Help me find out about this cookbook, please

[choclatechef]

I bought this old cookbook at a thrift shop recently: The Ossoli Club Cook Book. I would like to find out as much as possible about the era and the group who created it. I did a google search and found nothing.

It has absolutely no copyright or publishing information except saying on the first few pages: published by The Ossoli Club.

It is one of the old fabric over cardboard covers and has ads for businesses located in Illinois. The first ad says,

"A Little Home -
A Little Family -
A Little LOVE -
A Few Friends -
- and a
Woods Electric -

Gee! What more can a man or woman want?
The car with the solid tires

Woods Motor Vehicle Co.
2521 Calumet Avenue
blah blah
It pictures an illustration of a family and outside the window, a real old flat top car of some type [I know little about cars]. It looks more like a carriage than a car to me.


The cookbook recipes read like this one for fruit relish:

Grape fruit pulp, bananas, sliced and quartered, mixed with shredded pineapple, using half as much pineapple as either grape fruit or bananas, strawberries cut in halves. Altogether 2 cups of fruit. Pour over fruit 1/3 cup sherry, 3 tablespoons of apricot brandy, 1/2 cup ofsugar and a few grains of salt. Chill thoroughly, and serve in sherbet cups as first course at luncheon.

Thanks for any help I recieve on this cookbook.

 

[WayneT]

This link will give you just about everything you want to knopw about the Ossoli Club. i couldn't find any actual info pertaining to the Cookbook though.


The Ossoli Club

 

[choclatechef]

Wow! Thanks Wayne T!

 

[Audeo]

Choclatechef, it sure sounds as if you have, indeed, found a treasure! And by WayneT's link to handy info, that cookbook is approaching 125 years in age, right?

Man, that fruit relish/cocktail sure sounds on the high side of fabulous!

 

[choclatechef]

Thanks Audeo. I looked at it further, and there are lots of interesting recipes. If you are interested in any, let me know.

 

[Audeo]

Oh, I'm VERY interested!

I'd bet there are really interesting "soiree sandwich" fillings, canapes and even molded salads in there that we haven't seen in "modern" cookbooks for a while! Hmmm...I wonder if they have a date loaf candy like mine?

Post away down yonder at your convenience!

Thank you, choclatechef!!!!! 8)

 

[choclatechef]

okee dokee Audeo. I will be posting this afternoon. 8)

 

[Audeo]

She fiendishly wrings her hands in perfect glee....!

I'll look forward to awakening to that a wee bit later!

Danke!

 

[choclatechef]

Oh, I'm VERY interested!

I'd bet there are really interesting "soiree sandwich" fillings, canapes and even molded salads in there that we haven't seen in "modern" cookbooks for a while! Hmmm...I wonder if they have a date loaf candy like mine?

Post away down yonder at your convenience!

Thank you, choclatechef!!!!! 8)

Audeo. The have date confections, white cream candy, chocolate caramels, hard nut candy, candied orange peel, divinity fudge, chocolate fudge, panuche, cream mints, and turkish delight. That is all the candy they have

Do you want any of them?

 

[Michael in FtW]

choclatechef - the info about the Woods Motor Co. ad helps narrow down the age of the cookbook some - well, at least within a 20 year span.

Woods was in business from 1899 to 1919. From 1899-1915 the cars were just electric. From 1916-1919, when they went out of business, they produced a hybrid car (gas and electric).

So, my guess would be that if the ad doesn't mention hybrid or it having a combination of both gas and electric engines, it was probably 1899-1915. If in the ad, maybe in the blah-blah stuff, it does mention hybrid or dual engines, it would have to be 1916-1919.

I love finding old books like that!

 

[choclatechef]

Thanks Mike! I like finding old cookbooks also.

Apparently, this is the oldest [as far as actual age] that I have. I have reprints of old cookbooks written by black chefs -- one from 1827, and another from 1881.

 

[Audeo]

[quote="choclatechefAudeo. The have date confections, white cream candy, chocolate caramels, hard nut candy, candied orange peel, divinity fudge, chocolate fudge, panuche, cream mints, and turkish delight. That is all the candy they have

Do you want any of them?[/quote]

After the wealth of info you've already kindly posted on my behalf, I'm almost hesitant to ask...but...

I sure would like to see that "divinity fudge"...and wonder if it's a variation of fudge using fondant in place of direct sugar.

I am amazed at the cookbook treasures you've found. How nice to know someone is out there actively pursuing these historical items and protecting them for the next generation! So many old arts are lost, which is why I determinedly make confections the old way...to be able to keep it alive.

Thank you, choclatechef!

 

[choclatechef]

Don't feel shy Audeo! I told you before, I will post whatever you ask me to! I just don't know what you or anybody else would want from these old cookbooks. I would not want to post stuff no one is interested in -- that's all.

Alas, most of my oldest old fashion World War II cookbooks and prior, are in storage.

I am trying to interest my nieces about old fashioned soul food and just old fashioned cooking, but so far........

I am stubborn though, and when I pass on, they still will have to deal with my collection of about 80 some and counting soul food cookbooks, and 40 odd and counting old fashioned cookbooks.

Plus, I plan on leaving them all the great recipes in a CD cookbook that I am compiling from what I have found online, and what I remember from childhood.

That will teach the little farts to ignore me! :twisted:

Oh. I should also say, I saw an add in the Ossoli Club cookbook that states: Licensed plumber .. steam and hot water heating expert .. 1883 to 1911 J.J. Cahill, plumbing and heating contractor.

That narrows it down a little. I would suspect this cookbook was compiled approximately in 1911.

 

[LEFSElover]

http://mamma.com/Mamma?qtype=0&query=The+Ossoli+Club&Submit=Go+Mamma!

click on this and pull it up.
maybe if you go into each one, you'll find a phone number and you can call to get more ifo.

I first read your inquiry, then posted. Now I see you've come up with lot's of info so mine may not pertain. Just trying to be helpful. What city did you find this treasure? Just curious. How funny that some folks find it odd that some of us like to go on treasuretroves in thrift stores. See what you can find?

 

[choclatechef]

You did help LefseLover!

From your post, I found out that the Ossoli Club was southern in origin. Thanks.