Cuban Corn, a World War II U.S. rationing recipe

I've been exploring World War II cooking ideas, especially those relating to food rationing and the ration coupons that went along with it.

One interesting book is titled Coupon Cookery by Prudence Penny.  The subtitle is "The New Book of Ration-Revised Recipes and Menus Including a Handy Changeable Table of Point-Values For All Foods..."  Yes, the book includes a table that helped a family plan how to track their coupons and use them efficiently before they expired.  It is in the chapter called "How to S-T-R-E-T-C-H A POINT."

Published in 1943, so no ISBN.

There are all sorts of tips for shopping with ration stamps (coupons), how to calculate your family's budget.  Throughout the book are cute and sometimes silly cartoons and poems along with the chapters that emphasize the need to be frugal, avoid waste and hoarding, while still feeding your family a healthy diet.  There are "Penny Tips" that point out, for example, ways to achieve speed or better flavor.

On page 72, there is a recipe for "Cuban Corn," basically a casserole that can be a side dish or, as the Penny Tip notes, be "a good main dish for meatless days."

Cuban Corn

2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Dash cayenne
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups canned or fresh corn
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon fat
1 dozen chopped ripe olives
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grated cheese

 Add flour and seasonings to corn.  Brown onion in fat and add.  Add olives and thoroughly combine all ingredients.  Put mixture in a casserole; pour hot tomato sauce and the grated cheese over the corn.

Place in 350 degree oven until mixture is well heated and the cheese is melted.  If fresh corn is used, cook slightly before combining with other ingredients.

My Notes

I think it is the use of chili powder and cayenne that makes this "Cuban."  My experience with reading recipes from the 1940s is that savory seasoning use was often limited salt, pepper, garlic powder or salt, and not much else.  Anything beyond that was pretty exotic!  People's palettes were accustomed to what I might consider "bland."  (This could be my biased opinion, but I don't see much evidence to think otherwise.)

First I started the oven preheating.

I used olive oil for the fat.  

Since I chose to use canned corn and my cans were 15 1/4 ounces each, I used one full can (1 1/2 cups) and topped off to two cups with the other can.  These were drained before measuring.

I mixed the corn with the flour and seasonings in a big bowl, then browned the onion and chopped the olives, and mixed everything in the bowl.

Corn, flour, and seasonings combined.

With onions and olives, too.

Once the mixture was poured into the 7" x 11" glass casserole - so I had set the oven to 325 degrees F, -  I heated the tomato sauce for 1 minute in the microwave and poured it over.  

Spread it throughout the dish.

 

Distribute the tomato sauce throughout, too.

I chose to use a mixture of cheeses: asiago, parmesan, provolone, and fontina, which were already shredded and mixed.  My impulse was to just put on a lot, which would have been more than one cup, but I restrained myself and followed the recipe.

Okay, that should be enough cheese!

It heated in the oven for 15 minutes; at this point the tomato sauce was bubbling and the cheese was melted.  I could smell the chili powder as it baked.

Bubbly, melted, and done!

Then I took it to a family event and reheated it in the microwave for a few minutes before serving.

The Verdict

It certainly was easy to assemble.  Perfect for that busy day when you want a hot dish but have little spare time. 

In general, everyone thought it was fine as a side dish.  It went well with the beef main course and garlic mashed potatoes side.  

I think we all agreed that it wasn't overspiced or too spicy at all; in fact, I think it could have used more spicing.  Not just more chili powder but more salt and pepper.  It had bothered me to pour straight tomato sauce from the can onto the dish.  I had really wanted to add some seasoning to it, too.  

I'm not sure if that "dash" of cayenne made a difference.  A couple of shakes of Tabasco sauce would have been an improvement.

The one person who really dislikes olives (that was my mistake for picking a recipe that included them) said she couldn't taste them.  That was a relief on my part.

The cheese added a nice chewy and flavorful aspect to the dish.

So while it was a fine side dish, it wasn't spectacular.  I would do it again but I would increase the spices.

The leftovers were good as a side dish with raviolis and then as a filling in an omelette.

Unsurprisingly, the leftovers look just like they did on the first day!

Success, especially if you like mildly-spiced food.