Hi, my name is Calendula, and I'm a Cookbook-oholic

[calendula]

I have a big problem. I try to hide it from my husband. I sneak them into the house from garage sales, flea markets, and eBay. They are taking up shelf upon shelf, but I can't stop bringing them home. I'm addicted.

...To cookbooks.

I specifically prefer vintage, the older the better, though I am fond of 50s and 60s era cookbooks as well. I love to read old recipes and learn how women (and men too occassionally) used to cook long ago. Cookbooks from the 1800s fascinate me; in addition to the recipes, they often have other interesting tidbits included in their pages, such as this advice from an 1889 cookbook, called "Aunt Babette's Cook Book":

In preparing a traveler's or a picnic lunch, lay a damp napkin, wrung out in cold water, at top and bottom of the lunch so as to envelope it entirely. This will keep it quite fresh for a good many hours.

I love depression era cookbooks, with their simple and inexpensive ingredients, and have found lots of great recipes from my 1930s cookbooks, especially for breads and baked goods, but also some good dinner recipes (including a family favorite that we call "Slop on Toast," but is otherwise lovingly known as "Sh*t on a Shingle" by many.

And then there are my retro cookbooks from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. If you are looking for some good uses for Jell-O, look no further than any 1950s or 60s cookbook , as it apparently was wildly popular. Recently I was browsing through a treasure I found at a library book sale, and found a recipe for shrimp in gelatin . I'm not brave enough to try it (shrimp's too expensive to waste if it doesn't turn out), but who knows, maybe it's good? Other great cookbooks that I often find are made by the Farm Journal. "The Farm Journal's Country Cookbook" is where I found a spectacular recipe for Lard Cake, that I ultimately ended up posting on my blog because it was too good not to share.

But, my favorite types of vintage cookbooks are ones that are made locally, usually by the women of a local church or other such organization. The recipes are sometimes vague, instructing you to simply "Bake until done," which is quite a contrast to most modern recipes that will specify a baking temperature and time, but I can generally get things figured out. From these types of cookbooks, I have gathered many of my favorite recipes, including one for the best banana bread that you'll ever have (secret ingredient is sour cream), and casserole dish upon casserole dish (I love casseroles because they are tasty and simple, and generally don't dirty too many dishes).

Does anyone else share my cookbook addiction? Or maybe just have a certain old cookbook that they love? Or some great old recipes that they still use today? I'd love to hear about them!

[Farmfresh]

I have a couple of treasured old cookbooks that used to belong to my Grandma Nettie, but frankly I cleared out the majority of my collection when we moved. It was at the point of being slightly ridiculous and really ... I seldom use a recipe anyway. But I do like my Grandma's old one. It is full of notes she made and lots of recipes they just don't have anymore.

[patriceinil]

Hi I’m Patrice and I also have a cookbook obsession! I refuse to part with any of them even though most are not gluten free. That’s what I’m adding to the collection these days, along with adding Keto & Paleo cookbooks. My free ebook collection is just as if not worse out of control!

[Old Fashioned]

Count me in that category though my collection has increased/decreased over the years, I'm like you that I like older vintage cookbooks and for about the same reasons. Another reason for my own collecting was for the canning sections for the recipes & methods, etc. Though space to keep them seems to keep dwindling.

I do still have a shelf dedicated to cookbooks. Several of them are there for safe keeping but there is a few that each have certain go-to recipes that I'll probably never get rid of. I do have 2 Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks that I love especially for things like biscuits, pancakes, cornbread & the like. One is dated or I should say the last revised edition date is 1949 and the other doesn't have a date and is in rough shape but is a different edition than the other. Mostly the page holes have torn or are glued together from whatever ingredients used at the time. Both are ring-binder books.

I've also turned to youtube for a lot of the old ways. Jas. Townsends is a good one for 1700/1800 recipes & cooking methods, and Wartime Kitchens & Gardens has a few ideas on stretching the food budget because of rationing during WW2 in England. There are many other channels along similar lines, that I've not seen as yet but will get to them eventually.

[calendula]

I do have 2 Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks that I love especially for things like biscuits, pancakes, cornbread & the like. One is dated or I should say the last revised edition date is 1949 and the other doesn't have a date and is in rough shape but is a different edition than the other. Mostly the page holes have torn or are glued together from whatever ingredients used at the time. Both are ring-binder books.

My mother-in-law has a vintage Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, but it is from, I think 1980. It was a wedding gift, but she likes it so much, that she has never gotten rid of it, and still uses is frequently. It is well worn! We have a BH & G cookbook in a binder as well, but I think ours is from the 90s maybe? It's actually my husband's--he had it when we met. But, when we consolidated things, it became "ours."

I picked up a little cookbook at the library book sale:



It's small. It looks like something that was maybe sold in a rack at the check-out lane in a grocery store. The date on it is 1971, so it isn't terribly old (although 48 years is quite some time), but definitely was worth picking up (for a cookbook addict like myself ).

I found a mayonnaise recipe in it that I'd like to try:



I prefer to use avocado oil in mayo though; I just think it tastes better.

[Old Fashioned]

I do have 2 Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks that I love especially for things like biscuits, pancakes, cornbread & the like. One is dated or I should say the last revised edition date is 1949 and the other doesn't have a date and is in rough shape but is a different edition than the other. Mostly the page holes have torn or are glued together from whatever ingredients used at the time. Both are ring-binder books.

My mother-in-law has a vintage Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, but it is from, I think 1980. It was a wedding gift, but she likes it so much, that she has never gotten rid of it, and still uses is frequently. It is well worn! We have a BH & G cookbook in a binder as well, but I think ours is from the 90s maybe? It's actually my husband's--he had it when we met. But, when we consolidated things, it became "ours."

I picked up a little cookbook at the library book sale:



It's small. It looks like something that was maybe sold in a rack at the check-out lane in a grocery store. The date on it is 1971, so it isn't terribly old (although 48 years is quite some time), but definitely was worth picking up (for a cookbook addict like myself ).

I found a mayonnaise recipe in it that I'd like to try:



I prefer to use avocado oil in mayo though; I just think it tastes better.

Cal....can you look for a simple shrimp macaroni & pea salad in that book? I'm just trying to figure out the dressing mix used in a salad SIL had brought to #3's grad party. It just had that retro-ness to it, like something once popular but lost in the new age. It wasn't overly flavorful and seemed like she used plain mayo, but I highly doubt that as she had been a good cook. Though may have had a dab of mustard
mixed in???

It did have the shrimp, macaroni, peas, celery and probably some onion but not sure what else. As I said the dressing was low-key. I didn't notice ranch or dill (though would have been a good addition) or anything really specific....IF there was anything specific, it wasn't noticeable. But even so, it was still really good.

[patriceinil]

OF could it be something like this dressing for macaroni salad?

[patriceinil]

Here are some dressing recipes from a 1930’s cookbook. It might have been a boiled dressing recipe or the mayonnaise dressing recipe. If you cannot read everything let me know and I’ll get a better picture.

[Farmfresh]

I am liking this thread.

[Old Fashioned]

OF could it be something like this dressing for macaroni salad?

Thanks Patrice, that just might be it One of these days I'll have to try it and let you know