Remember the 1940s? Museum seeks WWII food stories

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MCT) - The National World War II Museum in New Orleans wants your memories about food and rationing during the war. If you're too young, they hope you'll interview a friend or relative who was around then. The resulting oral histories will be compiled and presented on the museum's Web site.

As the Web site explains:

Many of our strongest memories are centered on food: meals we have loved, meals we have hated, special gatherings or everyday routines with relatives and friends, triumphs and disasters in the kitchen. Now add to the mix the emotions, fears, excitement, and challenges of the Home Front and you've got some of the strongest memories of the WWII generation. The National WWII Museum invites you to share these stories.

If you're not sure where to start, the museum has a list of sample questions:

What do you remember about food rationing during the war?

Do you remember using substitutes for unavailable ingredients?

Did you or anyone you know shop on the "black market"?

Did you grow a Victory garden?

What about holiday meals?

What about working or eating in local restaurants?

What was your greatest food challenge during the war?

What was your favorite food during the war?

What was your least favorite?

Do you remember any unique recipes (triumphs or disasters) that came out of your Home Front kitchen?

To add your memories, go to: http://www.nationalww2museum.org/calendar/kitchen-memories.html.

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For more like this, visit stltoday.com/recipeexchange.

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© 2009, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.