Recipes

It took years of searching, but I found an Isaly's recipe manual. Finally ... I could learn the secrets! But many of the ingredients are now obsolete, the directions too arcane.

Three of those recipes are in my book. Here are a few more interesting ones, verbatim from the manual. I'm no cook, so I have no idea if these recipes are reasonable - try them at your own risk!

Rice Pudding
1-1/4 cups rice
10 fresh eggs
1/2 gallon milk
2 cups sugar
3 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring 1 qt. water to boil in a 4 qt. saucepan. Stir in rice and cook 15 miutes to well done. Drain and rinse in cold water. In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients and beat well. Place drained rice evenly in a shallow case pan, pour blended ingredients. Sprinkle a light garnish of cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 350, using a double boiler (two pans on each other, lower one with an inch of water, top pan with ingredients). Yield 1 gallon.

 

Chile Con Carne
2# ground meat
4 onions
2 green peppers
1 small can tomatoes mashed
1 small can tomato puree
2 qts. water
1 10# can kidney beans
1/2# spudniks
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt

Cook spudniks in 2 qts. water for 1/2 hour, do not drain. Saute beef, onions, green peppers. Add tomatoes and tomato puree, and water, cook for 1/2 hour with seasonings. Add spudniks and kidney beans, bring to boil. Yield 34 servings.

 

Creamed Chipped Ham on Toast
1-1/2 quarts of milk
2 tsp. celery salt
1/3 tsp. yellow coloring
1 pat butter
3-1/2 tbsp. corn starch
1 lb. chipped ham
1 can peas drained
2 pieces of pimientoes chopped

Bring milk, salt, coloring, and butter to below boiling point. Fill milk shake cup to first line. Add cornstarch, ham, peas, and pimientoes. Put into double steam table pan.

 

Fritters
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Mix together, add 1 cup corn or apples 2/3 cup pineapple. Measure with #24 scoop, deep fry at 350°. For syrup, boil 3 cups brown sugar, 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp butter. Yield 30 fritters, 3 on a 5" plate, syrup.

 

Harvard Beets
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. corn starch
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. minced onion
2 cans beets (#303)

Blend sugar, salt, and corn starch. Stir in vinegar, cook, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Add butter, onion, and beets. Yield 9 servings.

 

Lamb Stew
Stews in the Isaly's recipe book include Dutch, Beef, Pork with Lima Beans, and this one:
5 lb. lean stewing lamb cut in 1" cubes (use shoulder as it is not so fat)
2 gal. water
1-1/2 gal. potatoes cut in 2" cubes
1 large onion cut small
a small stalk celery cut in 1" pieces
1 tbsp. Accent
2 tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 qt. left over gravy
1 qt. peas
2 cups carrots (8 oz.)
1 tbsp. celery salt

Cook lamb in part of the water until tender. Use remaining water, add potatoes, onion, and celery plus seasoning. If frozen peas are used, add with the potatoes and cook until the potatoes are soft and add the carrots and gravy and cook until heated through - almost 10 minutes. Yield 30 8-ounce servings.

 

Baked Macaroni
4 lb. macaroni
3 lb. mild cream cheese
2 gal. homogenized milk
1/2 lb. butter
Flour, salt, white pepper

Bring milk to a slow boil (in double boiler). Add seasonings, butter, onion, and yellow color. Thicken with corn starch dissolved in cold water. When smooth, add about 2/3 grated cheese. Cook until cheese is dissolved. Place cooked macaroni in half size S.S. deep pan. Pour sauce over and mix well and sprinkle balance of grated cheese on top. Bake in hot oven for 20 minutes. Yield 60 servings.

Isaly's Macaroni & Cheese customer recipe
Dave Brown's dad worked at an Isaly's where macaroni and cheese was a regular entree: "He could never get the cooks to tell him the exact recipe but between him and my mom, they got pretty close." Indeed, it sounds better than the company version above! This is condensed from Dave's page www.geocities.com/NapaValley/5358/onedish/onedish6.html

 

8 oz. long horn cheese
8 oz. swiss cheese, grated (grate the soft cheeses first to keep the grater clean)
8 oz. sharp cheese, grated
8 oz. American cheese, grated
8 oz. brick cheese, grated
2 cups macaroni
white sauce:
2 tsp. butter
2-3 tsp. flour
2 cups milk
salt to taste

Melt butter in a small pan. Slowly add flour, stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk, again stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cook the macaroni to package instructions. Drain and put in a large baking dish. Pour the white sauce over the macaroni and stir completely. In a large bowl, combine the grated cheeses and mix thoroughly. Pour this mixture over the macaroni and bake for 45 minutes at 350°, stirring occasionally.