Vintage diet book equals "blah"

 

Reduce, with the Low Calorie Diet

I found an old paperback that someone in my family had. It cost 25 cents in 1953 and apparently offered a novel concept.

Take Off Weight… and keep it off! Reduce with the Low Calorie Diet. A New kind of Cook Book and Instant Calorie Counter, by Marvin Small, reads the yellow cover. There’s a kabob with lots of vegetables and a platter of what appears to be gray, cold meat surrounded by strawberries. It could be some sort of tomato gelatin, because there are lots of this kind of thing in the book, along with ideas for cottage cheese. It was a fun read and I think this is the kind of food most people still think of when they think diet.

Now we try to look at one’s diet as the whole of the healthy foods one intakes, like whole grains, dairy and fiber. Cookbooks today make these foods look incredibly appealing. Thank goodness.

Here’s an offering from the book. I usually share recipes because they sound so tasty. I’m sharing this one because it doesn’t sound appealing at all!

Panned Celery

Makes 4 servings, 88 calories, calories in 1 serving are 22

1 large bunch celery (about one and a half pounds)

Scant 1one fourth cup tomato juice

One fourth teaspoon salt

Few grains white pepper

1.   Wash celery and cut into 1-inch piece. 2. Heat tomato juice, add celery pieces. Coer pan and simmer 10 to 20 minutes until tender Serve with salt and pepper.

Boondoggles

My daughter lives in the Seabrook area and Boondoggles in El Lago was my first taste of  all the restaurants she says we’re going to try. It’s a pub that’s dark, features a bulldog coat of arms, tall tables and a pizza oven. With that English feeling, set next to the darts, we enjoyed the jambalaya pizza and wings. This place is a fun way to begin the evening, or end it.

darraghcastillo@icloud.com