Gutenberg, Myrtle and I

I can only find two pictures of Myrtle Reed, this is one of them. Not that it is that important to know what she looked like — or when and where she was born. It’s her books that I’m interested in — I’ve read some of her novels, but I didn’t know, until recently that she also wrote cook books.

“The Myrtle Reed Cook Book” was released some weeks ago, and I immediately got lost in it. There is one chapter called ”Raised Breakfast Rolls”, where I found these Swedish Rolls:

Use any plain roll mixture. When shaping for the last rising, roll the dough very thin, spread with softened butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and add a few cleaned currants, bits of citron, and stoned raisins. Roll the dough like jelly cake, cut in half-inch slices from the ends, arrange flat in a well-buttered pan, let rise until double in bulk, and bake as usual.

My interest in food and recipes is more theoretical than practical, so I doubt I’ll try those rolls. But there is actually one recipe I’ve already tried. I’d never heard of chestnut salads, so I had to try that:

Mix boiled chestnuts with bananas and oranges, or English walnuts with cheese and celery, or with apples and figs, or with cream cheese and figs, or pecans with apples, celery, and cream cheese. Serve with French dressing made with wine or lemon-juice or with Mayonnaise made without mustard and whitened with whipped cream.

I roasted my chestnuts and mixed them with an apple, some celery and walnuts. Mayonnaise sounded too rich so I made an ordinary vinaigrette. It didn’t look very appealing, but I found it delicious.