Kraft Kitchens—New Classics: Our Most Requested Recipes Made Simple

Arlene Gryfe is a Toronto-based professional nutritionist and home
economist.

One hundred years ago, James Kraft founded a company that grew from a
one-man operation to the diverse international corporation of today. In
the 1920s, Kraft Kitchens was established to provide home cooks with
information about Kraft products.

Always aware of current needs, its home economists adapted recipes
accordingly. During World War II when rationing was in effect, they
developed the now-famous Ritz Mock Apple Pie. During the 1960s and
1970s, Kraft created time-saving products such as Minute Rice, Cool Whip
Whipped Topping, and packages of single slices of cheese. In the 1980s
and 1990s when people became more health-conscious, reduced-calorie,
sugar-free, and reduced-fat versions of Kraft products became available.

Now, Kraft Kitchens has compiled its most requested recipes into one
book, and updated them with short-cut ingredients and fewer steps. More
than 100 recipes and variations are divided into five chapters
“Starters and Soups,” “Salads and Sides,” “Main Dishes,”
“Desserts,” and “Kids’ Classics.” Each chapter begins with a
nostalgic photograph of an early Kraft advertisement.

Recipes are in imperial measures only, with method in numbered steps.
Many recipes are so easy that ingredient amounts are simply included in
the method. Every recipe is illustrated in a larger-than-life,
mouth-watering colour photograph. All titles are extensively
cross-indexed.

If problems are encountered, the Kraft Kitchens staff is available by
telephone or email. Even the most inventive cook will sometimes want a
short-cut recipe, using some of the many Kraft products on the market.