Foods that will win the war and how to cook them (1918)

In Short

Written by food expert C. Houston Goudiss and cooking school director Alberta M. Goudiss during World War I, this home economics manual serves as a practical guide to culinary sacrifice. It instructs American households on how to comply with the United States Food Administration's conservation mandates without sacrificing family nutrition. Through detailed guidelines and roughly two hundred adaptable recipes, the book systematically demonstrates how to eliminate waste, cut back on critical wartime exports, and adopt viable substitutes. It has endured as an illuminating historical snapshot of early twentieth-century domestic science and home-front mobilization.

The Story

The book opens with an urgent patriotic call to action, establishing the foundational premise that victory in World War I hinges directly on food conservation. Addressing American home cooks, the text frames household economy not as an unwelcome hardship, but as a vital duty to back the United States Food Administration and defeat Prussian military power. The authors reassure readers that total deprivation is unnecessary; instead, victory requires deliberate, educated substitution and the enthusiastic elimination of domestic waste.

From this ideological premise, the guide moves into technical instruction, beginning with the nation's most pressing grain shortage: wheat. The authors outline the exact chemical and practical principles of bread-making, explaining how temperature controls yeast fermentation to prevent ruined batches. They present methods for stretching limited wheat supplies by incorporating coarser grains like Graham flour, or by blending up to fifty percent potato flour and ten percent cornmeal or rice into loaves. A detailed collection of recipes follows, offering practical formulas for quick-method yeast breads, sour milk cornbread, cooked oatmeal loaves, scones, and a wide variety of griddle cakes and waffles made from leftover cereals, split peas, and mashed potatoes.

The narrative of conservation then tackles the meat supply. The text educates housekeepers on how to select and tenderize cheaper, tougher cuts of beef, pork, mutton, and poultry using moist and dry cooking techniques. To reserve prime livestock for soldiers, the book presents recipes for "meat extension" dishes and meatless alternatives—such as Ham Soufflé, Mock Duck, fish croquettes, and hearty kidney bean or spaghetti casseroles—alongside list after list of underutilized native fish species.

Turning next to sugar and fats, the authors demand an immediate reduction in daily consumption. They provide clever formulas for sugarless desserts, fruit loaves, and confections sweetened entirely with maple syrup, molasses, honey, and corn syrup. To address the global fat shortage, the guide explains how to render, clarify, and utilize household scraps, while dispelling social prejudices against butter substitutes like oleomargarine and nut margarine.

In its final section, the book focuses on the absolute elimination of kitchen waste. It details precise strategies for using every scrap of food, from boiling fruit skins for jellies to utilizing a flexible spatula so no batter is left behind in a bowl. It closes with a scientific breakdown of daily caloric requirements based on occupation and a comprehensive summary of conservation rules, urging families to adopt permanent habits of thrift for the nation's future.

How It Unfolds

The call to the home front The authors present food conservation as a decisive weapon in World War I, outlining the U.S. Food Administration's guidelines for American households. They urge home cooks to adopt systematic saving habits to stretch family resources and support the war effort.

Mastering the daily loaf Focusing first on wheat conservation, the guide details the science of yeast fermentation and dough temperature control to eliminate spoiled batches. It introduces recipes that stretch wheat flour with oats, cornmeal, rice, and mashed potatoes to produce nourishing war breads and griddle cakes.

Stretching the meat supply The text details methods for selecting and preparing cheaper, tougher cuts of meat alongside alternate protein sources. It provides practical recipes for meat-extending casseroles, fish dishes, and legume-based substitutes to significantly cut down on the nation's livestock consumption.

Eliminating sugar and utilizing fats Addressing severe shortages in sweetening agents and shortening, the authors explain how to substitute corn syrup, honey, and molasses into desserts. They also demystify butter substitutes like oleo and demonstrate how to render and clarify leftover kitchen fats for cooking or soap-making.

Zero waste in the kitchen The book concludes with a rigorous guide on preventing food waste, offering instructions for repurposing leftovers, leftovers-based jellies, and stale bread into new meals. It aligns individual caloric needs with daily work activity to prevent overserving and plate waste at the dining table.

The People

C. Houston Goudiss A food expert and publisher of The Forecast Magazine, Goudiss acts as an authoritative voice rallying the American public to view kitchen management as a strategic war effort. He aims to educate housekeepers on nutritional science and economic purchasing so they can adjust to wartime shortages without diminishing family health.

Alberta M. Goudiss As the Director of the School of Modern Cookery, Alberta Goudiss provides the practical culinary expertise behind the text's instructions and tested recipes. Her focus centers on applying precise domestic science to the home kitchen, teaching cooks how to manage fermentation temperatures, render waste fats, and seamlessly introduce grain and sugar substitutes into daily meal preparation.

The American Housekeeper The collective subject and target audience of the book, the American housekeeper is framed as a crucial actor in national defense. Tasked with managing the household income and food supply, she must overcome culinary tradition, social prejudices against butter substitutes, and habituated kitchen waste to actively maintain a thrifty, patriotic home.

In Its Own Voice

"Food will win the war, and the nation whose food resources are best conserved will be the victor."

The authors open the book with this fundamental premise, emphasizing that national survival relies directly on home-front resource management.

"A large palette knife is as good in the kitchen as in the studio."

In their discussion on preventing waste, the authors highlight how simple tool choices ensure every particle of food is salvaged from mixing bowls.

"Serve bacon only as a dish and not as a garniture, and this way not more than once a week."

In the concluding summary of conservation rules, the authors give clear, direct instructions on limiting meat consumption to save critical staples for overseas troops.

What It's Really About

Beneath its collections of recipes and instructional charts, the book is an argument for domestic efficiency as a form of civic duty. It seeks to redefine the kitchen not merely as a site of private nurture, but as an essential arm of national strategy and public health. By framing household waste as a failure of devotion to a larger cause, the authors push to elevate home economics into a rigorous, standardized science. The text addresses fundamental questions about how individual consumer choices impact global supply chains, arguing that true national strength depends on the collective discipline, adaptability, and scientific literacy of ordinary citizens in their day-to-day lives.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in culinary history, social movement propaganda, or sustainable living will find this historical artifact remarkably engaging. Reading it offers an intriguing look into how ordinary domestic routines were retooled for military strategy during the First World War. The prose is clean, direct, and entirely devoid of flowery embellishment, moving with businesslike efficiency through charts, scientific explanations, and concise preparation steps.

While modern cooks might be hesitant to try recipes that rely heavily on pork drippings, lard, or canned lye for homemade soap, the underlying principles of the book remain strikingly relevant. Its core tenets—eating less meat, using local produce, eliminating food waste, and cooking with whole grains—mirror contemporary discussions around sustainable eating and zero-waste kitchens. The main friction for a modern reader lies in its historic context: the recipes assume a basic familiarity with early 1900s cooking appliances like coal ranges and fireless cookers, as well as a willingness to eat frugal, utilitarian dishes like kidney bean scallops or cold porridge scones born out of wartime necessity.