Cooking with Collections: Poor Man’s Meal (2024)

For the past three and a half years, we have had a Facebook Live show called Cooking with Collections every month where wemake a recipe from our collection and have staff taste test it. It has brought about some surprising recipes and tastes. During our Meet Me at the Fair exhibit a few years ago, we made several different recipes that were in cookbooks from World’s Fairs and shared them with you on the blog.Duringthis time of quarantine, we wanted to bring you some other recipes on our blogand decided tobranch out a little bit. For this quarantine series, we will not be focusing onrecipes in our collection or an exhibitatthe Museum, but we will be focusing on recipes from times of hardship in the United States and throughout the world.

First up, we have a recipe from the Great Depression called Poor Man’s Meal. The goal of this meal was to have a meal that was cheap and hearty – two big goals of any meal during the Great Depression. With people out of work, they needed a meal that could feed their family but do so cheaply. Enter the infamous hot dog.

Let’s head back to the beginning of this one. The 1893 World’s Columbian Expositionin Chicago launched many now-famousfood items, includingPabst Blue Ribbon, Aunt Jemima pancake mix,Heinz, andthe hot dog! The Vienna beef hot dog made its debut at a stand operated by Austrian-Hungarian immigrants Emil Reichel and SamuelLadany in the Old Vienna section of the Midway. These sausagessold for10 cents, which would be around $2.87 today.

Since their introduction, hot dogs have been a food of the working class, an inexpensive way to have a meal. But they really came into their own during the Great Depression. They were a cheap way to have a meal and feed a family. In fact, it is believed that the iconic Chicago Dog was created during the Great Depression. At just a nickel a piece, a person could have afairly balancedmeal with this type of hot dog featuring mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, a pickle spear, sports peppers, celery salt, and sometimes lettuce. It had everything you needed with meat, bread, and veggies all in one package for just 5 cents!

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chicago_Style_Hotdog_with_extra_relish_.jpg

Not only were vendors out selling inexpensive meals using the hot dog, people would also use hot dogs at home tomake inexpensive meals. Potatoes were also inexpensive and used extensively. Some meals even used both. Oneof these meals was called the Poor Man’s Meal. Itcombined potatoes, onions, and hot dogs into one hearty, inexpensive dish, which was perfect for the hard times people had fallen on.

Ingredients

Potatoes

Onions

Hot Dogs

Oil, Salt, Pepper

I recreated this meal, which was extremely simple as well as inexpensive. First, you peel and cube a potato. Normally, I avoid peeling potatoes, but that is what the recipe called for. I believe you could certainly leave the skins on, but my goal was to be as authentic as possible. I used 4 small redpotatoes,but you can use any kind of potato you prefer and any amount you think is sufficient to feed your family. Then you chop up an onion. I used one large sweet onion, but you can use any kind you have and any amount you think is suitable for your family again. Once everything is chopped, you cook the potatoes and onions in oil until they soften and brown. I also threw some salt and pepper on while cooking these. The recipe didn’t call for these, but I figured most peoplewould have seasoned this in some wayif at allpossible, so I went ahead and added some seasoning.Once those are done, you add the chopped hot dogs and cook everything together for a few more minutes. I used 4 hot dogs, but again, you can use any amount you see fit. And there you have it! A simple, hearty, inexpensive meal!

Now, I am sure you are wondering how it tasted. While I am home during this time of quarantine, my taste testers are very limited.Sounlike our grand taste testsat the Museum, I have 2.5 people including myself. My husband and my14-month-oldmake up my taste test crew, although the latter can’t always participateso we will call him the .5 taste tester. So what did we think of it?The adults thought it wasn’t bad, but it was somewhat bland. Ketchup helped a bit. And lucky for us, ketchup was readily used during the GreatDepression,so it was something that we were able to add to it. The child loved it, especially with the ketchup.

So there you have it. A simple, hearty, inexpensive meal that is worth giving a try if you are interestedor you have run out of things to make with grocery stockpile. You could even put your own spin on it with different spices or meats. If you give this recipe a try at home, let us know how it turns out! We would love to hear from you!

Cooking with Collections: Poor Man’s Meal (2024)

FAQs

What is the poor man's meal? ›

Potatoes were also inexpensive and used extensively. Some meals even used both. One of these meals was called the Poor Man's Meal. It combined potatoes, onions, and hot dogs into one hearty, inexpensive dish, which was perfect for the hard times people had fallen on.

What is considered poor man's food? ›

It typically consists of some type of meat, potatoes and vegetables. Poor man's meals are usually very easy to make, which makes them a great choice for people who are on a tight budget or don't have much time to cook.

How do you cook for one person without wasting food? ›

Cooking for One with Zero Waste
  1. Keep a Food Waste Journal. ...
  2. Seek Out Single-Serve Recipes. ...
  3. Prep Once, Eat All Week. ...
  4. Make a 'Big Salad' ...
  5. Shop at Farmers Markets or CSAs. ...
  6. Get the Right Storage Containers. ...
  7. Learn the Truth About Food Date Labels. ...
  8. Find Your Favorite 'Kitchen Sink' Recipes.

What meals should everyone know how do you cook? ›

10 Dishes Every Professional Cook Should Know How to Make
  1. Roast Chicken. A roast chicken may seem like a humble dish, but when it's perfectly executed, there are few meals that are more comforting and delicious. ...
  2. Eggs Benedict. ...
  3. Bread. ...
  4. Spaghetti and Meatballs. ...
  5. French Omelet. ...
  6. Seared Fish. ...
  7. Caesar Salad. ...
  8. Ratatouille.
Nov 16, 2022

Which vegetable is known as poor man's vegetable? ›

Brinjal or baingan, known as eggplant and aubergine in North America and Europe respectively, is a very important common man's vegetable in India. It is often described as a poor man's vegetable because it is popular amongst small-scale farmers and low income consumers.

What food should men not eat? ›

Limit foods high in saturated fat, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods, potato chips, crisps and other savoury snacks. Replace high fat foods containing mostly saturated fat with foods containing mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.

Was lobster a poor man's dish? ›

lobster was so abundant and detested that it was considered a “poor man's meal”, reserved for prisoners, apprentices, and enslaved people.

What is poor mans healthy food? ›

Try increasing your use of eggs, beans, seeds, frozen fruits and vegetables, cheaper cuts of meat, and whole grains. These all taste great, are cheap (especially in bulk), and are very nutritious.

What to eat when living alone? ›

  • Tempeh Quesadilla. Rated 5 out of 5. ...
  • Collard Greens & White Bean Soup. Rated 4 out of 5.
  • Spicy Baja-Style Shrimp Tacos. Rated 3 out of 5.
  • Quick Tandoori Chicken. Rated 4 out of 5.
  • Quick Tomato Sauce. Rated 4 out of 5.
  • Ricotta Mini-Pizzas With Kale Pesto. Rated 5 out of 5.
  • Mushroom & Egg Toast. Rated 4 out of 5.
  • Black Bean Chili.

What can I cook if I have no food? ›

15 Delicious Things to Throw Together When You're Pressed for Food Options
  1. Buttery, gooey grilled cheese. ...
  2. PB&J because duh. ...
  3. Tuna melt tostadas. ...
  4. Pancakes! ...
  5. Scrambled eggs. ...
  6. Waffles. ...
  7. A Hagrid-size bowl of cereal. ...
  8. Spaghetti carbonara.
Apr 28, 2020

What are 3 ways you can cook food without fat? ›

✓ Use fat free broth or fat free milk in mashed potatoes, soups, gravies and stews. ✓ Season food with herbs, spices, lemon juice, red wine vinegar or salsa rather than butter, creams and sauces. ✓ Use low fat cooking methods, such as broiling, grilling, roasting, baking, microwaving, poaching and steaming.

What is the first thing I should cook? ›

Marshmallows. "The best thing for someone getting into baking to make: marshmallows," says pastry chef Stella Parks of BraveTart.com. "You mix corn syrup, sugar, and water and boil it to about 250 degrees, which makes it firmer.

What is the number one rule when cooking? ›

1. Read the recipe. Of all the important advice out there about cooking, this by far has to be the number 1 rule of cooking: read your recipe completely before getting started. This may seem like a mundane task (especially when you're excited dive in!), but you'll be so thankful you took the time to do it!

What is the most basic meal to cook? ›

Top 10 basic student recipes
  • Pasta on the hob. ...
  • Curry. ...
  • Traybakes. ...
  • Soup.
  • Jacket potatoes.
  • Stir-fried rice. ...
  • Granola. Don't forget breakfast! ...
  • Omelettes. Eggs are a cheap source of high-quality protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals.

What is known as poor man's diet? ›

Today millets are considered a poor man's food. However they are highly nutritious in comparison to carbohydrate-dominated rice and wheat.

Which is poor mans meat? ›

Lentils are part of the legume family. Most of world's lentil production comes from India and Canada. Lentils can lower cholesterol, and protect against diabetes and colon cancer. They are known as “Poor Man's Meat”, since they are rich in nutrients and low in price.

What is the meat of the poor? ›

Pulses belong to the leguminous crop family and are regarded as "poor man's meat" because they are high in protein, high dietary fiber, and low in fat. They also contain a wide range of minerals.

What is the diet of the poor? ›

Low income is associated with a poor quality dietary intake [1, 2]. Compared to those with higher income, lower income individuals consume fewer fruits and vegetables, more sugar-sweetened beverages and have lower overall diet quality [1, 2].

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