In a number of my old cook books I find whole chapters devoted to menus for family meals. I have never really paid much attention to them as I like to choose each item on my menu for myself. But why would a cook book include so many pages of this kind of information? Why would this be important? Well if you think about it for just a moment, it makes sense. Not all cooks are experienced cooks. There are many new cooks out there. These novice cooks are to be encouraged in their interest in cooking and they can learn from this kind of information. I may dive into a cook book and see only recipes; there is more to it than that. Those of us who have been cooking for a while may not take note of these pages but I am glad they are there. We all must eat, so cooks are an asset to society. And good cooks are even more valuable.

One example of this is 'Macy's Cook Book and Kitchen Guide for the Busy Woman' by Mabel Claire. Nearly half the book is dedicated to menus. Published in 1932 this book lives up to its name by having already done much of the work of planning a meal. In section three it lists eleven chapters of menus and directions for putting the meal together in a short amount of time and with the least amount of work. For each meal menu given, a list for shopping and the tools necessary for completing the meal are also included. I thought I would give it a try.

The one I chose, shown below just as it is in the cook book, needs some clarification. I heated the oven to 375 degrees. I assumed the potatoes are being boiled at the same time the chops are in the oven for the first 25 minutes. The mustard 'pickles' turns out to be not much more than plain prepared mustard, so I used that instead. The cream at the end of the shopping list is for the coffee, I think. The Bavarian cream for dessert is custard made light and fluffy by folding in beaten egg whites and whipped cream. I would also recommend covering the chops and apples (before the potatoes go in) to keep them from getting too dry. Everything was delicious!

Light the gas oven. Put water to heat in the saucepans for asparagus and sweet potatoes. Brown the chops in the baking pan on top of stove with 1 tablespoon butter. Core the apples. Slice in 1/4 inch rings. Lay them around the chops. Put in the oven. Bake 25 minutes. Peel the potatoes. Boil 10 minutes.

Drain and lay them in the pan with the chops and apples. Wash the asparagus and cut off hard ends. Cook 20 minutes.

Set the table. Make the coffee. Drain the asparagus. Dress with 1 tablespoon butter. Keep warm. Serving Arrange the pork chops on the plates.

Surround them with the apples, next the sweet potatoes and a spoonful of mustard pickle, then the stalks of asparagus. Dust asparagus with paprika.