I found this clip on YouTube this week and thought it would give some of you a nice, nostalgic chuckle. By the way, I was one of those guys that took Home Economics in high school instead of Shop class. It wasn’t really because I wanted to be a cook at that point; it was more a choice between making hot chocolate chip cookies, or bird feeders and ash trays. Also, I was 15 at the time, and the Home-Ec class had 15 girls and 3 guys, while the Shop class had 15 guys and 3 girls. You do the math. Anyway, we watched many of these “instructional films” made in the fifties (actually this one was made in 1949). I always found them strangely mesmerizing in a slightly disturbing, hypnotic sort of way. It was probably all the subliminal anti-communist messages they spliced in between the frames. Enjoy!
18 comments:
What the hell!? People didn't know what "stir" means? And is that how you guys really learned to cook? It still kind of looks like he didn't enjoy that cake.
lol, i remember these kinds of films also! The eagle at the end is classic.
Hey Chef John,
You better hurry and get to the Kwik-E-Mart early, and as many times as you possibly can. Why? I just learned that they are only going to have them from now to the end of August!!! :( And as they say "the early bird gets the worm", in this case the worm is the sprinkled pink donut!!! So come early and come quick. Oh as sorry to disappoint you but they DO NOT have Duff Beer!!!
great site!!!, love it!!
I'm so glad our films were made in the 70's and not the 50's. This would have driven me crazy in class.
Ah that film takes be back some! Though I seem to have more memory of physics films in the era.
And what modern conveniences - It would never have crossed my mind to cream butter with a wooden spoon.
LOL defined stir, but they never defined the "moderate" oven they used for the scalloped cauliflower that will inevitably be made :)
And darned if I didn't revert immediately to making snarky comments - just like I used to do in class.
oh man, you should have heard me!
Something tells me that's a doctored picture Rachel Ray, very nice though!
Chef John,
Came here through Fuel My Blog and saw your Emeril "Bam This" shirt and laughed my heinie off. Reason: I saw Emeril do his Bam Bam thing for the first time last night and I asked my son, "What's with the 'Bam Bam' stuff?"
Well, I guess you had to be there.
Anyhows, great blog you've got here. Think I'll fuel it.
BFF,
Miss T
I think you're right.... someone else must have baked that pie!
Oh my...that video. Thank goodness for the Food Network :)
Love the site, and I'm worried about people that don't know what "stir" means as well - but what struck me most was the 50's era gender stereotypes. Did women really take cooking classes in college?! At a four year university, not a culinary school -To better prepare for their future husbands?! "What does Tim want for dinner?" Whatever Tim, whatever.
Ironically, at my undergrad institution with the shop class gender ratios, the cooking class is the most popular...
hahaha
"and tim will never know, she ruined her first cake"
well good for her!
Its a good thing that chef John always explains clearly. For some of us who did not do cookery at school, terms are not that obvious. I am learning a lot through this site. Thanks chef.
Well, first the music reminds me of the roller skating rink and the "nifty" tunes they would play (I was there mostly in the early 70's). But, i will tell ya, for those newbies, even this film has some useful "tips"...and I think the hubbie is a hottie, for his age!
Yippers! I done learned sumptin' new! To simmer means to "cook in water just below the boiling point". Dang it... I should of - could of taken home ec in high school!
Funny as it seemed, I did learn something. Love you Chef John
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