Vintage Cookbooks Passed Down in the Family

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C

Cookbook Shop

Assistant Cook
Joined
Sep 28, 2009
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30
Location
Glendale, Arizona
Greetings from Arizona! Being an avid collector of vintage cookbooks, I am curious to know what (favorite or otherwise) cookbooks you inherited from family members-- mother, father, aunt or grandmother. Two old cookbooks I inherited from my mother are The American Woman's Cookbook (1947) edited by Ruth Berolzheimer, Rumford Complete Cook Book (1931) inherited from her Aunt and Better Homes and Garden's 23rd DeLuxe edition (1951) from my Paternal grandmother. I didn't choose these, but they are mine and cherished never-the-less. My mother was born in 1916 and I in 1950. :wub: Cindy
 
Wow, no one replied. I am a newbie and just came across your post, and I love vintage cookbooks.
I have several vintage Better Homes and Gardens "New" Cookbooks, I found mine in antique and thrift shops, but some are the same editions I grew up with.
I also, have The Woman's Day Encyclopedias of Cooking. LOVE THEM!!
 
I also love old cookbooks. Unfortunately, my mother never was one for using cookbooks (or recipes of any kind, for that matter). So we don't have any family cookbooks--I do have the vintage Picayune cookbook, as well as an interesting collection of books my husband and I have accumulated over the past 30-40 years. (note--HIS cookbooks are from the past 40 years--not mine!:D) Some of the old recipes are quite amusing. If you need to know how to prepare a snipe, aspic, or fine young stingaree, let me know!
 
Margaux said:
I also love old cookbooks. Unfortunately, my mother never was one for using cookbooks (or recipes of any kind, for that matter). So we don't have any family cookbooks--I do have the vintage Picayune cookbook, as well as an interesting collection of books my husband and I have accumulated over the past 30-40 years. (note--HIS cookbooks are from the past 40 years--not mine!:D) Some of the old recipes are quite amusing. If you need to know how to prepare a snipe, aspic, or fine young stingaree, let me know!
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That is funny:ROFLMAO:!:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
I have the American Woman's Cook Book, but not the same as my mother had - hers was 1947, but mine is 1963. They are much the same. I also have several Betty Crocker and Better Homes and Gardens books. Many in my collection are Southern Living. I also collected cook books from the many Pilot club auxiliaries, churches and garden clubs, joy of cooking, Fanny Farmer, etc. One of my most favorite is "The taste of Georgia". I'm not collecting anymore since I have no room to put them. There are several hundred in my collection.
 
Barbara, did you ever make the coconut snowballs in that cookbook? My mother made those for us often.
 
The oldest cookbook I have is a McCall's Cooking School cookbook from the 1970s. My mother and grandmothers never used cookbooks. One summer, I annoyed all in trying to copy down recipes, so I have the book I wrote things down in. I would say it is my most treasured possession.

I have a few cookbooks that are replicas, which are fun to read. One was produced for railroad kitchen cars. It's amazing how detailed they were in the heyday of train travel where meals were served by porters and the silver was real!

~Kathleen
 
licia said:
Barbara, did you ever make the coconut snowballs in that cookbook? My mother made those for us often.
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I remember my grandmother making those - we loved them, should get out that book and see if I can be inspired to make them - we have 2 new grand children after all! Start those memories.
 
I haven't inherited any cookbooks yet, but there are a couple that I "procured" from my mother when I left home that I have often refer to. The Diet Cookbook from the Bureau of Consumer Research (remember them?) 1974 and The Woman's Advantage Diet 1989. I know I know.. diet cookbooks? lol But they have lots of taste.When I got married, my mother gave me my most prized cook book believe it or not is The Sheraton World Cookbook 1980.
 
I have my Great Grandmothers, Mary Dunbar's Cook Book (1927) Jewel Tea Company & one Called Ration-Time Recipe Book, she got it when they handed out the ration stamp book's.
 
:innocent:Somehow or other, I ended up with most of my mom's vintage cookbooks, and my grandparents cookbooks! And my grandparents had over 50 grandchildren.....:ohmy:

Hummmmmmm, Do you think anyone noticed?:angel:
 
My mom passed down a Dr. Chase's Receipts from 1879-something, and a Godey's Ladies Book from 1890-something. Both have really interesting recipes in them, but probably not ones most of us would want to follow today.
 
Everybody's Cook Book....Isabel Lord....1924
Household Search Light....Arthur Cooper....1931
And three older ones in a Safe Deposit Box........
 
I've been checking Thrift Stores for old copies of BH&G New Cook book. Not much luck but I did find a 1981 edition last year.
 
Leolady said:
:innocent:Somehow or other, I ended up with most of my mom's vintage cookbooks, and my grandparents cookbooks! And my grandparents had over 50 grandchildren.....:ohmy:

Hummmmmmm, Do you think anyone noticed?:angel:
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LOL!


I have two, but only one was handed down. I have my maternal grandmothers' BH&G 1965 version. On eBay I saw a 1913 Church cookbook from the Oskaloosa Iowa Friends Meeting and I knew I had at least 8 relatives who belonged at that time. Had to go to $53.:ohmy:, but I got it:). My paternal great grandmother has a recipe for veal loaf calling for 7 pounds of meat, and my great great grandmother submitted a recipe for mackerel. As June said, most recipes are not tempting. But I would not trade this cookbook for anything. It has many ads from local businesses, including a smokeless hot water heater that would have kept you warm that cold winter of 1911-12;)
 
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bethzaring said:
LOL!


I have two, but only one was handed down. I have my maternal grandmothers' BH&G 1965 version. On eBay I saw a 1913 Church cookbook from the Oskaloosa Iowa Friends Meeting and I knew I had at least 8 relatives who belonged at that time. Had to go to $53.:ohmy:, but I got it:). My paternal great grandmother has a recipe for veal loaf calling for 7 pounds of meat, and my great great grandmother submitted a recipe for mackerel. As June said, most recipes are not tempting. But I would not trade this cookbook for anything. It has many ads from local businesses, including a smokeless hot water heater that would have kept you warm that cold winter of 1911-12;)
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P R I C E L E S S ! :wub:
 
translation -apicius--( root word for epicure ?) first century Roman cookery
" !860's british workingman Or working class cookbook
" Art of Cuisine by Tolouse Latrec-morice joyant
" 1912 Whitehouse cookbook
 
I have a cookbook that was passed down to me from my first husband's grandmother. It is The New Delineator Cookbook. I think the New Delineator was a magazine. A couple of pages are now missing from the front of the book but if I remember right the cookbook was published in 1939. Or maybe it was 1929. Anyway, one of the recipes in the book calls for 5 cents worth of macaroni. What is that today, about a half cup? Well, I get a kick out of it.
 
joesfolk said:
I have a cookbook that was passed down to me from my first husband's grandmother. It is The New Delineator Cookbook. I think the New Delineator was a magazine. A couple of pages are now missing from the front of the book but if I remember right the cookbook was published in 1939. Or maybe it was 1929. Anyway, one of the recipes in the book calls for 5 cents worth of macaroni. What is that today, about a half cup? Well, I get a kick out of it.
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Depending on the other ingredients, I bet it was a pound of macaroni. I love the "measurements" in old cookbooks and recipes.
 
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