During World War II, Americans and Europeans were asked to make sacrifices, including rationing food. The U.S. government implemented a point system, where citizens were given a certain number of points to spend on restricted items, in addition to their monetary price. As a result, people had to get creative with cooking, using alternative ingredients and making do with what they had. Recipes from the time period include Welsh sponge cake made with margarine and syrup, Polish potato flour sour cream, English mock fish fillets made with rice, and American meatless meatloaf made with vegetables. People also used leftovers to make meals last longer, such as bubble and squeak, a dish made with mashed potatoes and whatever meat and veggies were available. Additionally, people made use of alternative ingredients, such as beans instead of flour, and even used sawdust to make bread. Other dishes mentioned include spit soup, a hearty barley soup made in occupied Poland, and a vegetarian version of chopped liver made with green beans and peas.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. During World War II, Americans were asked to make sacrifices to support troops.
2. The United States government imposed a system of rationing to ensure the armed forces got what they needed to win the war.
3. Every citizen was given a certain number of points, which had to be spent along with money on items restricted for use in the war effort.
4. Points were distributed in the form of stamps, which were given out in books by the Office of Price Administration (OPA).
5. The first product to be rationed was tires, followed by automobiles, gasoline, sugar, coffee, meats, fish, canned milk, fats, and cheeses.
6. Many restricted goods were traded on the black market.
7. Similar restrictions were also imposed in the homelands of America's European allies.
8. Sponge cake was a popular dessert during World War II, but ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, and eggs were in short supply.
9. A Welsh version of sponge cake was made without eggs, using margarine, syrup, and milk instead.
10. In Poland, people used potato flour and sour cream to make a type of whipped cream.
11. In England, cooks made "mock fish fillets" using rice and eggs.
12. Meat was in high demand during World War II, so restaurants started using meatless menus and advertisers shared meatless recipes.
13. Home chefs came up with creative ways to stretch what they had, including using vegetables to make meatloaves.
14. Bubble and squeak was a dish made from mashed potatoes and whatever meat and veggies were available.
15. In occupied Poland, people used beans instead of flour to make cakes.
16. Vegetables were plentiful in America during World War II, and the government encouraged citizens to plant "victory gardens" to grow their own vegetables.
17. Onions were a prime example of a vegetable that was easy to grow and extremely hearty.
18. During World War II, Americans were limited to one pound of coffee every five to six weeks.
19. Roosevelt coffee was a type of coffee made with reused grounds, often mixed with chicory and post-em.
20. Cow's tongue was a meat product that American families were able to buy during World War II, and it was often served in a casserole.
21. Spit soup was a dish made from barley in occupied Poland, and it got its name from the fact that people had to spit out the husks while eating it.
22. Chopped liver was a traditional Jewish recipe that was modified during World War II to use bread crumbs and vegetables instead of meat.
23. In England and Germany, people mixed what little wheat they had with sawdust to make bread, which was sometimes called "tree flower".