This story was originally published in Issue 3 of the National Archives magazine, 28 February 2018.

The Green and Gold Cookery Book was popular enough to have reached its eighth edition and sold 40,000 copies. It included recipes and household hints from women throughout South Australia.

With the Great Depression still affecting life, the book promised housewives could meet their needs 'in the simplest and most economical way'. Stale bread was put to many uses including bread fritters, fried in boiling fat and served hot 'with sugar and slices of salmon'.

Three ladies sent recipes for Cambridge sausage: after mincing steak, bacon, breadcrumbs, egg and seasonings together, 'form into a roll, tie in a floured cloth and boil for two and a half hours'.

For dessert, families might enjoy barley kernel pudding: put 2 tablespoons of barley kernels, 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 pint milk in a greased pie dish to cook in a slow oven for 2 hours.

Advertisements promoted electric cookers for hire and the Universal electric washing machine with a reversible wringer. One ad claimed 'this modern kitchen will make cooking a pleasure!' Its oak cabinet featured sliding lead-light doors, a wire end safe and bread and flour compartments.

Many food ideas have survived the times. Lentil soup served with croutons is a favourite on many modern menus. But today’s cooks have the advantage of electric blenders, rather than having to rub the cooked mass through a sieve.

Not all soups were homemade in 1936. One advertisement sang the praises of Glen Ewin cream of tomato – a soup of 'rare distinction'.

An advertisement for Adelaide Meat Stores would surely catch the eye of today's canny shoppers. 'By properly resting stock in our own paddocks before slaughter, and handfeeding of pigs … we control the quality of meat from farm to kitchen.'

Some sandwich fillings are familiar, while others sound distinctly odd. Bloater paste anyone? Just mince red herrings, and boil them up with butter, cream and cayenne pepper for 15 minutes when you’re next making the school lunches.

You didn't need commercial remedies if you had the Green and Gold book.  A 'sure cure for quinsy' (severe tonsillitis) was to dip toast in heated vinegar and wrap it around the throat with oilskin.  And a sprained ankle would gain relief from a poultice of bran and boiling vinegar.

The Green and Gold Cookery Book was submitted for copyright registration by the Congregational and Baptist Churches of South Australia in the interests of King's College – just one example of the wealth of information in the Archives' copyright collection.

This story was originally published in Issue 3 of the National Archives magazine, 28 February 2018.