In the 1940s, supply demands for World War II led to serious food shortages and rationing, impacting people all across the U.S. In response, American home chefs had to get creative in the kitchen—but that doesn’t mean comfort food was off the table. In fact, the 1940s gave rise to a number of hearty and cozy meals, many of which are still popular today.
To learn more about some of the most comforting old-fashioned meals from the ’40s, we spoke with Alicia Shevetone, a Las-Vegas based chef, cookbook author and the founder of the nonprofit cookbook library Nice Nice Bite, the recipe brand and blog Dink Cuisine and the seasoning company Distilled Spices.
Though Shevetone didn’t live through the 1940s, her grandmother did—and she passed down many recipes from that era to her children and grandchildren. And as a professional chef, Shevetone still loves to make some of those recipes today. Keep reading to learn all about three of her favorite old-fashioned comfort meals from over 80 years ago, as well as how to make them.
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Food Rationing in the 1940s Forced Home Chefs To Get Creative
In response to World War II, in January 1942, the U.S. government began rationing a number of products, or limiting the amounts that consumers could purchase, per the National World War II Museum.
Over the next few years, Americans would see restrictions on a number of necessities including gasolines, bicycles, cars, tires and nylon products. However, the rations that impacted Americans the most were food rations, which began in May 1942.
The first foods to land on the U.S. rationing list were sugar and coffee, followed by various meat, fish and dairy products the next year. And although vegetables were never officially rationed, the U.S. government encouraged citizens to grow their own veggies in “victory gardens” to reduce reliance on industrially-grown crops, which were in high demand by the military.
Though the limited access to certain foods was undoubtedly frustrating for Americans in the 1940s, home chefs made do with what they had. And with meat, fish, dairy and vegetables in short supply, Americans often turned to vegetarian and vegan meals based around pantry staples.
Related: These 44 Meatless and Dairy-Free Casserole Recipes Will Complete Your Vegan Dinner Goal Dreams
3 Best 1940s ‘Comfort Food’ Meals, According to a Professional Chef
Here are three of Shevetone’s favorite old-fashioned meals from the 1940s, along with her recipes for making them.
1. Mother’s soup
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The first dish Shevetone recommends is a vegetable and lima bean-based soup similar to minestrone soup, which she calls “mother’s soup.”
“This hearty soup comes straight from my grandmother’s 1940s kitchen,” Shevetone tells Parade, adding that to her, this dish evokes “nostalgic America.”
To make enough mother’s soup to serve four to six people, here’s what you need:
1 lb dry lima beans 6 cups vegetable stock 1 tsp dried thyme ¼ tsp dried tarragon ½ tsp dried oregano ¼ tsp ground sage ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp black pepper 1 cup diced zucchini ½ cup diced carrots ½ cup diced onion ¾ cup marinara sauce Salt to tasteAnd here’s how to make it, according to Shevetone:
Soak dry lima beans overnight. In the morning, slip off the lima bean skins. Add the beans to a soup pot and cover with about 2 inches of vegetable stock. Season with dried thyme, tarragon, oregano, sage, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Simmer the beans over medium-low heat for an hour. Add diced zucchini, carrots, onions and marinara sauce. Cook for another hour, until the vegetables are tender and the lima beans are mostly dissolved — the world’s most underrated thickener. Add salt to taste.Related: The Greek Way To Make Potatoes 10x Better This Summer
2. Bean salad
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“In the late 1940s, pre-cooked tinned beans grew in popularity,” says Shevetone. This gave “rise to a dish many of us have enjoyed at potlucks and holiday dinner tables ever since: three bean salad, traditionally featuring chickpeas, red kidney beans and green beans.”
That said, Shevetone’s family’s version of this dish was more of a two bean salad. “I’m not sure what my family had against canned green beans,” she jokes. “We kept our version to red kidney beans and chickpeas.”
For Shevetone’s 1940s bean salad, here’s what you need:
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed ¼ cup minced curly parsley, finely chopped Minced scallion to taste A “fairly acidic” red wine vinaigrette 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (“The best extra virgin olive oil you can find”) 3 Tbsp diced pimentos ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepperTo make it, simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
“As with so many dishes of this era, it tastes even better the next day,” Shevetone adds.
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3. Corn pone
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In case you aren’t familiar, corn pone is similar to cornbread—the main differences are that corn pone is made with much simpler ingredients than cornbread, and corn pone is fried in a skillet rather than baked. It’s also similar to arepas, though arepas are typically served with various fillings, while corn pone is usually served plain.
Shevetone tells Parade that the “humble dish” was a “staple on American tables throughout the South in the 1940s.”
Related: I Made Dolly Parton’s Corn Pone Recipe—and Now I Finally Understand the Hype
To make corn pone, all you need is four ingredients, according to Shevetone:
2 cups yellow cornmeal 1 tsp salt 1½ cups boiling water ¼ cup vegetable oilAnd here’s how to make it:
Mix cornmeal, salt and 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large bowl. Gradually stir in the boiling water until a thick, scoopable dough forms. Let cool for 5 minutes. Divide the mixture into 12 balls and shape into oval pieces about a half-inch thick. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the corn pones in batches, for 4–5 minutes per side, or until golden and crisp. Serve warm.Shevetone is a huge fan of this dish, explaining that it’s “rustic, inexpensive and filling.”
“Their crisp exterior will draw you in like a tractor beam, while their tender, warm center will compel you to close your eyes, nod and savor their abject simplicity,” she says.
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