Porky Pie

1 1/2# shoulder pork

3 onions

4 tbsp. shortening

1 1/2 cups hot water

3 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. paprika

3 tart apples

1 tbsp. sugar

Grind pork and onions. Fry 5 minutes in oil. Add water, simmer 10 minutes. Stir in flour mixed with a little cold water. Add seasonings. Cook 3 minutes. Peel apples. Cut into thin slices. Sprinkle with sugar. Fill baking dish with layers of apple and meat. Cover with sweet potato biscuits.

Sweet Potato Biscuits: 1 cup flour sifted with 3 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut into 3 tbsp. shortening and lightly mix with 1 cup lightly (firmly) mashed sweet potatoes. Add 2 cups milk or water. Roll 1/2" thick and cut with biscuit cutter. Place close together and bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes on to of meat.

Ham & Dumplings

Growing up in the rural South, Mama always baked a ham for Christmas.  Since meat was not a common food on our table, reserved mostly for Sundays and holidays, whenever she baked a ham, it did not go to waste.  After all the meat could be sliced from the bone of either a butt or shank portion ham, Mama would take the ham bone with the mean still around the bone and boil it until all the meat fell off the bone.  She would then remove the bone, add 3 to 4 diced red potatoes, 1 small onion, and 2 stalks of celery to the pot with the ham and broth.  When the potatoes became soft she would then add dumplings.  Mama always made homemade dumplings.  Sorry to say I never got the hang of making them as good as she did so I fudge and use Pillsbury frozen biscuits.  I let them thaw, mash them together in a ball, place the ball on wax paper sprinkled with a little flour, then sprinkle some flour on top of the ball and cover with another piece of wax paper.  Then using a rolling pin, I roll the ball out to desired thickness.  Remove top wax paper and cut dough into strips.  Drop into boiling ham broth mixture.  Add cracked black pepper and salt as desired.  Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes stiring
occasionally.  Broth will thicken up from addition of dumplings.   I often take some of the ham chunks out of the broth and cut into smaller pieces.  I sometimes add parsley flakes to the biscuit dough before rolling it out into dumplings...this is entirely a matter of prefrence.  It does add a nice color to dish though.
One of my family's favorite meals is a large pot of ham & dumplings, whole greenbeans, cream corn, coleslaw, and pear salad.  Hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we do.

Italian Chop Suey

2 # lean pork

2 # lean beef, diced

1 large can mushrooms

2 cans tomato soup

1 can tomato sauce

1 can olives

1 package noodles

Cook diced meat and onions. Cook noodles until partly tender. Mix all ingredients together with a few olives added. Sprinkle lots of cheese throughout and on top.

FRANKFURTERS WITH HOT POTATO SALAD(1954)

6 medium-sized potatoes
1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound frankfurters
Hot Dressing (recipe follows)

Cook potatoes in skins and remove skins while hot. Cut potatoes in 1/2-inch cubes. Add onion to potatoes. Set aside.

Cover frankfurters with hot water and heat slowly but do not boil.

Pour Hot Dressing over potatoes and onion. Heat until liquid is absorbed.

Arrange on platter with heated frankfurters.

HOT DRESSING:
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1 egg, slightly beaten
4 slices bacon, diced and cooked until lightly brown (reserve dripping)

Combine all ingredients, including bacon drippings in a saucepan. Cook slowly until thickened.

Makes 6 servings