How to Carve a Turkey by Duncan Hines

How to Carve a Turkey by Duncan Hines, 1953 | Hannah & Husband

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for vintage, and one of the things I love to find are food pamphlets and small paperback cookbooks from the 1940s and 50s. These little treasures not only offer an array of recipes, but often a little peek into the era–admittedly my favorite part. So today, kicking off our Thanksgiving festivities here on the blog is this little gem from Woo-Woo’s collection: 1953’s How to Carve a Turkey by Duncan Hines. As you’ll see it was distributed by local Gulf stations to patrons all over the country.

And, look at that man. Isn’t he just precious? I’d take that well-suited man with his winking eye at my table any day of the week!

How to Carve a Turkey by Duncan Hines, 1953 | Hannah & Husband

 

The family and guests gather around the table, admire the bird, join in the prayer of thanks, and settle back in pleasant anticipation of a delicious meal and a good show–the ritual of carving the turkey. Unfortunately, the head of the house, meanwhile, has all too often been suffering the pangs of stage fright and the feeling of being faced with a long, unpleasant carving chore.

When you know how, carving is not difficult, and it is fun to put on the expected show.

How to Carve a Turkey by Duncan Hines, 1953 | Hannah & Husband

How to Carve a Turkey by Duncan Hines, 1953 | Hannah & Husband

 

Many people have decided preferences and the thoughtful host will inquire what they desire and serve accordingly. When no preference is expressed, the helping should be equal parts of light and dark meat. In all cases, a spoonful of stuffing should first be put on the plate. Serve neatly, as appearance aids appetite.

I just love that line!

How to Carve a Turkey by Duncan Hines, 1953 | Hannah & Husband

Woo-Woo had 7 children. As you may imagine, there were many things that acted as a canvas to a young artist. 

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-8

Related Posts:

A favorite this time of year: Woo-Woo’s Recipe for Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Or, if you’re hosting this year: Thanksgiving Game Plan: 8 Days Out 

 

 

Connecting Through Food & My Favorite Brownie Recipe

quarter cup cocoa

I consider myself very blessed. I have always loved to cook. My very first memory is of learning to dredge chicken for frying while standing on a chair at my Nanny’s house. Before I was 5, I would put on little cooking shows from the organ bench for an audience of stuffed animals. (Yes, there are videotapes to prove it.) I remember dishtowel aprons in my Aunt Vangie’s giant kitchen around the holidays, watching my grandfather bake bread every weekend, and watching my WooWoo, for hours on end, cook for a houseful of people–completely mesmerized by the authority she seemed to possess over the ingredients. It felt like she could take nothing and somehow manage to feed 40 people at the drop of a hat. (A skill I firmly believe every belle should possess, but we’ll talk about that at a later date.)

I’ve always liked to think that there’s something special about how we approach food in the South. For Southerners, cooking is often a spiritual thing; there is love and passion and history tied into our recipes. However, as I’ve traveled more, I’ve realized that this is true of many cultures and really not at all specific to my own region. Another thing that’s become very apparent is that not everyone is lucky enough to experience ‘being in the kitchen’ like me. Not all children are taught to cook and many come from families that rely on their microwaves and drive-thrus. But I would like to think that there’s something that can be done about this.

Cooking is an invaluable skill. When you cook, you are very aware of where you food comes from and exactly what you’re putting into your bodies and feeding your loved ones. (For a really great read on the science/nutrition part of this, might I suggest Food Rules.) But there’s something more than that: Recipes carry histories. They carry stories along with them and pick up little anecdotes along the way. My college thesis was actually on this very topic, and it has been on my mind again a lot lately.

I know I’m an old soul, but I really do believe in the power of the past to influence and connect us to the here & now. So, with that said, I wanted to start a new series here on the blog of recipes & the stories that go with them. The first recipe I’d like to share with you is actually the very first recipe I ever cooked by myself when I was 6 or 7 years old: WooWoo’s Quick-as-a-Wink Brownies.* I remember that I couldn’t wait to call and tell WooWoo what I’d made… with my father’s supervision to turn the oven on & off, of course! This recipe was a favorite around the Green house because even the most finicky of palates likes brownies, and the recipe is so easy to double. It is also a very easy baking project for beginners so I hope you’ll try it!

WooWoo's Quick-as-a-Wink Brownies | Secrets of a Belle

Ingredients for the Brownies:

1 C (2 sticks) soft margarine or soft salted butter
2 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
6 eggs (beaten)
– – – – – – – – – – – –
1 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C cocoa
– – – – – – – – – – – –
1 C chopped walnuts or pecans (Husband doesn’t eat nuts so I use this as one of the toppings!)

 

Ingredients for the Icing:

1 C confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp. cream
1 Tbsp. cocoa
1 Tbsp. butter

sift

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

1.) Combine the first 4 ingredients one at a time, beating after each entry. I do this part in my KitchenAid, but a hand mixer works just as well.

2.) In a separate bowl, sift together the next 4 ingredients (aka the dry ingredients).

3.) Add you dry ingredients a little bit at a time to your wet until just mixed.

4.) Fold in the nuts.

5.) Grease a baking dish. (WooWoo used a 15″x10″ but I use a 9″x13″ aluminum pan) Pour in your mixture, then lift it about 1/2in. above the counter and drop it a couple of time to get rid of any air bubbles.

6.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Then, allow to cool.

mixer brownies

Now for the Icing…

1.) Combine ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil.

2.) Spread over brownies. Let set and then cut into squares. Serve with icecream, whipped cream, & nuts!

Tips & Tricks: 

Baking powder should be light, fluffy, & seem nearly weightless. A sure sign to know if you’re baking powder is bad is if it is difficult to get a spoonful. A good rule of thumb is to write the date right on your can and replace the powder once a year. 

My cousin Tas prefers a denser brownie so he only uses 1/2tsp baking powder, and the darkest cocoa he can find. 

My grandmother *loved* the icing and always doubled the recipe. I, however, hardly ever eat icing and have actually left it off entirely on several occasions… it’s good either way! 

*Originally, this recipe came from a newspaper clipping my aunt sent WooWoo from New York so it is worth noting that this recipe has been passed down in our family; even if we weren’t the first to come up with it.