During the Great Depression, unemployment soared as Americans grappled with failing banks, environmental catastrophe, and the challenge of feeding themselves while impoverished. Due to the hardships of poverty faced by millions in the 1930s, the Great Depression remains one of the most notorious periods in American history. Echoes of the Depression can be felt today, in news articles and interviews where people express fears that the COVID-19 pandemic will again force much of the world to face severe economic decline and unemployment (1). Now that we have faced the initial shock of the pandemic and attempt to adapt to the requirements of social distancing and staying at home, articles on Depression-era cooking are surfacing. Whether advice on how to make a ‘Depression Cake’ without milk, butter, or eggs or minimal ingredient recipes such as ‘Depression Bread,’ people are clearly turning to the food of the Great Depression for comfort while coping with limited resources and the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic (2).

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