The North Folk, Virginia based New Journal Guide published this peach cobbler recipe in November 1929, just days after the stock market crashed. Historically to cobble meant to throw something together fast. Speed mattered to Tidewater women who cooked at home after long shifts in other people’s kitchens. Caste assigned that labor and decided who ate. The Housewife flipped the arrangement: her cobbler fed six to eight at home, on the family’s own budget. Arjun Appadurai’s theory of Gastro-politics informs us that the person who controls what gets cooked and for whom exercises the power. Does feeding your own household count as a step toward sovereignty?
Peach Cobbler Recipe
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Batter
1 egg, beaten
⅓ cup milk
3 tablespoons melted fat
¼ cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Fruit
Peaches, pared and sliced
⅔ cup sugar
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Beat egg light and add sugar, fat, and milk. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together and add to first mixture. Beat thoroughly. Half fill a greased baking dish with peaches blended with sugar and spice. Cover with batter and bake in a moderate oven (375°F) for thirty minutes. Serve hot with whipped cream.
The Housewife, “Home and Kitchen Helps and Hints,” New Journal and Guide, November 9, 1929, 4.