Fund Raiser Cookbooks

[KathyJ]

Wondering what everyone's opinion is on Fund Raiser type cookbooks. You know, the ones from churches, schools or some other organization.

I have some that I've bought because I've either attended that church or school or known someone that did.

Do you usually have pretty good results with the recipes? I've heard opinions on both sides.

 

[pdswife]

I like the few that I have.

 

[SharonT]

I think community cookbooks are great - some are better than others, of course! I enjoy Junior League cookbooks particularly. Usually with those the recipes are tested before being included.

I'm working on a cookbook committee right now for my church group. We're working with FRP (Favorite Recipes Press) who have done some great books. We are just starting the recipe collection process. In the past, our group has done 3 or 4 other books (the big thick ones with everybody's recipes and their names under) and this will be different... all the recipes will be tested and some weeded out... no cooks' names will appear except on a "contributors' list". There are some who aren't gonna go for that...

 

[Bangbang]

I only have one that Ilike.....most of the others I have seen had recipes that sucked. I like books that have kitchen tested recipes in them. Especially if the ingredients is expensive.

 

[suzyQ3]

I only have one that Ilike.....most of the others I have seen had recipes that sucked. I like books that have kitchen tested recipes in them. Especially if the ingredients is expensive.

I gotta agree with you here, BB. I, too, have a couple that I like, but honestly, most of them are very redundant. The newer ones may be a bit more creative with fresh ingredients, but the old ones seemed to concentrate on different variations of the same recipe -- usually involving some type of canned soup and lots of processed food.

So it's ironic, then, for me to admit to owning quite a collection of older JL books (some newer ones too), other fundraising ones, and a whole bunch of the Favorite Recipes of Home Ec teachers that was put out by Favorite Recipes Press. I just love the retro-ness of them, even if I don't go to them for a lot of recipes.

 

[jkath]

Some I like, others I don't!
Just like suzyQ said, many think that putting meat + soup + topping = a recipe!
However, I have some books that are fantastic! Those would be the ones that the contributors ONLY put in one recipe...their best!

The worst one I have is from a friend's organization. I purchased it before I saw it....and (ack!) there are so many spelling errors!!! At least 6 on each recipe!

 

[Andy M.]

I don't know how effective they are as fund raisers. I have a couple that I like. I mostly don't buy them.

 

[KathyJ]

So it's ironic, then, for me to admit to owning quite a collection of older JL books (some newer ones too), other fundraising ones, and a whole bunch of the Favorite Recipes of Home Ec teachers that was put out by Favorite Recipes Press. I just love the retro-ness of them, even if I don't go to them for a lot of recipes.

I forgot about the Home Ec ones. Yeah, my stepdaughter was selling them a couple years ago and I got two... then I found some more at a thrift store and started buying them... really haven't used any though. I would think that since the recipes come from the teachers, they should be good. Right?

 

[lulu]

I once had the opportunity to look over a Devon County (US) community cook book. I have coveted it ever since. I would LOVE a collection of US community cook books. Many things American DC members take as basics are of course very different for non -US members. It was this book that has been the inspiration for me cheekily asking many UK cooks for the recipes to things....its heritage...hang on to it!

 

[suzyQ3]

I forgot about the Home Ec ones. Yeah, my stepdaughter was selling them a couple years ago and I got two... then I found some more at a thrift store and started buying them... really haven't used any though. I would think that since the recipes come from the teachers, they should be good. Right?

I don't know about that necessarily. The Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers books that I collect are mostly from the 60s and 70s, although I have a few more recent ones. My perhaps unfair view of home ec back then was that is was still stuck in thae "let's make sure we have balanced meals" approach rather than to any appreciation of what the results might, you know, taste like. If you read the prefaces to these and other major cookbooks written post-WW II, you see that same almost scientific approach to recipes and menus. I love them for their retro appeal but not necessarily for use today.

And I still remember my junior high school cooking home ec cooking teacher (do they still have them?) in the early 60s -- to Miss Crumpacker (yup), the art of cooking came down to how well you could measure ingredients and how boring you could make the whole process. But I also remember one brave soul of a home ec teacher in high school who had the audacity to try to get us to appreciate stir-fried fresh asparagus. I was the only one who would try it.

 

[southerncooker]

I really enjoy community cookbooks that give a feel for the area they are from. I agree the Junior League ones are great too. I have had successes with recipes I've tried from Community and Church cookbooks. You do sometimes run across the same recipes in several from an area though. I have several Home EC cookbooks as well and have enjoyed cooking and getting recipe ideas from them. I have just over a thousand cookbooks. I guess you could say I'm a cookbook addict.

 

[licia]

In my cookbook collection are quite a few of this type. Some from hospital auxiliary groups, garden clubs, churches, cook off contests, etc. Most of them I've found quite a few recipes I enjoyed. True, there are some that I didn't like, but that is the same with other cookbooks also. Several of the books I was given by friends who travel to places I haven't been and some I've picked up when I travel. I like both local and other regional books, sometimes just to read and sometimes I find fantastic recipes to make.

 

[beaulana2]

I have lots of these type of cookbooks only use a couple of recipes out of each. I know there alot of work to put together!! I collected all the recipes, for our fundraiser cookbook for the high school band program, well worth it we raised alot of money thru this type of fundraiser.

 

[Gretchen]

Pretty much like any cookbook--some will be good and some soso. And I have a couple of community cookbooks that are absolutely outstanding.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Some are good - some are bad.

The best Greek cookbooks I have come from women's groups at Greek Orthodox Churchs that are trying to preserve the traditional recipes. I've also got a great Irish one from a Catholic chruch in Boston, and a great Italian one from a Catholic church in Brooklyn. I was going to buy one from the Korean-Baptist chruch on the other side of town ... but, well, they hadn't translated it into English - and I can't read Korean.

The worst such "church women's group" cookbook I ever saw was probably from the women at the 1st Baptist Chruch in Albany, GA. They all had their own "signature" dishes they would bring to the covered dish pot-luck dinners ... and they didn't want anyone else to know their "secrets" that made their version of something special over someone else's ... so they left out an ingredients or two ... I remember Mom trying to made things from that cookbook and it never tasted the same. I think she finally gave up and thew it away.

It's buying a "pig-n-a-poke" ..... sometimes you get a winner .... sometimes you don't.

 

[cjs]

"and they didn't want anyone else to know their "secrets""

that thinking just drives me to distraction!!!

 

[Alix]

Ladies would you like me to split your questions etc into a separate thread? We're wandering a bit from the original topic.

I love most of the community collections I have. I agree with jkath though, some of the recipes are "brown meat, slop soup and stir". I have one that my niece compiled from all our extended family members of their favorites. What a blessing to have that reference handy!

 

[cjs]

Sorry that it looked to you that we were straying - but we were still talking fund raiser books - not a penny made from them came to my pocket - talking about fund raiser cookbooks is one of my passions! Anyone's.

I hope they never go out of style.

 

[auntdot]

Have a Greek food cookbook we picked up at a Greek Orthodox Church festival when we lived in Florida, it is great.

Also have a Cajun cookbook that is subperb.

Most of the rest we have been felt obliged to purchase are poor.

In one there are six recipes for the same broccoli casserole. Yeesh.

We have contributed to one with two TNT recipes.

No one bothered to let us proof them before printing, and one was so mangled I hope no one actually tied it.

I guess it depends upon how careful the people are who put the book together.

 

[SharonT]

sales tax question

I have a question about selling cookbooks for a fund raiser. When sold by a non-profit organization and all proceeds go to non-profit causes, does the organization have to charge sales tax on the cookbook? Is it different from state to state in the US?