Salad?

One of the most entertaining sections in any vintage cookbook is the Salad chapter. I own entire salad cookbooks, in which one is told how to make everything from the “wedge of iceberg with thousand-island” salad to “Perfection Salad,” a gelatin salad containing shredded cabbage and carrots.

Today, we’re visiting The Boston Cooking School Cook Book, by none other than Fannie Merritt Farmer. This particular edition has a reprint date of 1943. I paid an exorbitant amount of money for it, as it was purchased from a certain West Michigan bookstore which shall remain nameless. It is, however, in good condition. This is much more than can be said of many of my other books, which are called “cook’s copies” by dealers and collectors.

This edition of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book contains dozens of salad recipes, of which I possessed the ingredients for only one: the benignly-named “Banana Salad.”

BANANA SALAD

Cut in thirds, crosswise, and then in thirds, lengthwise. Roll in finely chopped peanuts. Add a slice or two of tangerine, if desired. French Dressing.

So, that’s it? Yup. That’s it. I tried, but I could not make this sucker look fancy. Did you see I even put dried cherries in between the banana pieces?

And how about that French Dressing with bananas? Nah. It wasn’t terrible, really, at least not in a Quaker Weight-Control Oatmeal sort of terrible way. It just wasn’t that good. And it was kind of weird. My long-suffering husband’s reaction: “Different…”

On the other hand, that is why Cookbook Obsession tries these recipes: so you don’t have to.

For the record:
Strawberries with balsamic vinegar = good.
Bananas with nuts and French dressing = weird, and not good weird, either. Just…weird.

Sorry, Fannie.

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