New Cookbook, Old Edition

[Selkie]

I just recieved by mail my lastest treasure - "Favorite Recipes of Mainliner Chefs of United Air Lines" pub. 1954

It's a 48 page booklet with recipes and color photos of the most popular dishes served from the flight kitchens at that time. I find it interesting that of the eleven Mainliner Chefs, six of them were Swiss, two were Austrian, one Frenchman, one Albanian, and only one American.

1954 was the same year my father became a United Air Lines pilot and I became a child of the United family for the following sixteen years. My mother and I traveled five or six times each year, piling on the air miles at a significant rate. Often, space available, meant we could occupy first class. What a treat!

Although I don't specifically recall any of these dishes, I do have the impression that I thought they were pretty good at that time.

I'm going to have fun duplicating some of them. I have a small collection of United China and silverware, so I may even attempt to copy the look on the photos!

Having fun with my food!

Do you collect odd-ball, or specialty cookbooks?

 

[Andy M.]

That sounds really interesting. It will be fun to make some of the recipes.

I saw a book in a B&B some years ago that I searched out and bought for my collection. It's all about the foods and meals served on the Titanic. With sample menus and recipes. There was a lot of history and discussion of the differences across first class, second class, steerage, etc. They really knew how to eat back then. Fascinating!

 

[Aunt Bea]

I just recieved by mail my lastest treasure - "Favorite Recipes of Mainliner Chefs of United Air Lines" pub. 1954

It's a 48 page booklet with recipes and color photos of the most popular dishes served from the flight kitchens at that time. I find it interesting that of the eleven Mainliner Chefs, six of them were Swiss, two were Austrian, one Frenchman, one Albanian, and only one American.

1954 was the same year my father became a United Air Lines pilot and I became a child of the United family for the following sixteen years. My mother and I traveled five or six times each year, piling on the air miles at a significant rate. Often, space available, meant we could occupy first class. What a treat!

Although I don't specifically recall any of these dishes, I do have the impression that I thought they were pretty good at that time.

I'm going to have fun duplicating some of them. I have a small collection of United China and silverware, so I may even attempt to copy the look on the photos!

Having fun with my food!

Do you collect odd-ball, or specialty cookbooks?[/QUOTE]

I collect all sorts of old cookbooks and now have over 1,200 of them. I am focusing now on finding items relating to the Merrell Soule company. They created such things as None Such mincemeat and KLIM. I also collect Syracuse China. They did a lot in the transportation industry.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I like to collect Cookbooks or reproductions of Old Cookbooks from Britain, pub foods, simple foods. I also have cookbooks on Tapas, Hors d'oeuvre, etc, from all over the world. It's what got me interested in Sushi.

And teapots...

 

[Joshatdot]

found some pics of it ..
united airlines cookbook | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Selkie]

found some pics of it ..
united airlines cookbook | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

That's it!

 

[Selkie]

This cookbook certainly shows its age when one of the appetizer recipes begins with:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds of crab meat
...

Yeah, right!

Another recipe specifically mentions "shelled peas" as opposed to just plain "peas." And the term "bakery bread" is mentioned more than once in an even older cookbook.

It's funny how older recipes worked under different availability and economics than recipes of today.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I get a little frustrated with the ones that refer to a small package or can of some prepared item instead of an actual size or amount.

I really enjoy the ones that give a glimpse into the daily life or routines of average people.

I remember in my own childhood that the weekly meals in our small town followed a pretty standard pattern. You could tell by the day of the week what was on the table in most of the homes. I am not sure if an updated version ot those routines still exist.

The one that you have from the airline will be a real gem in years to come when peoples jaws drop at the thought of a three star meal on an airplane. Those days are just about gone.

 

[Zhizara]

This cookbook certainly shows its age when one of the appetizer recipes begins with:

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds of crab meat
...

Yeah, right!

Another recipe specifically mentions "shelled peas" as opposed to just plain "peas." And the term "bakery bread" is mentioned more than once in an even older cookbook.

It's funny how older recipes worked under different availability and economics than recipes of today.

Yeah, right! is so true. I just checked the ad for a local store that advertised 1# of lump crabmeat ON SALE for $12.99. The thing is, I'll probably treat myself to a pound. I'm really hungry for crabcakes and some stuffed mushrooms.

 

[Andy M.]

Not to mention the 100 year-old cookbook that has a recipe for beef stew which starts out with fifty cents worth of stew beef.

 

[Addie]

Radcliff College in Boston has a libray of cookbooks written by women. Some of them date back to the 1500's. Some great recipes on how to cook a whole stag, stuffed swans, etc. Some really weird yet elegant foods.

The Turkduckhen that is so popular today is not a new dish. That stuffed swan was stuffed with goose all the way down to a dove. You could spend days there reading those books. Just bring your white gloves with you.

 

[GLC]

You can also look through the Cookery section of the Gutenberg Project.

Cookery (Bookshelf) - Gutenberg

All out of copyright. Many historical and ancient. HTML, TXT, and some eBook formats.

Many more titles at Google Books.

https://www.google.com/search?q=cookery&hl=en&safe=active&tbo=1&tbs=bkv:r&tbm=bks&ei=DGWZT8SjFsaA2wWRpJ2yBw&start=10&sa=N

 

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Selkie,

This is a fanstastic post. So pleased that you have thought of it.

BOOKS, MAGAZINES & GOVERNMENT HISTORICAL RECIPES are the items I have been collecting since time memorial ... Since, I can read in several Latin Languages, I have quite a vast variety in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French as well as German and Galician ( a language very similar to Portuguese with Latin overtones ) ...

Some of my faves include:

1) 1928 - The Parador Hotel Network Hotel Recipes ( there are 93 hotels, 50 which are purpose built & modern and the rest are restored fortresses and castles, manor mansions, monasteries, convents and palaces )

2) My Mom Eva´s Cake, Bread and Cookie Recipes from a book dating back to the 1950s ... Truly a treasure to have for international cake recipes and multi ethnic holiday cookies.

3) The regional Spanish cookbooks from the Tourism Bureau of Galicia, Cantabria, Andalusia, The Castillas, The Basque Country, Catalonia, Mallorca, Asturias and the Canary Islands, Melilla and Ceuta.

They are in Spanish and they contain historical dishes of each region.

I could go on and on, however, I am not home to provide the exact titles or publishing houses.

Have great day and thanks again for posting.
Margi.

 

[Joshatdot]

I got some old old BH&G cook books from Goodwill .. circa 1963:

- Barbeques and Picnics
- Lunches and Brunches

There was LOADS of these old BH&G books at Goodwill .. but at $3 a pop I didn't have enough to buy all 30+ of em!

 

[justplainbill]

Not to mention the 100 year-old cookbook that has a recipe for beef stew which starts out with fifty cents worth of stew beef.

Probably 5 pounds-View attachment 13608

 

[justplainbill]

Probably 5 pounds-View attachment 13608

enlarged-

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Josh At Dot,

Thanks for posting and your input. My mom had several:

Better Homes & Gardens, Woman´s Day, Family Circle and many other 1950s magazines and books ... Got them here, however, need the time to go through them ...

Margi Cintrano.