rd, was the Kentucky Derby and one of the favorite things to eat while attending is the Kentucky Hot Brown. In watching the Food Network a few weeks ago I saw an episode where Bobby Flay did a “Throwdown” with Joe and John Castro, Hot Brown chefs of the Brown Hotel in Kentucky. The natives of Kentucky came through and won the challenge of this indigenous dish.
The Wikipedia, the free Internet encyclopedia, said the following about a Hot Brown:
“A Hot Brown is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. Fred K. Schmidt created it as an alternative to ham and egg late-night suppers.
The Hot Brown is an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown. Many Hot Browns also include ham with the turkey, and either pimentos or tomatoes over the sauce, and imitation Hot Browns sometimes substitute a commercial cheese sauce instead of the Mornay sauce, but fans of the dish usually decry this substitution. Some restaurants even offer a ‘veggie brown’ nowadays to attract vegetarians as the recipe is easy to modify with avocado, or, less commonly, soy burger.
More common alternatives to the Hot Brown include using cheddar cheese or American cheese for the sauce. Alternatives for garnishes include tomatoes, mushroom slices, and, very rarely, canned peaches.
When Fred K. Schmidt created the Hot Brown, its sliced roast turkey was a rarity, as turkey was usually reserved for holiday feasts. The original Hot Brown included the sliced turkey on an open-faced white toast sandwich, with Mornay sauce covering it, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, completed by being oven-broiled until bubbly. Pimento and bacon strips were then added to it. After its debut, it quickly became the choice of ninety-five percent of the customers to the Brown Hotel’s restaurant.
The ‘cold brown’ was baked poultry (varied between chicken and turkey), hard-broiled egg, lettuce and tomato open-faced on rye bread, and covered with thousand-island dressing. It is rarely served anymore.
The dish is a local specialty and favorite of the Louisville area, and is popular throughout Kentucky. It was briefly unavailable at its point of origin, as the Brown Hotel was shut down from 1971 to 1985.
On menus within the Louisville area, the Hot Brown often appears as titled ‘Louisville Hot Brown’, elsewhere in Kentucky outside Louisville as the ‘Kentucky Hot Brown’ and outside the commonwealth simply as ‘Hot Brown.’”

Beaumont Inn
Kentucky Hot Brown
From Chef Nick Sundberg:
This is a regional favorite that originated at Louisville’s Brown Hotel earlier in this century. Many variations can be found, most commonly country ham is added and a cheddar sauce is substituted. This is our version which I feel is closer to the original recipe. It is offered on our lunch menu.
3 ounces turkey breast, roasted, sliced
1 slice toasted white bread
2 slices tomato
2 slices bacon, cooked and drained
Sauce:
2 ounces butter
3 ounces flour
3/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated
salt and white pepper to taste
Heat butter and add flour. Whisk and slowly cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and milk and heat. Whisk in cheese until melted. Season. Simmer for 30 minutes. Sauce should be very thick.
Quarter toast and place in an oven safe dish.
Top with turkey and tomatoes. Cover well with sauce. Bake at 400º for 10 minutes. Garnish with bacon.
Kentucky Hot Browns
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2007
For the turkey:
1 turkey breast - about 4 to 5 pounds
4 tablespoons unsalted soft butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the egg bread:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices day old white bread - (recommended: Pullman or Pain de mie)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
For Assembly:
Egg battered bread
Roasted turkey breast - sliced into 1/4-inch thick
slices 3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes - cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and griddled until slightly charred and just cooked through
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 thick slices slab bacon - cooked until crisp
fresh chives - Finely chopped
Fresh flat-leaf parsley - Finely chopped
For the turkey:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rub entire breast with butter and season with salt and pepper. Place in a small roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155 degrees F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
For the sauce:
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour has cooked out, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.
For the egg bread:
Whisk together the eggs, milk and salt in a medium bowl. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and let sit about 30 seconds, or until completely soaked through.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 slices of the bread at a time until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bread.
For assembly:
Preheat broiler. Place the egg bread on a baking sheet, place under the broiler and heat on both sides for 20 seconds just to warm through.
Top each slice of bread with 2 to 3 slices of turkey and 2 slices of tomato, ladle sauce over the top and divide the cheddar cheese and Parmesan over the top of each slice. Place under the broiler and cook until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, top each slice with 2 slices of bacon and sprinkle each slice with chives and parsley.

Hot Brown Turkey Sandwich
A vintage recipe for the Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich.
8 slices sandwich bread, toasted
3/4 pounds sliced turkey
2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon, partially cooked
Cut 4 toast slices into halves diagonally. For each sandwich, place 1 whole toast slice with 2 halves on each side, on baking dish or individual ovenware plate. Lay sliced turkey over toast. In a saucepan combine soup and water; heat until smooth.
Spoon sauce over turkey; sprinkle cheese over the sauce. Place 2 bacon slices on each sandwich. Put sandwiches under broiler until cheese is melted; serve hot.
Makes 4 hot brown special sandwiches.

Hot Brown Recipe
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound cooked turkey, thinly sliced
8 slices toast, crusts trimmed
4 slices tomato
8 strips bacon, cooked
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low; add flour and stir until smooth and bubbly. Add milk, salt, Worcestershire sauce, cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.
Cut toast in half diagonally and place on a baking sheet (or use individual baking dishes). Arrange turkey slices on the toast and cover with hot cheese sauce. Top with tomato slices and bacon strips then sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over each sandwich. Place under broiler until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 4.