Several editions of The Metropolitan Cook Book was published by Metropolitan Life Insurance in the 20th century. The 1925 edition provides homemakers with tips for healthy eating including advice well suited for today. A variety of foods is stressed in one tip, "there should be a liberal amount of fruits and green vegetables..." One of their "useful suggestions" state that "it pays to buy clean food from a clean store " (Amen to that).
The goal of the cook book is "to help the housewife in her everlasting question, "what shall I have for dinner to-night?" One of the sections tries to answer the question of what to do with leftovers. The introduction to those recipes state:
Almost any left-over meat may be combined with other foods, well seasoned, and be made up into very palatable dishes. Beef, veal, mutton, lamb, chicken and ham are all desirable and may be combined. Fish may be substituted for meat in many recipes. Trim off carefully all non-edible parts. Cut or chop mean in fine pieces of uniform size. Do not mash.
My guess is that for those who grew up in financially difficult times or during war time these recipes are easily recognized.
The recipes for leftovers include:
