Sunday, March 6, 2011

Awesome Vintage Cookbooks!

I guess since I love "all things vintage" it only makes sense that I would love to cook as well (check out my recipe blog if you want). I also love to collect old recipes.  My grandmother, who was one of the best cooks I've ever known, gave me two facsimile editions of 1950s cookbooks, and I absolutely LOVE them!  They are not only informative due to the culinary information they provide, but they are also packed with super-neat vintage tips and advice.  Everything us vintage-loving housewives should want to know about retro cooking is in there.  Granny gave them to me as Christmas presents over the last two holidays before she passed away, and I simply couldn't put them down for days.

The first one she gave me was the facsimile edition of the 1950 Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook

Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook

It has a lot of very useful homemaking information in it, and it can be easily used by either a novice or experienced cook.

The last one she gave me was very similar: it was a facsimile of the 1953 edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

New Cook Book : 1953 Classic Edition (Better Homes & Gardens)

It is easily my second favorite cookbook (although, I do have to admit that I'm really just starting to seriously collect vintage cookbooks...)  Either of these books would be great for anyone who is interested in how cooking and meal-planning was done back in the mid-century.

6 comments:

  1. Hello! Following you back! This is so funny; I've done a bunch of blog posts about that Betty Crocker cookbook; mine's a reprint but it's my fave! I especially love all the homemaking tips; back when it was socially acceptable to give tips to women about making a home!

    On a completely unrelated topic; I noticed you're a Spanish teacher; my 7 1/2 year old, Bentley, has decided to teach himself Spanish by reading the Spanish/English dictionary in his classroom (he's a unique child); I promised him I would get him a better language program; what would you recommend for a mama on a budget? You can e-mail me if you'd rather!

    Great blog, love the background!

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  2. I know, I talked about the BC cookbook on my recipe blog as well. I love all the little household hints; especially the one about taking notice of interesting events throughout the day to share at dinner, and the picture is of a cat stuck in a tree!

    So ironic your son's name is Bentley; that's my maiden name! A lot of people like Rosetta Stone, but I don't have any personal experience with it (I think it's also pretty expensive.) There are a lot of good resourceful videos on YouTube though that he may be interested in. I would look around there if you don't really want to pay for anything right now.

    Thanks for following! =)

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  3. Bentley is also MY maiden name! Too funny; maybe we're cousins or something :D I hadn't thought of You Tube, I'll check it out; knowing Bentley, this is not some passing fad; he tends to stick with an interest, not like most kids who lose interest.

    I actually quoted from that very passage in the BC cookbook; I'm dying to make some of the ridiculous meal plans, like the one that involves gherkins for "Some Sunday Night!"

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  4. love your blog - am going to be your newest follower. The cookbooks are so fun to ponder and peruse, even if I never seem to get inspired to cook anything. Oh, and love the picture pose in the earlier entry, am going to practice it just in case I need it.

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  5. How fun; I also collect vintage cookbooks (never make any recipes in them, however, jello aspice anyone?). Thanks for an entertaining blog (I discovered yours through Brandi). Am going to follow you.

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