Friday, July 1, 2016

Cookbooks... Old ones that is.

Like a lot of people who love to cook, I collect cookbooks.
I love old cookbooks, and in fact refuse to buy any commercial cookbooks that are published after 1964.
That's my arbitrary date, no reason for it, other than the fact that I accidentally bought two cookbooks, the New Good Housekeeping cookbook, both published in the same year, 1964.  I had actually bought one and put it in storage when we moved, then I got the other one as a Christmas present.   sigh.  So I now have two.
I also love to collect 'collections', those cookbooks that are compilations, and roundups of recipes that local cooks share for fundraising cookbooks.
I've got several of them.
And they have the best recipes.
Ones that don't appear in 'commercial' cookbooks.
These are usually tried and true, family recipes, that have been honed and refined over time.    And give you a glimpse into families, kinda like peeking in the window.

And every so often I hit the mother lode and find pamphlets like these.
The first one was put out by Pillsbury.   They sponsored the Kate Smith hour, and were featuring Sno Sheen Cake Flour.   Even back then they had mixes, but the cake recipes are all from 'scratch'. 
55 Favorite Cake Recipes from Ann Pillsbury
Frontispiece for Ann Pillsbury Cake Recipes
How cool is that?    I've scanned in the pages, as this one was published in 1952 and is pretty fragile.  There are frosting recipes, decorating tips and more.   I'm thinking I should make a cake or two soon.  Some of them sound too good to not make and share. 
Index page for Ann Pillsbury Cakes

2nd Index page for Ann Pillsbury CakesSee what I mean, lots of inspiration in this little pamphlet.

The other one I recently got was this one.
Favorite Recipes for Country Kitchens, put out in 1945 by General Mills.   
Favorite Recipes for Country Kitchens 1945 by General Mills front cover
Favorite Recipes for Country Kitchens 1945 frontispiece
Can I just tell you how much fun I'm having with these?   
There are very few, 'convenience' foods in either one, and both feature some really incredible recipes.   

And since there are lots of recipes in both booklets that I want to try, you know I'll be sharing them here. 
Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

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