Great Depression Beater Cookbook Review by Ruth Paget

Great Depression Beater Cookbook Review by Ruth Paget 

The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook was published in 1930 and helped the Midwestern United States with its short summers and long, icy winters survive the Great Depression and World War II using the farm resources of the country. 

There are 1,200 recipes in the cookbook with excellent recipes for meat, grilling, canning and preserving summer’s bounty, and dessert recipes galore for cakes, pies, and cookies. 

You can identify someone as Midwestern in time of crisis for want to dunk the following pantry cookies in tea, coffee, or milk:

-sugar cookies 

-oatmeal cookies 

-peanut butter cookies 

-peanut blossoms (peanut butter cookies baked with a Hershey Kiss in the center) 

-chocolate chip cookies 

I would add non-dunkable lemon bar cookies to this list as well. 

My favorite section of the book is devoted to bread. I like 00 flour for its high protein content, but this flour used for pizza dough does make bread dense. About 1/3 of the book is devoted to bread. 

The following list of breads I have made using the book's recipes seems long, but it is the tip of the iceberg iof recipes n the cookbook: 

-sourdough – The Midwest prefers yeast breads, but makes sourdough as an exotic bread from San Francisco 

-onion and olive focaccia – this flatbread pizza also tastes good with herbs and grated gruyère as well. 

-pepper-cheese bread 

-Dinner rolls with photos to know how to form the basic shapes for baking for butterhorns (croissants), Parker House rolls, rosettes, and clover leaf rolls 

-breadsticks 

-brioche 

-banana-walnut 

-zucchini bread 

-nut bread 

-pumpkin bread (I also make applesauce bread with this same recipe) 

-lemon bread 

-raisin-carrot bread 

-corn bread 

-cheddar bread 

The following are cakes that I bake in a loaf pan and eat like bread:  

-spice cake 

-apple cake 

-carrot cake 

-banana cake 

-banana nutroll 

The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook currently sells for $10.99 for a paperback version with 1,200 recipes. I like its recipes for that read like chemistry experiment instructions, have nutritional information printed at the end of them, and provide photographs for some of the trickier recipes. 

This cookbook has many recipes using flour and corn flour, reflecting Midwestern agricultural staples. If you like and are not allergic to these products, there are many recipes in this cookbook that are relatively low-cost to prepare at home that make the book a good purchase. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Personal Chef Resource Book Review by Ruth Paget

Personal Chef Resource Book on Mediterranean Food Review by Ruth Paget 

Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean by Christopher Kimball (283 pages) is a handy reference book for personal chefs, who would like to offer dishes from across the Mediterranean in their skill portfolio. 

The left pages of the book show large photos of the finished dish, which give presentation ideas for the dish as well as clear photos of the ingredients for clients who would like to remove or add items to a dish. 

The right page provides the recipe name, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Potential clients can see what exactly goes in the dish and make any adjustments for dietary and/or religious preference. 

Kimball separates the recipes into chapters with the following accurate descriptions: 

-fast 

-faster 

-fastest 

-salad suppers

-hearty vegetarian 

-supper soups 

-flat and folded 

All the book’s recipes can be made with produce from farmers’ markets. (There are 6 farmers’ markets in Salinas, California alone throughout the week.) Recipes that can be easily made with ingredients from farmers’ markets include: 

-rigatoni with artichokes, basil leaves, and pecorino cheese 

-pasta with crumbled Italian sausage, tomatoes, and eggplant 

-fennel-steamed salmon served with olives and caper vinaigrette 

-seared pork chops with fennel and herb salad 

-swordfish with potatoes, tomatoes, and capers 

People who already like Mediterranean food will find much to love and try in Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean by Christopher Kimball. 

Personal chefs who learn to cook the recipes in Milk Street Tuesday Nights will have a ready portfolio of dishes they can prepare to show potential clients. 

Happy Cooking! 

Note: My blog with the contact information for a personal chef organization in Salinas, California follows:    

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/03/personal-chef-information-to-consider.html?m=1

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

White Bird of Paradise Plants for $49.99 for Costco Members by Ruth Paget

White Bird of Paradise Plants for $49.99 for Costco Members by Ruth Paget 

While out for a weekly marketing trip to Costco with my husband Laurent and daughter Florence Paget, I saw that Costco was selling White Bird of Paradise plants by the entrance for $49.99. 

These plants are native to South Africa and add tropical flair and elegance to indoor décor. The plants come in white container pots that blend in easily with contemporary furnishings. 

White bird of paradise plants have large, glossy, oval leaves that look like canoe paddles. They can grown quite tall around 5 to 6 feet indoors.  White flowers typically bloom between spring and fall.

The white bird of paradise plants are currently selling for $49.99 on the Costco website and app to store members. The Costco website and app have current pricing and availability. 

Having a white bird of paradise plant invites sipping a cup of herbal Rooibos tea from South Africa as part of an 

Note: Taking Tea by Andrea Israel and Pamela Mitchell has a chapter on preparing an African tea, if you can find a copy.  Amazon has used editions available:

https://www.amazon.com/Taking-tea-essential-brewing-entertaining/dp/1555840515/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=11GCX2OQBM16J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LoP_4IyGfrEZ2vLqZlF8-w.hfYlKh3uWi_8NEalkOPenLTkkTRnggdQ0Kevh5-oq_w&dib_tag=se&keywords=taking+tea+israel+mitchell&qid=1781125970&sprefix=taking+tea+israel+mitchell%2Caps%2C222&sr=8-1

White bird of paradise image below:

https://gardengoodsdirect.com/products/white-bird-of-paradise?srsltid=AfmBOoq9nzPd9cFU0HI3tO74gupI3xZUEUGUn226K40M5GPGxzsT2ZoL

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Running a Neapolitan Pizzeria Basics Review by Ruth Paget

Running a Pizzeria Basics Review by Ruth Paget 

Before he was a Food Network personality and owner of a Micheli-starred restaurant, Mario Batali owned a pizzeria in Greenwich Village in New York City. 

His book Molto Gusto shares his experience gained in organizing the food offerings that go beyond Neapolitan pizza at this pizzeria and offer some insight into what to offer on a pizzeria menu. 

Batali organizes his book into the following chapters: 

-vegetable antipasti 

-seafood and meat antipasti 

-cheese -insalata 

-pasta, 

-pizza 

-gelato and sorbetto 

As I read through these chapters, I thought that if you could master making these items, sourcing ingredients, and keeping a steady inventory, you could run a successful pizzeria like Batali did and give yourself the cash necessary to finance a more formal restaurant. 

Batali like most Italians stresses the importance of buying local, organic produce at farmers’ markets for the best results. Batali suggests vegetable antipasti like the following to take advantage of spring and summer bounty:

-spring peas with mint, red onion, red wine vinaigrette, and sea salt 

-shaved fresh asparagus with Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt 

-green beans with charred onions, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, and sea salt 

-cherry tomatoes with crème fraîche and chives 

-radishes with butter and salt 

Batali lists 11 kinds of meat antipasti. Charcuterie is often eaten by Italians so they do not have to heat up the home to make meals. (The Columbus brand at Costco and Nob Hill makes it easy to sample Italian charcuterie in Salinas, California.) 

In the cheese chapter, Batali lists many kinds of cheese that can be eaten alone, shaved on salads, or grated on dishes to be baked. The cheese in the book is photographed, identified, and described for the following varieties:  

-Parmigiano-Reggiano 

-Pecorino Romano

-Tuada 

-Vento d’Estate

-Caciotta 

-Baia Friuli 

-Bra 

-Ubriaco 

-Castel Rosso 

-Brunet 

-Mozzarella di Bufala

 -Burrata 

-Stracchino 

-Fresh Ricotta 

-Smoked Ricotta 

-Marzolino 

-Cacio di Roma 

-Bel Paese 

-Taleggio 

-Blu di Langa 

-Gorgonzola 

-Sampietrino 

Batali provides his pizza dough making recipe which uses high protein 00 flour. He provides recipes for the classic pizza recipes of Naples including: 

-Marinara made with stewed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, chile pepper, and oregano 

-Margherita made with tomatoes, olive oil, mozzarella, and basil leaves 

-Romana made with tomatoes, olive oil, anchovy fillets, capers, chile pepper, and mozzarella  -Napoletana made with tomatoes, olive oil, anchovy fillets, capers, and Gaeta olive 

-Quatro Formaggi made with tomatoes, mozzarella, Taleggio, cacao di Roma, and Parmigiano-Reggiano 

-Quattro Staggioni made with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, Taleggio, cacao di Roma, and Parmigiano-Reggiano 

You can eat very well as a family using recipes in Molto Gusto by Mario Batali and learn the skills needed to work in a pizzeria or maybe one day run or own a pizzeria. 

Molto Gusto by Mario Batali provides much insightful information into the food of Italy, especially Naples, making it a good reference for lovers of Italy as well as cooks. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

UChicago Quantrell Teaching Award Winners 2026 reposted by Ruth Paget

Quantell Teaching Award Winners at the University of Chicago foster questioning texts, media, research, and people in an environment of intellectual freedom that inspires not pacifies in the words of one of the Quanterell recipients.

A list of Quantrell award recipients for 2026 and a description of their teaching processes follow:

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/uchicago-announces-2026-winners-quantrell-and-phd-teaching-awards

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Majesty Palms for $40 for Costco Members by Ruth Paget

Majesty Palms for $49.99 for Costco Members in Sand City, California by Ruth Paget 

While doing weekly marketing with my husband Laurent and daughter Florence Paget, I saw that Costco is selling Majesty Palms for $49.99 outside the entrance. 

The plants stand about 7 feet tall at the store, but can grow to 10 to 15 feet high according to the Costco website. The Majesty Palm has feathery leaves that move easily in the direction of wind. 

The Costco Majesty Palms come in white container pots and are meant for indoors. The Costco Majesty Palms take in the carbon dioxide that humans breathe out and “exhale” oxygen to a room, making their presence more than decorative. 

More information about Majesty Palms at Costco and current purchase and availability information follow: 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/costco-40-palm-trees-steal-151500816.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAD_imJxpL7n038Bez751bZX393H_3macZaDKRh8SUMQeM1RXPvDJfZumcnuG5cDW5zxMG5yXivB6kGRfIYvq00klS0hVJUPQ-iN-JMOtP1P9oSowbfGNVEihDCGBCqBZuFprcisOR-bY1furDk8DBvjqlzY-phBAn6wZmBIb3PMj

Majesty Palms are originally from the island of Madagascar off the southeastern Coast of Africa. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

UChicago Booth Podcast on Informal Markets in India reposted by Ruth Paget

University of Chicago Booth Podcast on Informal Markets in Northeastern India Provides Interesting Insight into Extending Credit in Ethnic Communities and Responsibilities for Family Debt reposted by Ruth Paget

This University of Chicago Booth Podcast podcast discusses the work of Rimmy E. Tony on the millenias’ old bazaar market in Shillong in Northeastern India.

Tomy reports that informal markets contribute 30% of GDP and 70% of national employment in India.

The Shillong City bazaar serves various ethnic communities due to immigration with “trust” operating to extend credit within these communities.

One form of trust is established by having children, who can assume parents’ when they die.

To listen to this podcast or read the audio transcript about the role of informal markets in India, click on the link below:

https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/podcast/how-do-informal-markets-work?source=ic-em-20260609&mkt_tok=MjUwLUNRSC05MzYAAAGiS980JqcAmzKvj7dzguUs6nnIxQzm3AB8xkBzwlB-EkN7336R6wImwnOYSdF_HX4KbTXXJzMT1LIbcSkNMTpLJrSlQmFp0jAOlRhiYbFzfQXK6vg

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games