Marguerites Cookbook

A cooking blog all about making vintage recipes from a cookbook we inherited from our grandmother

Oven French Fries

Oven French Fries Header

I don’t know about you, but one side dish Aaron and I could eat always and forever are french fries. From fast food to handmade, french fries are a delicious way to prepare potatoes. In case you haven’t noticed a trend on this blog, we’re potato obsessed. These oven french fries combined flavors we never would have paired together and resulted in my favorite recipe so far (I’m pretty sure Aaron’s too.) They would also go great with the Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue Sandwiches that we made last week!

 

It’s also another “guest” post. Marguerite noted below that she got this recipe from Madaline, who was a long time friend of her’s. Here’s what she had to say:

Oven French Fries Recipe

One thing we have found in cooking through Marguerite’s cookbook, is that both Aaron and I like paprika much more than either of us realized. It has been one of the main spices we’ve used in quite a number of dishes, and it is something we both really enjoy. Now salt is really what makes any french fries, good, am I right? But the addition of the paprika and the parmesan cheese really create a much more exciting set of flavors for these oven french fries. Also, butter. ‘Nough said.

Oven French Fries

The thing Aaron enjoyed about making these fries is that it didn’t require any special equipment, or having cooking grease to fry them in. And, to be honest, I think he really liked the idea of being able to make the fries any shape and size he wanted.

Oven French Fries

In the end, both that unique, “homemade” fry look, and the delicious flavors I mentioned before, made these oven french fries a huge success with both of us. We have already made them several times, and plan on making them any time we need to finish off a bag of potatoes! Not so good for our waistlines, but who cares?

Oven French Fries Recipe

Oven French Fries
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Oven French Fries
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 15 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Slice raw potatoes 1/8" thick.
  2. Melt butter and dip each potato slice. Shake excess off and place on a cookie sheet.
  3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, and parmesan cheese.
  4. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes (or until tender) at 375 degrees.
Share this Recipe
 
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecakeheader

I love cheesecake. Aaron’s mom makes great cheesecake, so I lucked out marrying into a family of great cheesecake. That being said, I was really excited to try out Marguerite’s cheesecake recipe!

Cheesecake Recipe

Here is what Marguerite’s cheesecake recipe looks like:

Cheesecake Recipe

Preparing the ingredients for the crust was a very time consuming process! It took us a full thirty minutes to crush up regular whole graham crackers into crumbs small enough for the crust. We did want to try to make it exactly as Marguerite would, so we went through all that trouble. What we did find out, as you can see, is that 20 graham crackers made a very thick crust.

Cheesecake Recipe Piece

Even though the crust was thick, it was delicious! The addition of walnuts and cinnamon in the crust made for a delicious extra boost of flavor that really complemented the plain flavor of the cheesecake.

Cheesecake Recipe

My other favorite thing about cheesecake is having strawberries with it. So we made some sugared strawberries to go on top of our cheesecake. At that point I was itching to have some of this cheesecake. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed! It was simply delicious. Aaron really enjoyed it too (is there anything he doesn’t enjoy though?)

Cheesecake Recipe

Our first attempt at cheesecake did not come without some difficulties. The cheesecake cracked across the top, and parts of the sides browned a little more than other parts. We consulted with our cheesecake expert, Aaron’s mom, and she let us know what she thought happened. First of all, even though Marguerite’s instructions said so, Aaron’s mom thought it was a little too high of a temperature in the oven.  She would suggest a lower temperature for a longer length of time. She also thought we could have over beaten our batter, could have had some difficulties due to it being the inaugural run of our spring form pan, or it could have been due to using an electric oven instead of gas. Regardless, this cheesecake was delicious and we will be making it again, probably halving the crust so it’s not as thick. Hope you enjoy it too!

Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake Recipe
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 Cheesecake 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
35 minutes 5 hours
Servings Prep Time
1 Cheesecake 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
35 minutes 5 hours
Cheesecake Recipe
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 Cheesecake 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
35 minutes 5 hours
Servings Prep Time
1 Cheesecake 45 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
35 minutes 5 hours
Ingredients
Crust
Filling
Servings: Cheesecake
Instructions
Crust
  1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, chopped walnut and cinnamon. Add melted butter.
  2. Press into spring form pan.
Filling
  1. Combine all the filling ingredients except the sour cream. Mix until smooth.
  2. Add sour cream.
  3. Pour into crust.
Baking Instructions
  1. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
  2. Let cool in the oven with the door open for one hour.
  3. Chill for at least four to five hours.
Share this Recipe
 
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We’re in what looks like our last week of winter weather here in Chicago, and nothing quite shakes off those winter blues like a hot bowl of Broccoli Cheese soup. There’s just something comforting about the look of a nice big bowl of soup, isn’t there?

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Aaron enjoys when Marguerite’s recipes have the instructions jammed on the right half of the page alongside the list of ingredients. It is so unlike the typical recipe format and that unique style seems distinctly “Marguerite” to him. Here is what she had to say this time:

BroccoliCheeseSoupRecipe

Another characteristic of some of Marguerite’s recipes is that they are usually only as detailed as she needed to remember how they went. We often have to read the entire recipe at least once through to make sure we don’t come upon any surprises. In this recipe, we noticed it made the most sense to sauté the onion in the big pot to begin with. This soup was so creamy, cheesy, and very easy to make. I’m not a huge fan of creamy soups, but I really liked this one.

broccoli cheese soup

Aaron felt it was a little too thin in consistency and would have liked more of a cheesy flavor. I think next time we try this, we’ll add more than just cheddar to really make it cheesy.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

We hope you enjoy the creamy and cheesy goodness of this very simple soup!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Cut up and cook broccoli until tender. Drain.
  2. Chop onion and saute in butter until transparent. (You will want to do this in the pot your soup will end up in.)
  3. Stir in flour and cook about five minutes.
  4. Add milk slowly, stirring continuously.
  5. Stir in and blend grated cheese.
  6. Slowly blend in chicken broth.
  7. Add broccoli and salt and pepper.
  8. Simmer about 15 minutes.
Share this Recipe
 
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

“Potatoes, mash em, boil em, stick em in a stew”

Potatoes of any kind are one way to both Samwise Gamgee and Aaron’s hearts. This scalloped potatoes recipe also involves cream and paprika, so I’m pretty sure it’s the way to anyone’s heart.

Scalloped Potatoes

We have our first guest post here on Marguerite’s Cookbook!

Let me explain.  There are handfuls of recipes in Marguerite’s cookbook that she added from the kitchens of other people in her life.  We decided the authors of this recipe would be a great place to introduce this feature.  The ladies who gave Marguerite this recipe were her Aunt Florence and Aunt Estella.  They were younger sisters of her father, and they were both good cooks whose cooking made it into Marguerite’s cookbook a number of times.  Now, back to the scalloped potatoes.

 

Here’s what Florence and Estella had to say (in their handwriting):

Potatoes REcipe

We actually attempted this recipe twice.  The only differences between the two times we made this were that the second time we did not skin the potatoes, and we added more paprika to the top of the dish.  I did not notice a major difference in the taste with or without the skins, but Aaron did prefer it without the potato skins.

Scalloped Potatoes

Now, other than the time consuming processes of skinning and thinly slicing the potatoes, this is an extremely simple recipe.  When arranging the layers, you could take your time and arrange the potato slices in a neat and orderly pattern.  We chose to just toss them in and let them fall however they wanted!

Scalloped Potatoes

The first time we made these potatoes was over the holidays with our parents.  They all enjoyed them too.  We had them the second time just the two of us and had them with a few different meals.  The final verdict: these scalloped potatoes are a delicious addition to any meal.

Thanks Florence and Estella!

 

Scalloped Potatoes
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Scalloped Potatoes
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 30 minutes
Cook Time
75 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Blend one cup of cream of mushroom soup with 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk and a dash of pepper.
  2. In buttered 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish arrange 4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, 1 small onion sliced, and sauce - alternating ingredients.
  3. Dot the top with butter, sprinkle with paprika.
  4. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.
Share this Recipe
 
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (Meatless)

Homemade Sauce

If you’re looking for an easy homemade sauce recipe, this is about as easy as it gets. The ingredients are few and the steps are simple.

My Italian roots came out in full while making this. You know that Family Guy episode where Peter thinks he can speak Italian and just shouts “Boopa-dee bappa-dee” at people? That was me the entire time we were in the kitchen making this. Aaron was not amused.

Here is what Marguerite had to say:

Meatless Spaghetti Sauce Original

We’re pretty sure the above recipe meant she was using canned tomatoes most of the time, but we wanted to do this “right” so we went for fresh ingredients. Neither of us knew what to do with the tomatoes, and Marguerite, being an accomplished cook, did not need to leave herself notes on the subject for when she was using fresh tomatoes.

Fresh Pasta Sauce Ingredients

Look at those fresh ingredients!

Google and our mothers proved to be immensely helpful in figuring out how to start on this homemade sauce.

After figuring out how many tomatoes we needed and how to peel them (more on that later), we were able to get on with the sauce.

Pasta SauceFor our version, we only used one onion instead of the three originally called for. We’re assuming back in the day onions were quite a bit smaller because a lack of pesticides and such.

Next time we make this, we’ll probably cut back on the green pepper as well, because it overpowered the other flavors. We’ve noted in our version below to only use half a green pepper instead of a whole. We’ll also try to cube the tomatoes a bit smaller because the sauce was a little too chunky.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

Our whole apartment smelled delicious while we made this (as did our entire floor. You’re welcome, neighbors!) We started a batch of spaghetti just as the sauce was finishing so we could enjoy it right away. When everything was cooked, we poured on the sauce, topped it all with basil and parmesan, and enjoyed a delicious meal.

Meatless Sauce Recipe

 

We had plenty left over, which we promptly jarred up and froze for later use.


Homemade Sauce in jar

If you try this recipe, let us know how you adjusted the ingredients to suit the pasta sauce to your taste!

Homemade Sauce

 

 

Homemade Sauce
Homemade Sauce (Meatless)
Print Recipe
A traditional, homemade sauce. Uses all fresh ingredients and no meat.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 (depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta) 25 minutes
Cook Time
1.5 hours
Servings Prep Time
4-6 (depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta) 25 minutes
Cook Time
1.5 hours
Homemade Sauce
Homemade Sauce (Meatless)
Print Recipe
A traditional, homemade sauce. Uses all fresh ingredients and no meat.
Servings Prep Time
4-6 (depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta) 25 minutes
Cook Time
1.5 hours
Servings Prep Time
4-6 (depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta) 25 minutes
Cook Time
1.5 hours
Ingredients
Servings: (depending on how much sauce you like on your pasta)
Instructions
Fresh Tomato Prep
  1. If you're using canned tomatoes, skip these steps. If using fresh tomatoes, you'll need to peel them. We used the boil method.
  2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Next to the stove, have a bowl of cold water (as cold as you can get it. Maybe even add ice cubes.)
  3. Cut off the stems and things from the top of the tomatoes. Cut an x in the bottom of each tomato.
  4. Drop a few tomatoes at a time into the boiling water. Spoon out after 25 seconds (don't leave them in any longer) and drop into cold water.
  5. Once they're in the cold water for a few seconds, the x on the bottom should already begin the peeling process. Remove them from the cold water and peel the rest of the skin right off.
  6. Cube the tomatoes. How small you cube them will depend on how chunky you want your sauce.
Main Instructions
  1. Once your tomatoes are prepped, put them in a pot with the paste and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Simmer while you prep the other ingredients.
  3. Chop onion, pepper, and garlic. Steam and slightly brown in a pan with butter.
  4. Add to the tomato mixture. Turn your stove top to a low/medium heat. Cook for an hour and a half.
  5. If you're planning on using this right away, start the water for your pasta with about 20 minutes left on the sauce. Preserve any leftovers in a jar and refrigerate or freeze.
Recipe Notes

Be sure to use a larger pot so the sauce is more evenly spread over the heat and doesn't burn on the bottom. Also be sure to use a low enough heat.

Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe