Prunes for Epicures.
1933 was a big year for the United Prune Growers of California. After exhaustive scientific study, it was revealed that prunes are a natural laxative! In celebration, the Prune Growers published Prunes for Epicures: 20 Intriguing Recipes and then, in a paroxysm of excitement, expanded the booklet to 35 recipes the same year.
I have the 35-recipe version which I bought from a seller on Etsy, so don’t know what recipes were added from the original, but you can find out if you’re curious by subscribing to Google Books. A search reveals that copies are also available on eBay and from online used book sellers. Evidently the Prune Growers distributed a lot of copies.
In addition to such recipes as Prune Bacon Salad and Prune Pot Roast, Prunes for Epicures has good scientific news (in addition to the laxative properties, prunes had been recently identified as excellent sources of iron and copper) and a fine jingoistic plug for California Prunes. (“California Prunes come to you—and you may be sure of it, if they are California Prunes”—as perfect as it is humanly possible to prepare them.”) Check it out!
time for me to add prunes to my diet again. They may help me eliminate easier.
Pork Loin with Prunes is good
Yes it is. And the recipe is not in the little booklet… in fact there are no pork recipes other than the one with bacon.
Growing up in the 1960’s I don’t recall having pork in forms other than bacon and ham, either in a big slice or canned. (ribs too, but they were a novelty & usually from a Chinese restaurant). By the 1970’s there was uncured (Fresh) ham and by the 1980’s there was the “Other White Meat” promotion.
And some of us are old enough to remember when bacon had interesting chewy nodules which were the remains of parasites (trichinosis?) killed in the curing process.
The chewy nodule thing. Seriously? Of course I was a little kid in the 60s. The worst thing I remember about bacon was a product that was basically sliced Spam in bacon packaging. Mom loved it as it didn’t curl up when frying.
I think fresh ham, a pork roast really, always existed. The Other White Stuff? We may be in some sort of end times that was started by that promotion.
Pork used to be a lot better before factory production. I spent a couple days with Paul Willis, who runs (or ran) the free range pig operation for Niman Ranch, and he tells a vivid story about how the stress hormones produced by growing up in cages make the pork weak in flavor and watery in texture.
So nice to see the word Prunes…as it’s now often called Dried Plums. People associate Prunes with the aged…so silly…I have made delicious brisket, and chicken dishes using them and other dried fruit!