pasta & recipes: shrimp pasta recipe aglio olio and food photography tips
Women have always worked. In the past the majority of women worked as home makers. Some women, while working as home makers, also ran a cottage industry business. When women did work outside the home their options were limited; working as teachers, housekeepers, manual laborers.
It wasn’t until recent history that women began seeking higher education and a wide variety of careers. Women entered the business man’s world as their secretaries and have been arduously climbing the corporate ladder since.
In days gone by women typically stopped working outside the home when they married. So, a majority of the women in the work force were single with no children. Like women today, they didn’t have a great deal of time to prepare meals. In a 1949 edition of “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook” a very, very small section called “Meals for the Business Girl” offers nine menus for the busy working woman (because, in 1949, we all know she probably worked late, buying a gift for the boss’s wife).
We will share, with you an excerpt from “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook” (1949 edition) Meals for the Business Girl. Whether you live alone, or have roommates, planning ahead is imperative if you would prepare dinner quickly after you get home from business at night.
Before presented with the nine recipes the cookbook has advice in three categories: “Planning Easy Dinners, Making Marketing Easier, Your Breakfast and Lunch” What follows those tips are 9 interesting menus. For example:
Quick, Easy and So Good Oyster Stew, p. 108 Heated Rolls, p. 473 Tossed Salad of Greens, Tomatoes, Thin Ham Strips, and French Dressing Hot Gingerbread (packaged mix) Yellow Sauce, p.557 How to Manage: Get gingerbread into oven; make Yellow Sauce; chill. Then make oyster stew and salad; heat rolls.
We particularly enjoyed this menu:
On a Two Unit Stove Sautéed Fish, p. 266 Sautéed bananas, p.63 Frozen Spinach Cole Slaw, p. 528 Grapes Cheese and Crackers Milk Coffee (instant)
How to Manage: Sauté flounder or sole fillets, smelts, sea bass, or weakfish in skillet on one unit. When almost done, start cooking spinach on other unit. When done, keep skillet of fish warm on top of covered saucepan of spinach; sauté bananas on free unit.
Today, many working women are single, but also single moms, who have to feed their children. The recipe that follows is easy and fast. For those who may have guests for dinner, it is also a sophisticated meal. Serve with a lovely salad and warm Italian bread.
Photography Tips:
1. Background, Gradient Backdrops by Savage
2. Rustic Table from garage sales, flea markets, turn the table right side up for a backdrop or use the tabletop itself, and don't be afraid to saw the legs off (that's if you got the table for pennies) we wouldn't want to do that to a good piece of wood, or a table.
3. Rustic soup bowels, with or without handles, it doesn't have to be new either. Check this out. Etsy has a lot of options as well, but the best places are flea markets and garage sales.
Shrimp and Pasta Aglio Olio Ingredient 1 ½ pounds shrimp, deveined and peeled 1 lemon, juiced 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls) 4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup -virgin olive oil 6 large cloves garlic, peeled and diced 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls 1 pound penne, spaghetti or linguini cooked to al dente Grated Romano cheese (or asiago) to serve (optional) Directions 1. In a large pot boil water. When water comes to a boil add the pasta. 2. Toss shrimp with the lemon juice, parsley, garlic and olive oil. 3. Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, and then add the shrimp. Cook in batches if skillet is small. Cook shrimp 3 minutes until pink and just firm. Remove shrimp to a platter and keep warm (set near the stove). 4. Return pan to heat. Add 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and parsley to oil. 5. Strain the pasta. 6. Toss pasta in the pan with parsley and the garlic oil. Top servings of garlic and oil spaghetti with shrimp and sprinkle on a little Romano.Photography Data: Marco Mayer ApertureFNumber: f/6.3 Make: NIKON CORPORATION Model: NIKON D2X ExposureTime: 1/200 FNumber: 63/10 ExposureProgram: 1 ISOSpeedRatings: 100 MaxApertureValue: 16/10 MeteringMode: 5 LightSource: 0 Flash: 0 FocalLength: 850/10
Sydney Jones
February 18, 2012 at 5:32 am //
Oh, this dish looks divine! I think as a working woman I need to try this, thanks :)
myfudo
February 18, 2012 at 9:25 am //
Simple and easy is our motto! LOVE your action shot on your blog Sydney!
the food dude
February 18, 2012 at 10:41 am //
This dish looks so amazing, great photo!
myfudo
February 18, 2012 at 10:46 am //
Long time no see! MAN that burger looks soooo tempting on your site right about now. How was your new years?
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
February 18, 2012 at 2:49 pm //
I love that not only the recipe looks so delicious, but you also provided great photography tips! Thanks sweetie :)
myfudo
February 18, 2012 at 7:35 pm //
Well hello Kiran! Thank you so much for commenting. It’s wonderful to know the tips are helpful, we’ll try to keep including them as much as possible.
Joanne
February 18, 2012 at 10:02 pm //
Even for those of us without children, fast and easy is usually the “name of the game” when it comes to getting dinner on the table. What a great dish!
myfudo
February 19, 2012 at 8:29 am //
Very True Joanne, thanks for mentioning that. Even without children our lives seem busier than ever, despite all the new technology to give us a helping hand. Loving your brownies …boy they look mighty scrumptious. Thank you so much for commenting.
Kat
February 19, 2012 at 1:09 am //
Isn’t it interesting how one can stumble upon these unintended stereotypes in things like old ads, and apparently also cookbooks! What a great find. I love the photo, gorgeous.
myfudo
February 19, 2012 at 8:34 am //
Yes, it is Kat, I like vintage clothes, but I’m not sure about the mindset “wink”. Thank you so much for commenting.
Kiri W.
February 20, 2012 at 11:26 am //
Wow, this must be the most elegant shrimp dish I have seen in a long time! Amazing.