In prison again.

A few weeks ago I gave you a menu from the Dallas County Jail in the 1930’s. The story was actually about the food in the infamous prison at Alcatraz, but at the time I could not find an Alcatraz menu from this decade. I still cant - but can move a step closer, thanks to the online image gallery of the prison museum.

I am delighted to report that on this very day in 1946 (a Monday), the daily menu for the inmates of Alcatraz was as follows:

Breakfast:
Stewed prunes.
Bran Flakes.
Fresh Milk.
Sugar
Orange Roll.
Bread and Coffee.

Dinner:
Split Pea Soup.
Roast Shoulder of Pork.
Sage Dressing.
Brown Gravy.
Mashed Potatoes.
Stewed Corn.
Apple Pie.
Bread and Coffee w/Milk.

Supper:
Split Pea Soup.
Boston Baked Beans.
Tomato Catsup.
Beet and Onion Salad.
Canned Pears.
Bread & Coffee.

Not bad, for the worst prisoners in the federal system, was it? As I indicated in the previous blog post, the policy at Alcatraz was to provide better than the usual prison fare, in an attempt to reduce rioting – prison food being a common source of complaint by prisoners. I guess it would also be harder to get up the energy to riot with a belly full of pea soup and roast pork and apple pie, wouldn’t it?


Beet and Onion Salad.
1 large cooked Spanish onion.
1 large cooked beet.
1 teaspoonful chopped tarragon.
1 teaspoonful chopped parsley.
Salt and pepper to taste.
4 tablespoonfuls olive oil.
2 tablespoonfuls vinegar
Slice the onion, add the beet chopped and the seasonings, oil, and vinegar. Mix well and serve with cold roast beef.
Salads, Sandwiches, and Chafing Dish Recipes, by Marion Harris Neil (Philadelphia, 1916)

Quotation for the Day.

Everything I eat has been proved by some doctor or other to be a deadly poison, and everything I don't eat has been proved to be indispensable for life. But I go marching on.
George Bernard Shaw