What do you do if you're the manager of a very popular southern inn and people love the food you serve, and are constantly asking for recipes? You publish a cookbook with the recipes in it, of course! I'm referring to Richard T. Hougen, manager of the Boone Tavern at Berea College, Kentucky. The book, Look No Further, was published in 1951, with reprints in 1953 and 1955. It's a hard covered book that sold for $2.95 in 1955 (my copy). It was printed and bound by The Parthenon Press at Nashville, Tennessee. There are a couple of unique things about this particular cookbook: Mr. Hougen included only "specialties of the house", and the entire book is printed in large print so you can see it clearly on the kitchen counter when you have both hands busy cooking-genius!
It is easy to see that the author truly loves cooking, whether for friends, family, patrons, or all three. Although probably half of the recipes are ones that I wouldn't prepare for my family, I'm sure that this cookbook has great recipes...some just don't suit our tastes. The recipes that look appealing include southern dishes and ways to prepare fresh fish. Since the author is French, he seems to have a love for sauces. If you like sauces: Caper Gravy, Mushroom Sauce, Lemon Clove Sauce, or Mint Sauce, for example, this might be a wonderful search item for you. Today I'm sharing Mr. Hougen's recipe from page 138 for pork chops:
Pork Chops, Some Tricky Way
4 lean pork chops
1/2 C tomato paste
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1 C bread crumbs
2 C chicken stock
3/4 C mushrooms
1. Trim chops and brush over to coat with tomato paste.
2 Mix cheese with bread crumbs.
3. Pat the bread crumbs onto the chops.
4. Pan fry the chops in the skillet to brown on both sides.
5. Place the chops in a covered casserole and add a small amount of water to prevent them from sticking to the dish. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
6. Serve with a sauce, made by thickening 2 C chicken stock with 2 1/2 TBSP flour which has been smoothed to a paste with some of the cold stock. Cook for 5 minutes. Add 3/4 C of cut mushrooms to the finished sauce.
****JOIN ME FRIDAY FOR MY "OLD COOKBOOK REVIEW****
Thank you for sharing this easy to do recipe. Your old cookbook sounds amazing. The cook sharing the house favorites was a wonder he didn't keep them secret. Guess that would not have sold the books if kept secret! :-)
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of using tomato paste as the adhesive for bread crumbs. What an interesting idea. I will have to ponder this for a while and see how I can incorporate it. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up your recipe at the Old Fashioned Recipe Exchange! Make sure you come back next Tuesday and link up another great recipe!
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This sounds like a great way to cook pork chops. I love how you use recipes from old cooks books - how fun!
ReplyDeleteRecipe sounds wonderful.Old cookbook are not easily available other than in libraries. Thanks for sharing this with Hearth and Soul blog hop. A friendly remainder, can you please link back either worded or picture link to Hearth and Soul blog hop. We will appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteI went to Berea in the 90's. wonderful, wonderful food at the Booone Tavern, although we students didn't eat there often! Love their spoonbread and wish I had a copy of that cookbook! will be on the lookout for it now. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYour cookbook collection is amazing! Thanks for linking up.
ReplyDeleteHi Marcia,
ReplyDeleteI always get excited when I see you talking about one of your cookbooks. What a fun look into this cookbook and looks like you found at least one really good recipe. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you next week!
Just checking back to read any postings you may have written.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been following and enjoying your blog for a while now and would like to invite you to visit and perhaps follow me back. Sorry I took so long for the invitation.
I'm hosting a wonderful tea sampler GIVEAWAY! Come check it out when you have time.
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Amy
http://utry.it
This sounds like a lovely cookbook, and the pork chop recipe sounds just delish! Thank you for sharing this with Let's Do Brunch :)
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to track down an old cookbook for years and when I found it, it was selling for hundreds of dollalrs.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Boone Tavern Dining Room as my job assignment (every student must work between 10 and 20 hours per week) when I was a student there in the late 60s. I own a signed copy of one of his cookbooks, but mine doesn't contain this recipe. It does contain the spoonbread recipe though. I did remember the pork chop recipe, looked for it in my book, and then took a chance and found it here. I even entered a spoonbread bake-off once and won first place using a version of Hougen's recipe. I added a few ingredients, but used his method. He was always in the dining room checking to make sure diners had full water glasses, butter on their plates, and tables were swiftly cleared.
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