The Golden Age of Radio lasted from the 1920s to 1950s. Radio brought home the news, quiz shows, sports, children’s shows, cooking and homemaker’s helper shows, variety shows and most of all the radio dramas and serials. Mysteries, soap operas and dramas drew listeners to gather so they didn’t miss a single word. Radio stars were in the pantheon of celebrities with movie stars. Admiral was one of the many makers of radios. One of their promotional products was a 1948 calendar booklet filled with recipes from radio stars. Let’s dip into these Admiral Radio recipes.
First we need to talk about the cover. The family sure does look happy singing at the piano. But Admiral is a radio company, not a piano company. What was the decision process that led to a radio company calendar and recipe book having nothing about radios or cooking on the cover?
Now on to the recipes. We selected four from the original book. And we stuck with spring, starting in April, the month likely to host Easter and Passover.
Spanish Eggs was the featured photo and recipe “submitted” by Señor Jose Bethancourt. Bethancourt was the leader of a South American-influenced popular music big band, as well as a stunning marimba player, often featured on radio. The idea of eggs baked in individual casseroles atop a bed of sautéed onions, peppers and tomatoes is mouthwatering. (Note: Internet information on Bethancourt is scant, someone ought to do something about that.)
Everett Mitchell started his radio career as a gospel singer, and later hosted The National Farm and Home Hour from Chicago until 1958, when it was discontinued. His recipe for Swiss Hassenpfeffer, a dish made of rabbit, is somewhat questionable for Easter, especially for those of us who prefer our rabbits to be chocolate, and not one of those lightweight hollow chocolate rabbits.
It would be an egregious omission to not mention that hasenpfeffer (spelled with one “s” usually) is best know from the 1962 short film Shishkabugs, directed by Friz Freleng.
The next month for our Admiral Radio recipes is May. April may have rabbit, but May has delicious berries.
Guy Lombardo comes in sweet with a Meringue Torte with Strawberries. This is only appropriate, since the big band he founded with his brothers was known for “playing the sweetest music this side of heaven.” His gig as bandleader of the Royal Canadians lasted five decades. Lombardo, aka Mr. New Year’s Eve, hosted live NYE broadcasts from New York City, first on radio and then on television, every year from 1928 until his death in 1977. Truth told, in the final years, the Royal Canadian’s broadcast was waning in the 1970s, losing audience to the upstart Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, which started in 1972.
“Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men?…The Shadow knows.” As catch phrases go, that one is a dandy. He contributed a recipe for Sponge Cake to the Admiral Radio recipes booklet, which must have been quite a challenge since The Shadow is a fictional character. It is, however, a well known fact that crime fighters make smashing sponge cakes. The Shadow radio show aired from 1930-1954 with a two year hiatus from 1935-1937.
Let us know if you try any of the recipes. And if you figure out a way to make hasenpfeffer with chocolate rabbits.
The story of the Admiral Corporation is a rags to riches to rags and riches again saga. The Made In Chicago Museum website does a stunning job of telling the story. (A passion project of curator Andrew Clayman, the Made In Chicago Museum website is absolutely stellar, cleverly written and meticulously researched. We’ve cited it more than a few times over the years.)
