Fifty years ago today Team Canada played hockey against the Russians in the 1972 Summit Series.
Heading into the final game in Moscow the series was tied.
Paul Henderson scored in the final seconds to give Canada the victory.
Yes! Canada beat Russia!
Well, now we’re living in the late Covid-19 world, dealing with supply problems and record breaking inflation. We can handle it.
Henderson beat Russia and we can beat high prices.
While we’re strolling down memory lane, soft pretzels were a cheap snack fifty years ago.
In New York, during the 60s, we could buy them for a dime.
When we left in 1972 they were going for a quarter.
Now? Fuhgettaboutit! They cost as much as a cake.
Why pay that price when you can make your own?
One rule for lowering grocery prices is to buy what is in season and, if possible, local.
Kuchen is a German cake that is like a blend of cake and pie.
It’s easy to make and uses whatever you can find, or have in your cabinets or freezer.
Another easy, cheap recipe is Cabbage Soup.
Perfect for using what’s available during Autumn.
Here are a few of the recipes Ma learned from her friends.
Back in the 60s dimes had real value.
Ma figured why buy when I can make at home.
Fight on!!
Hints:
About the Kuchen…
This recipe also works with a pound of fresh plums, apricots or nectarines halved and pitted.
Place the rounded sides up on the cake batter.
You can also use a pound of cored and sliced fresh pears or apples.
If you don’t have fresh fruit you can use frozen cherries or berries.
All you need is 1 1/2 cups of fruit.
About the Soup…
The can sizes are approximations.
A bit more or less won’t affect the soup.
Same for the vegetables.
Frozen vegetables were on sale? Use them.
Use the recipe as a guide and adjust for what you have or is on sale.
Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.
About the Pretzels…
Yeast is cheaper in the tin. It’s worth it.
Pretzels are a type of bread, and, like any bread, can be topped with whatever you want.
Don’t like - or have - coarse salt? Make a sweet pretzel.
Combine 3 Tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
After brushing the raw pretzel with hot water sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake and butter, same as the salt pretzels.
Want to make a meal out your pretzel?
After brushing the raw pretzel with hot water spread with tomato paste or pesto.
Bake and butter, then sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese while still hot.
A slice of mozzarella cheese would be nice, too.
Peach Kuchen
Have on hand an 8-inch square baking pan or a 10-inch pie plate
Place in a large bowl
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup butter or margarine, softened
Cream together.
Sift together into a medium bowl
1 1/4 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Add to the butter mixture and blend well.
Scoop out 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside.
Drain
1 16-ounce can sliced peaches
Preheat oven to 375º F
Press remaining mixture into bottom of the pan or plate and about 1 inch up the sides.
Arrange peach slices in a single layer on batter.
Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake for 15 minutes.
While the cake is baking place in a small bowl
1 egg
Beat well and stir in
1 Cup light cream
Remove the cake from the over and pour the cream mixture over the fruit.
Bake for another 30 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool before serving so that the custard will set.
Cabbage Soup
Chop
5 carrots
3 onions
1 large head cabbage
10 stalks celery
2 green bell peppers
Place in a large pot
the chopped vegetables
2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
Stir in
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
8 Cups tomato juice
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
Add enough water to cover the vegetables.
Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Season to taste and serve hot.
Pretzels
Pour into a large bowl
1 1/4 Cups warm (105° to 115°F) water
Sprinkle over the water
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) active dry yeast
Stir and set aside for 5 minutes.
Stir in
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Cups flour
Beat with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes.
Set aside for 5 minutes.
Stir in, 1/3 Cup at a time
1 1/3 to 1 2/3 Cups all-purpose flour
Add enough flour to make a firm dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 6 to 7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
Oil a large bowl.
Place the dough in the bowl and rotate it to coat the entire surface.
Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Place oven rack in centre of oven.
Preheat the oven to 425° F
Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets with shortening or oil.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
Knead for 2 minutes.
Divide the dough in half and put one half in the bowl and cover it.
Divide the remaining half into 6 equal pieces.
Shape into balls and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
Roll a ball of dough to make a rope 15 inches long.
Shape the rope into a large horseshoe, with the ends pointed away.
Take the first end and attach it near the centre of the bottom of the horseshoe.
Overlap the second end, forming into a pretzel shape.
Place the pretzel on the baking sheet.
Repeat for the other 5 dough balls, leaving space between them on the baking sheet.
Combine in a small bowl
1/4 Cup hot water
1 teaspoon sugar
Stir to blend well.
Lightly brush sugar water on the pretzels.
Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired.
Let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown.
While the pretzels are baking melt
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
Briefly knead the remaining dough and divide into 6 balls.
Shape into 6 pretzels and place them on the second baking sheet.
Remove the first batch from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
Immediately brush with the melted butter or margarine.
Bake the second batch and brush with butter as you did the first.
Serve warm.
~~~
Canadians have been remembering what they were doing fifty years ago.
On September 28, 2012 I posted about what we did that day.
Not as history making as what Paul Henderson did, but major for us!
A few days ago I posted about how plans don't always work.
Well, sometimes not having a plan is the best plan.
I mean, sometimes there are greater forces at work.
We just sort of go along for the ride.
And it works out even better.
We had crossed the border into Canada the last day of June.
By July 18 we were in White Rock.
Our trailer was set up in a nice shady spot.
To make room in the trailer, we threw anything we could into the car's trunk.
Blankets, clothing, a coffee pot, etc.
Our car's trunk and the back seat were our storage units on wheels.
We didn't know what Canada would be like.
So we lived as tourists for a while.
Saw all the sights.
We became very used to the nice four lane highway from Vancouver to White Rock.
Our fellow campers at Hiawatha Trailer Park were friendly.
They were retired folks, snowbirds, and expert campers.
They lived by Marjorie Main's code in The Long, Long Trailer:
I'd like to know what a trailerite is good for if not to help another trailerite.
We joined the local Catholic church.
Father Leo was from the states.
We talked about life there, what we had studied.
Just the usual small talk.
Father Leo knew a local newspaper publisher who needed a fellow with Paul's skills.
By the end of August Paul had a job.
We decided to get our papers in order.
We chose a Thursday to go to the customs station.
Thursday was the day Paul had a later shift at the paper.
The paper was put to bed on a Wednesday, which always was a late night.
Mr. Hastings, Paul's new boss, had written a letter in which he said that Paul was one of the few people in Canada who could operate this certain kind of typesetting machine.
As no one had had the job before Paul, that sounded about right.
At that time Canadian immigration was on the point system.
Like passing a Math test.
At immigration, Mr. McGrath told us to cross the border to get our extra 10 points.
We drove to the border, and there wasn't a line-up.
The young U.S. customs agent took a quick glance at our trunk, and said, Oh, you must've been camping, right?
We said yes.
We had a coffee in Blaine, Washington, then drove back for our interview.
Mr. McGrath had a small TV in his office, which he turned off.
After a couple of questions, we were done.
We were allowed to stay in Canada!
We were sent out to the customs agent.
He was watching a small black and white TV.
He turned and asked what we'd brought across the border.
He was annoyed that we hadn't brought our trailer with us.
But he seemed distracted.
Handing us a piece of paper, he said, Make a list of what you've brought.
He then went back to watching the TV.
We wrote a list of all of our possessions.
It was a short list.
After we handed the list to the agent we drove back to White Rock.
We went to a coffee shop to get our bearings.
Everyone there was also watching TV.
By now we'd figured that folks were watching a hockey game.
There was much cheering.
But we were oblivious to the event.
When Paul went to work he found out what had everyone so excited.
On September 28 Team Canada hockey team had played against the Russians.
It was the 1972 Summit Series.
It was a historic game.
Paul Henderson had scored the 6-5 goal at 19:26 of the final period.
Some compared the excitement to the celebrations at the end of World War II.
Here's a shot... Henderson makes a wild stab for it, and falls...
here's another shot... right in front...
They score! Henderson Has Scored For Canada!
Almost any Canadian who is old enough can tell you exactly what he or she
was doing on September 28, 1972.
Well, I know we can.
Paul had been told he couldn't work for pay without a work permit.
After a month the permit arrived and Paul received all his back pay.
Like I said, sometimes not having a plan is the best plan.
Paul later worked at Carolina Publications.
There he worked with Mr. McGrath's nephew Rick.
Rick worked as a reporter at The Richmond Review.
The Richmond Review was Carolina Publications main account.
On the 1972 Team Canada hockey team was Fran Huck.
Six years later Paul was working with Fran's ex-wife Barbara at The Winnipeg Free Press.
Coincidences or what?
Sometimes there are greater forces at work.
We just sort of go along for the ride.
And it works out even better than we could have planned.
