Strawberry Shortcake Anyone?

the Osterizer blender

Greetings,

For many years a stainless steel and glass Osterizer blender sat, unused, on a basement shelf in my parents’ house. I wondered why they hung on to it as several replacements had come and gone, including one that I remember from the ‘70s with a harvest gold plastic base. My dad liked malts, basically a milkshake with the addition of malted milk powder, made in the blender, so I am assuming that these malts were the reason for the first blender purchase. I decided to bring the Osterizer back to my house and although it operates on only two speeds (high and low) it functions quite nicely and sparkles on my countertop as plastic never could. It is perfect for blending New Jersey strawberries into a breakfast smoothie. Undoubtedly, it does not possess the power of a Vitamix even though it weighs a whopping eleven pounds when placed on the bathroom scale, but I like the idea that it is a survivor and was first introduced long before corporations designed products with the concept of “planned obsolescence”.

John Oster introduced the modern-looking Osterizer blender in 1946. Oster was a tool-and-die man, born in Austria-Hungary who ultimately set up business in Chicago, Illinois. His first successful product was an electric clipper designed to style the bobbed haircuts of flappers in the 1920s. Our family lore is that my grandfather did not speak to my grandmother for a week after she turned her lovely locks into a bob. The Stevens Electric Company had invented a drink mixer for soda fountains to make malts and had experimented with adding a motor so that fruits and vegetables could be pureed. John Oster acquired Stevens Electric, and the Osterizer was born. Prior to his blender success, the John Oster Manufacturing Co. was vital to the U.S. government’s war effort during WWII in the production of electric motors to be used in aviation and other uses. (www.racinecountyeye.com)

The prolific artist and industrial designer Alfonso Ianelli was hired to design the space-age look of the blender, and my feeling is that its smart design is the reason my parents hung onto it. Ianelli emigrated to the United States and Chicago from Italy in 1898 at the age of ten. He studied sculpture with Gutzon Borgman, best known for his work on Mount Rushmore. Alfonso Ianelli lent a fresh, modernist look to sculpture, poster design, and public works including the Rock of Gibraltar relief on the side of the Prudential Building in Chicago. His posters evoke the stylized geometric designs and bold use of typography of European posters of that era. Along with his wife, Margaret, a talented illustrator, he founded Ianelli Studios in Park Ridge, Illinois. His sleek use of design was brought to bear on so many products that the blender is not even mentioned on his Wikipedia page.

Since a strawberry smoothie does not really require a recipe, I'm turning the focus to strawberry shortcake. Every June my mom would pick berries at a local farm where they would charge her by the pound. Her shortcake was simple: hot biscuits, sliced strawberries, and fresh whipped cream. She served the shortcake in individual, wooden salad bowls, probably because they were the largest bowls in the house, and who wants to skimp on shortcake? The biscuit recipe is from Joy of Cooking.

Rolled Biscuits

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

3 t. double-acting baking powder

4-6 T. chilled butter

3/4 c. milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut butter into dry ingredients, then make a well in the center. Add the milk all at once. Stir until the dough is fairly free from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board. Knead gently and quickly, making about eight to ten folds. Roll with a lightly floured rolling pin, until the dough has the desired thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter (or a glass) dipped in a little flour. Brush the tops with melted butter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes.

While still warm, slice the biscuits lengthwise. Place two halved biscuits in a bowl or on a plate and top with a generous helping of sliced strawberries. Top with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Thanks for reading!

Vicki