I am on my second copy of this cookbook. It's that good. A strong, all-round cookbook for the chef on a budget, it can and should be purchased at your bookstore or at Amazon.com at your earliest convenience. I doubt that there is a Sophie Leavitt website, since she passed away on June 25, 1992, at the age of 86. But if I find one, I'll sure post a link to it. She became interested in learning how to cook great meals using free government food. If her cookbook is any measure, she more than met the challenge.
Important Note: At this time, I don't know where you can get permission to use these recipes for commercial purposes. My copy of her cookbook appears to be self-published by Sophie Leavitt, who has been deceased for over a decade. I recommend researching for the existence of other copies or publishers before assuming these recipes are in the public domain.
Here is an index to the sample recipes:
If you love pate, this is to die for. I've taken liberties with her recipe, because it has to be modified depending on how many turkey livers you have found in your turkey. More turkey liver = more pate. If you are lucky enough to get a total of 1/2 pound of turkey liver, try these proportions:
I saute the onion in oil until it is soft and golden, maybe even a little brown. I remove the onion from the skillet and then fry the turkey livers until no red shows. Use as little oil as possible. And don't overcook. You don't want "mealy" livers. Put the livers, onions, and egg through a grinder as many times as necessary to get the texture you like. Add the cooking oil if necessary for moisture. Add allspice and salt.
This is insanely good on celery sticks or crackers. Highly addictive!
Note: This is the classic pie. It can also be made with cooked fresh pumpkin if you have taken care to squeeze the extra moisture out of the cooked pumpkin.
"Make (or buy) a pie crust and place in a 9 inch pie pan.
Saute the onions in butter or oil until soft and transparent. Add 12 cups water, celery, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Add split peas. Bring back to a boil. Add the salt, V8 juice, and Bacon Bits. Again, bring to a boil. Cover. Simmer an hour or so, stirring every now and then, until the peas are meltingly soft.
You don't have any Bacon Bits on hand, but you'd still like a rich-tasting Split Pea Soup. Here is the answer.
Cook split peas, 1 tsp. salt, and 10 cups water for about 45 minutes, until peas are soft enough to be put through a food mill or strainer. Strain. Put back in the food kettle with another tsp. of salt and bring to a boil. Add onions, carrot, celery, bay leaf, allspice, brown rice. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Add the parsley, scallions, and macaroni. Simmer 15 more minutes until macaroni is done.
