Recipe Manuscript

Diät For Magre Folk

Name: Diät For Magre Folk
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 1
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 400 ml whole milk per serving; 50-80 g rice, sago, bread, macaroni, and/or potatoes for soups; 200-250 g fatty pork roast or pork chops; 200-250 g goose, duck, or veal liver; 150-200 g salmon or trout, or 80-100 g sardines or anchovies; 25-40 g butter for sauces; 2-3 eggs per serving; 30-50 ml cream and 10-20 g sugar per cup of coffee or tea; 30-50 ml cream, 1-2 egg yolks, and 15 g chocolate per cup for hot chocolate; 150-200 g potatoes per serving; Generous slices or rolls of white bread; Other starchy vegetables (as available, e.g., turnips, salsify)

"Diet For Thin People"

1884

From the treasured pages of Skandinavisk-amerikansk kogebog

Unknown Author

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)European Beginner Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drink

Original Recipe • 1884

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Diät For Magre Folk

"Magerheden kan jo have meget forskjellige Grunde. Derfor maa det bemærkes, at denne Spiseseddel kun passer for den Magerhed, der har sin Aarsag i et feilagtigt Udvalg af Spise og Drikke. Mælk er at anbefale. Af Supper egner sig bedst saadanne, hvori koges Ris, Sago, Brød, Makaroni, Poteter o. l. Af Kjødspiser egner sig alle fede Stege med saftig Smør-sauce, isærdeleshed Svinesteg og Koteletter, Gjøs, Æn-der o. s. v. Af Fisk vælges ligeledes de fedeste: Lax, Trout, Sar-diner og Anchovis; desuden Gaase-, Ande- og Kalvelever. Æggespiser anbefales. Kaffe og The maa altid tages med Fløde og Sukker i; endnu bedre er Chocolade, endog-saa med Æggeblommer og Fløde. Alle Melspiser har den bedste Følge. Af Gemyser egner sig kun de melrige, navnlig Poteter."

English Translation

"Diet for Thin People. Thinness can have many different causes. Therefore, it should be noted that this menu is only suitable for that thinness which is caused by an incorrect choice of food and drink. Milk is recommended. Among soups, those are best in which rice, sago, bread, macaroni, potatoes, etc. are cooked. For meat dishes, all fatty roasts with rich butter sauce are suitable, especially pork roast and cutlets, pike-perch, ducks, etc. Among fish, the fattiest should be chosen: salmon, trout, sardines, and anchovies; also goose, duck, and calf liver. Eggs are recommended. Coffee and tea should always be taken with cream and sugar; even better is chocolate, even with egg yolks and cream. All flour-based dishes are most suitable. As for vegetables, only the starchy ones are appropriate, especially potatoes."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe is written as a dietary guideline rather than a step-by-step dish—characteristic of 19th-century dietary advice focused on 'classes' of foods rather than exact measures. It lays out categories of recommended items, with a firm stance on fat and carbohydrate-rich choices. The spellings are in Danish and reflect the conventions of the time, with old-fashioned words like 'Gjøs' (referring to a kind of fish) and broad spellings for consistency across the Scandinavian-North American diaspora. The tone is prescriptive, with lists rather than specific instructions, letting the housekeeper improvise according to household means.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Skandinavisk-amerikansk kogebog - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Skandinavisk-amerikansk kogebog (1884)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1884

Publisher

"Den Norskdanske boghandels" forlag

Background

A delightful journey through Danish culinary traditions as they flourished in Chicago at the end of the 19th century, this book offers a tasteful collection of recipes and practical cookery wisdom for both the adventurous and the nostalgic gourmand.

Kindly made available by

Internet Archive

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from an 1884 Norwegian-Danish cookbook compiled and published in Chicago at a time when Scandinavian immigrants were adapting their culinary traditions to New World ingredients and habits. The directive is to help underweight or 'lean' people gain mass through an abundance of rich, fatty, and starchy foods. Such menus reflect the period's medical thinking, associating body weight with vitality, and countering thinness often caused by limited diet or poor food access. Milk, cream, fatty meats, and plenty of starch were all seen as building blocks of health. This stands in contrast with modern preoccupation with dieting and light fare!

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the late 19th century, these dishes would be prepared with simple iron or copper pots and pans, wooden stirring spoons, and hand tools such as knives and forks. Soups and sauces simmered on wood- or coal-fired stoves. Meat was roasted in open ovens or over flame, and coffee or chocolate brewed in stovetop pots, then enriched with hand-whipped cream or added egg yolk. No electrical appliances!

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups whole milk per serving
2-3 oz rice, sago, bread, macaroni, and/or potatoes for soups
7-9 oz fatty pork roast or pork chops
7-9 oz goose, duck, or veal liver
5-7 oz salmon or trout, or 3-3.5 oz sardines or anchovies
1-1.5 oz butter for sauces
2-3 eggs per serving
2-3 tbsp cream and 2-3 tsp sugar per cup of coffee or tea
2-3 tbsp cream, 1-2 egg yolks, and 1/2 oz (about 1 tbsp) chocolate per cup for hot chocolate
5-7 oz potatoes per serving
Generous slices or rolls of white bread
Other starchy vegetables (as available, e.g., turnips, salsify)

Instructions

This menu, designed for 'lean folk' or those who wish to gain weight due to dietary deficiency, suggests a rich, nourishing diet.
Start by preparing soups with milk, rice, sago, bread, macaroni, and potatoes—aim for 1 2/3 cups milk per person, and about 2-3 oz of each solid ingredient, simmered gently until soft.
For main dishes, use fatty meats such as pork roast (7-9 oz per serving), pork chops, goose, duck, and veal liver, cooked with plenty of butter (1-1.5 oz per serving) and served with rich, buttery sauces.
For fish, opt for the fattiest available: fresh salmon or trout (5-7 oz), or preserved sardines and anchovies (3-3.5 oz, drained).
Egg dishes should be plentiful—prepare eggs as you wish (boiled, scrambled, or added to chocolate drinks), about 2-3 eggs per serving.
Drink coffee or tea with as much cream (2-3 tbsp) and sugar (2-3 tsp) as desired, or better yet, thick hot chocolate with added egg yolks and more cream.
For carbohydrates, eat plenty of bread, pastries, and potatoes (5-7 oz per serving for potatoes; slices or rolls of bread).
Vegetables should focus solely on the starchy kinds—most notably potatoes.

Estimated Calories

1700 per serving

Cooking Estimates

These numbers show how much time and ingredients you need for one generous serving. Cooking and preparation times are approximate. The calorie count includes all the rich meats, creamy drinks, eggs, and starches you'd eat in a full serving as described.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.