Another random find from Mr. Big Food’s Bog Food Manual and Survivalist Flourishing Guide. This one from “Tributes,” Cooking with Czech Recipes Cookbook, Texas Czech Genealogical Society (2021). I take it this was written by someone just remembering what she’d been told by her grandparents. Very folksy.

As we come to the close of our Cooking with Czech Recipes Cookbook, we want to express our sincere thanks to Nancy Polanski for her article below. We regret that due to restrictions of space we find we are unable to include the entire submission. However, in making the necessary adaptations, we have done our very best to incorporate the main points of her paper, which highlights the versatility, the adaptability, the ingenuity, the tenacity, the steadfastness, and the persistence of the pioneer Czech women as she made a home for her family in the new world called America.

We each have a “Pioneer Cook” in our family whom we watched and learned from. The space below is intentional. Please take a moment or two and document for the younger members of your family, your remembrance of who this lady or man was; a certain dish you remember eating; or maybe, just a description of the kitchen itself. Long after you are gone, it will be appreciated. It will be hard for the younger generation to believe cell phones, were not in use in bygone days; or that “wood stoves don’t have a thermometer,” as Lydia Faust reminded us.

TRIBUTE TO THE PIONEER COOK by Nancy Polanski

The pioneer lady, who came to America with her family to escape harsh conditions in the Father land, was a most important partner in the success of the family’s emigration and settlement process. Prior to traveling on this long, dangerous trip, the family was forced to sell or give away their possessions because they could not bring very much luggage with them on the ship. The lady was careful to bring the essentials that would be needed for her family’s survival, especially those items that she would need to be able to feed her family: things like pots, pans, spices, bowls, utensils, and unperishable food. It is probable that she managed to pack a a covered vessel, such as a Dutch oven, and a breadboard as well.
Anything that could not be brought with them had to be purchased in America. Sometimes those items would be hard to find, and sometimes they were simply too expensive for a family who had very little money and no immediate income. One thing that the family sorely needed as soon as possible was a wagon. That wagon was needed to transport their possessions as well as members of the family. It sometimes served as their home until they could make arrangements for better housing.

In addition to the many things that the pioneer lady was expected to do, she was also the cook, and was tasked with preparing meals for the family. She prepared whatever food they had or could find. Sometimes wild animals, such as deer, turkeys, hogs, or rabbits became hearty and delicious meals. Berries and nuts were welcome additions to her menus. Garden seeds were often brought from the gardens in the homeland, so after they decided on a place to establish their home, the seeds were planted and vegetables became available. Corn was dried and made into cornmeal. Flour, made from mesquite beans which were dried and pulverized into a fine grain, was the basic ingredient for bread making. Vegetables were eaten raw or simply boiled or fried with a few seasonings.

Meal preparation was a bit more difficult than it is today. It was like camping out as we have seen in the old Western movies. Meal preparation was done on the hearth in cold and rainy weather and outdoors when it was hot. A hole was dug out in the dirt which served as a place to cook food. Stones were placed in the bottom and around the opening and used to hold the pots.

The cook’s day began very early in the morning, as she rose to prepare breakfast and to begin cooking the day’s meals from the supplies she had. Meals were prepared using memorized recipes from the cook’s mother. Measuring instruments were in short supply, so dishes were made by adding a pinch of salt, a handful of flour (what size hand?), a measure of lard or butter, the size of an egg (which size egg?), a cup full (demitasse cup, tea cup or what size cup?) or a pail of liquid (what size pail?). Some ingredients were measured by filling the shell of an egg.

As more settlers arrived, conditions improved. The families often established their homes close to other family members or friends. They formed small settlements which may have included a general store, blacksmith, livery table, saloons and a church, which often became the meeting place for the people living in the area. Food, such as flour, salt, sugar, molasses and spices, along with various other necessities could be purchased in bulk at these small settlement stores. Trips to purchase food were limited since one often had to travel as far as 20 miles to shop. Many families made their own molasses and sold it in jugs to others.

Almost all of the farmers owned cows which provided milk, butter and beef. The cow had to be milked every morning and if she had a lot of milk, also in the evening. Fresh milk and butter were on the table at every meal. At times there was more milk than the family could use. Then it was discovered that if milk was put into a jar with a lid and lowered by bucket into the cool well water the milk was kept cool, even in hot weather, and it lasted longer. Chickens were raised for meat and eggs. These chicken were allowed to roam freely over the farm and were the first of the “open range chickens” which are sold today at elevated prices. The chickens also acted as pest control as they ate the bugs that were a danger to the garden vegetables and fruits. The chickens were penned up at night to keep the wild animals from killing them. Geese and ducks were grown by most families. They made delicious meals and were especially used for special occasions like Easter and Christmas. The grease from these birds was fried out and saved for other uses such as medicine or greasing tools that had gotten rusty. Another use of the ducks and geese involved their feathers which were plucked and used to make pillows, feather beds, and cushions for buggy seats.

As they became acquainted with others the ladies (cooks) learned many things that were helpful to the family. They learned how to dry meat for jerky which would last all winter. They also learned how to store their food for protection from animals and for longevity. The cooks were also considered the doctors for the family and they learned about various treatments for common aches and pains. They discovered that many plants could be used for medicinal purposes. Whiskey was a prize possession in every home. This served many purposes. When poured on wounds it acted as a disinfectant and eased the pain of tooth aches and tooth extractions. One cure for mumps utilized grease collected from cooking geese and ducks. The grease was collected in a jar and when a medicine was needed for mumps, it was spread on the front and back of the throat and chest and covered with a cloth. Then the patient was fed hot soup and sent to bed. It seemed like every ailment one could contract involved staying in bed.

A final tribute to the pioneer cook: wife, cook, mother, baby sitter, day care center attendant, nurse, doctor, teacher, dentist, gardener, laundress, lumber maker (making firewood), even a farmer, as she knew how to handle a horse, hitch a team of horses to a wagon, or to a plow. There were tasks/chores, and many other things that had to be done when the men were not home. Some homes had help which freed her of some of the tasks. When you would look at the pioneer cook, you would see a tired worn out lady with wrinkles, white hair, hands that were wrinkled, blood veins that once were invisible but now showing signs of hard work. Of all the experiences she had throughout her life, few ever realized what happened to her or showed appreciation or took time to talk to her. All history was lost except for the few things that were written down. May the pioneer cook be in heaven surrounded by angels and enjoying the rest and peace she deserves.