VINTAGE COOKBOOK HUMOR

PUT A LITTLE COOKBOOK HUMOR IN YOUR LIFE

Last month while browsing a new (to me) antique mall in the small, rural town of Tenino, WA, I stumbled across a mother-load of collectible cookbooks. One of them was “MAMA WEISS: favorite Recipes. This is a 171 page, spiral-bound cookbook from 1953.

MAMA WEISS – 1953

If the cover doesn’t cause you to pick it up, certainly some of the entertaining ethnic recipes inside will cause you to take it to the cash register. By the way, I paid $2.00 for this one!

MAMA WEISS’ INTRODUCTION

“Much of the household warmth comes from the kitchen–as does the food that sustains the family.

“Cooking doesn’t have to be drudgery–and it doesn’t have to be a fine culinary art. I think of it as a combination of common sense, adventure and fun.

“My whole life has centered around the kitchen. When I was a child my mother taught me how to cook the hearty but economical dishes of rural Hungary–the nourishing soups, the shepherd’s goulash, good bread and other simple but tasty dishes designed to feed a family of fourteen for the least amount of money.

“As a young girl in Budapest and Vienna I learned the finer points of European cookery–the wonderful pastries of Mme. Sacher’s famous restaurant–the delicious meats and natural sauces served at the Gellert Hotel–the fine coffee cake at the sidewalk cafe.

“It is rare that I can use a recipe in its original form. Instinct and my own personal taste require that I add a little more of one ingredient–or perhaps leave another out completely. that is why it is so hard for me to give a recipe in exact measurements. The most important ingredient is your own taste.

“A good cook uses all the senses–and if the dish you are making doesn’t come out exactly right the first time…who cares? The next time you try it, experiment a little. Soon you will get the feel of it–and cooking willbe fun.

“There is one other basic ingredient that I always use when I cook or bake. I always add a pinch of melody. Make sure that this ingredient is in all your recipes.

“Good cooks are not born–they get that way by cooking and tasting, by smelling and touching and listening. It’s a wonderful adventure–so hum your favorite melody and come, follow me…”

******

Tell me, is this a happy cook, or not?

MAMA WEISS – 1953

Check out this unique recipe from MAMA WEISS:

SWEET LETTERS

Dough

1/2 pound butter
1/2 pound flour
4 yolks of hard boiled eggs (grated)

Filling

3 egg whites
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 pound almonds (ground)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Beat the egg whites stiff. Add the sugar and lemon juice gradually as you continue to beat. Add the almonds. Roll the balls of dough out into the shape of a square. Bring each corner of the dough to the center so that it has the appearance of an envelope. Place in a greased baking pan and brush with egg white or sour cream. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a preheated oven.

Well folks, that’s about it for today. Be sure to sign up with your name and email address so I can keep you informed of future postings. I promise that I’ll never share your valued information. Also, when you do sign up you’ll get directions for downloading a cookbook that I compiled just for you called “100 Unique Recipes from the Past”.

Tim

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VINTAGE COLLECTIBLE COOKBOOKS

RYZON BAKING POWDER
BAKING BOOK – 1918

by Marion Harris Neil

RYZON Baking Book – 1918

RYZON BAKING POWDER – 1918

THE STORY OF RYZON

The Perfect Baking Powder, is the result of years of research work by the General Chemical Company. This Company’s staff includes some of the most eminent men in chemistry. For many years it has been producing the materials used by Baking Powder manufacturers and has been particularly well situated to understand the needs of the industry and to direct its research work along lines most likely to yield important results.

Baking Powder is a necessity. A good baking powder is essential to the comfort and convenience of every home. The solving of the baking powder problem, to produce for the American people and for the world a “perfect baking powder,” – one which should be not only efficient and practical, but should also fulfill all desirable requirements from the standpoint of purity and health, – is an achievement of which any company of scientific men might feel proud, especially when they are able to offer RYZON, with all of its
improvements over old-fashioned baking powders, at a lower price than usually asked for high grade baking powder.

After having perfected RYZON to their own satisfaction, officers of the General Chemical Company indirectly sent samples of RYZON to the most famous cooking experts. They were asked to try this new baking powder, – which then had no name, – and to say unreservedly what they thought. The replies were uniformly that this was the most wonderful baking powder ever tried, that less was required than of other baking powders, and that the results were perfect.

Finally, this new baking powder was sent to one of America’s greatest food authorities, who was asked for his frank opinion of it from a health standpoint. He wrote,in reply, that “RYZON has qualities of excellence and physiological relations which entitle it to the confidence and patronage of the public.” His opinion has been confirmed by other leading food experts of America.

This is the reason for RYZON, which is a guaranteed American pure food product of superior quality and efficiency, at a fair price.

RYZON Baking Book – 1918

RYZON WAFFLES

4 level teaspoonfuls RYZON
2 level cupfuls (1/2 pound) flour
1/2 level teaspoonful salt
2 eggs – separated
1 1/2 cupfuls (3/4 pint) milk
4 tablespoonfuls (2 oz.) melted butter

Mix flour with RYZON and salt and sift into bowl. Beat yolks of eggs, add butter and milk. Add this mixture gradually to dry ingredients, beating thoroughly. when well mixed fold in the stiffly beaten whites of eggs. Pour from a pitcher into the center of a hot, well-greased waffle iron. Serve with melted butter and maple syrup or with cinnamon and sugar. Other fat may be used in place of butter but the waffles not brown as well.

As a breakfast or luncheon dish waffles are well known. Equally welcome are the waffles served with hot chocolate or coffee in the afternoon, or for an after theatre supper, especially when the use of an electric waffle iron makes baking at the table possible.

This hardbound 1918 beauty measures 6 1/2” x 8” and contains 81 pages. There are some really neat, colorful graphics like the one above. Estimated value is $24-$30.

Well folks, that’s it for today. A REMINDER: Be sure you sign-up for my mailing list and receive your free vintage cookbook to download — “100 Unique Recipes from the Past”, by Tim Mack

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RARE RECIPES

RARE RECIPES and BUDGETSAVERS, volume 2

The other day at a neat antique mall in Tacoma, WA I ran across a super cookbook from the past. Rare Recipes and Budget Savers, Vol. 2, dated 1963. This is a 112-page, spiral bound collection of recipes submitted by the readers of the Wichita Eagle and Beacon News, of Wichita, Kansas. There are really some interesting recipes and anecdotes to be found. The book measures 6.25″ x 9.25″. I paid $1.60 for the book and estimate its value to be between $8 and $10.

Rare Recipes 1963

How about a recipe for Vinegar Pie? No, then how about….

Kentucky Fried Chicken

On the subject of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mrs. Wilbur Nash, Jr., 1408 Del Mar, Wichita, writes: “I’m fully qualified (I think), as my home town is Louisville, Kentucky. We’ve lived in Wichita three years.”

“My mother’s method of Kentucky Chicken was pretty simple, not the batter fried chicken that we thought of as being more “deep south” than Kentucky. She simply salted and peppered the chicken before flouring, then used LARD (nothing more, and I don’t mean bacon grease) in a heavy black iron skillet, had the fire turned high and browned quickly on both sides, then covered with a lid, turned the fire down and let steam 20 minutes, or so. This is probably the method most used, but the difference is in using the lard. The flavor is delicious and not greasy tasting at all.”

Well folks, a short one today, but please don’t forget to get signed-up with your name and email so I can send you a copy of “100 Unique Recipes from the Past”. This is a complimentary, no-charge, free-gratis 50-page downloadable cookbook that I compiled for my readers.

Tim

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BETTER HOMES & GARDEN

WHEN FATHER COOKS the DINNER

I realize that more ladies probably read this blog than do men, but being one of the latter class, I felt that I had to do something about that. Today’s blog is dedicated to the man who likes to cook. The magazine Better Homes and Gardens published a small cookbook in 1930 consisting of favorite recipes from men.

In 1967 Sunset Magazine published a very successful cookbook for men – Cooking Bold and Fearless: A Cook Book for Men…

Sunset Magazine, 1967

Now, onward with “When Father Cooks the Dinner” from Better Homes and Gardens.

Foreward

“That the man of the house very often chooses the meal is a quite generally accepted fact. Men and women both admit that it is “he” who guides the cooking program by his likes and his dislikes, his suggestions, and his approbation.

“But, that the man of the family actually cooks – that has been a moot question. However, after reading the hundreds of recipes submitted in the men’s cooking contest conducted by Better Homes and Gardens, we have positive proof that he not only can cook but that he excels in it. It may look like a grand gesture when
he takes hold of the cooking spoon, but when he turns out a hash – the most lowly of dishes – to taste as superb as does the hash submitted by the first-prize winner, then we must agree that he is good.

Better Homes and Gardens, 1930

“The following must be admitted in order to give the man cook full credit: He is an excellent meat cook. The quality of his seasoning is high, whenever seasoning is required. Whether he cooks by rule or by inspiration, he uses only the best of ingredients. He is a generous cook and gauges his quantities according to healthy appetites. He is experimental – in other words, he uses his head and figures out new combinations and new methods; and whenever there is a mixing job to be done that requires thoroughness you may be sure that he will do the best possible job of mixing.

“We hope these recipes will serve as a guide to all men who feel the urge to cook; and that women – here, again, a word to the wise should be sufficient – will take our word for it that these are excellent recipes.”

BETTER HOMES and GARDENS
Elmer J. Peterson, Editor

When A Man Cooks by One Who Does

“Now, when it comes to the organization of a cake, or any other contraption that requires sweetening, I’ll give my wife the credit – she can bake it. Or, for that matter, when it is a question of taking a nicely fattened spring chicken and doing this and that with it to bring it out of the frying pan brown, and – well, almost fluffy – and altogether delicious – again, my wife’s there.

“But when the question is of turning the ordinary boiled potato of commerce into feathery, properly seasoned and altogether exuberant mashed potatoes, I’m the one who wields the masher.

Better Homes and Gardens, 1930

“Of course my wife has things all her own way, is the stellar performer, even, when it comes to preparing desserts, soups, salads, and such. I wouldn’t even think of arguing the point with her, but —

“When the consensus of the household is that slum shall be provided, hand me the apron and a flock of clean dishes, and she grants it. There is another point at which  I shine supreme, according to my wife, but from my own standpoint, it is a moot point. She claims that I’m the county champion dish-dirtier, and sometimes even is willing to suggest a district championship. And I’ll be frank; I do manage to use an extraordinary line-up of dishes in my culinary wanderings.

“But don’t get the idea that I come galumping home from work, night after night, to hurry out of my coat and into an apron. It’s every so often that at the office I think of

something that would taste very, very good, and I sell myself on the idea that I’m the only one who can do the job, so I call home and say, “Don’t worry about dinner; I’ll get it if you’ll order the groceries.” The voice at the other end of the wire usually says “Hurrah!”

“Or the gang has gone out some Saturday to make it tough on rabbits, and we come trooping in at night, pretty cold and ravenous, and I’m glad I can put a rabbit and corn pone thru the process so that the result is perfect fried rabbit and corn pone.

“No, there is no note of defense or apology in this. Being able to do a good job of cooking, to my notion, is just as creditable as being able to hit a target, plow a straight furrow, or write a good story. William Allen White makes an excellent salad and knows exactly how to pan-broil a steak. Will James is an expert on

Better Homes and Gardens, 1930

pancakes. Dr. Harvey Wiley is the originator of a delicious salad dressing. H. C. Witmer and Dr. Frank Crane gained fame for cookery exploits as well as for writing in diverse fields. C. C. Moore, former governor of Nevada, has an excellent recipe for corn bread. The list of famous men who are good cooks might be multiplied indefinitely.

“And so, summing up: When I get behind a very large, and at times, a very white apron and start fussing with food, I have a very stupendous time. I get pretty much of a wallop out of my cookery!”

He-Man’s Cake Frosting

“I like cheese with cake. Now, when one asks for cheese with cake he is apt to need the services of Sherlock Holmes and S. S. Van Dine to find the cheese. So at our house we have cake with cheese prepared as follows: In the first place my wife makes a cake. I don’t care what kind of cake it is so long as it is a cake, and then I prepare the frosting. I take 1 cupful of powdered sugar, 5 tablespoonfuls – yes, level! – of nippy cream cheese (it must have a bite to it), 1 tablespoonful of butter, 2 teaspoonfuls of water, and I stir them all up together. Then I add a half cupful of seedless raisins that have been stewed in water for a few minutes and chopped. Add a little salt. Then spread the frosting on the cake. Raisins are the affinity of cheese and take away a little of its harshness.

“I like this best on a pound cake. this is one recipe that I can claim all the credit for when served at a party without fear of having any whispered remarks when I am out in the kitchen getting a second helping.”

–Frank Romy, Nebraska

Better Homes and Gardens, 1930

“When Father Cooks the Dinner” is a 47-page, softbound cookbook from Better Homes and Gardens. Published in 1930 by Meredith Publishing Company of Des Moines, Iowa. The inside pages are a nice quality white gloss paper. Sketches are by an artist named Strothmann. Estimated value is $9-$12.

Well folks, that’s all for today. Thanks for stopping by. Be sure that you leave your name and email address so that I can keep you informed of future postings.

Tim

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LILACS and BARBECUE

LILACS and BARBECUE…Life Just Doesn’t Get Any Better!

With the first few 70 degree days of the year the itch begins. Slowly at first; then the pace increases. Religiously I pull out some old barbecue cookbooks and start dreaming of the smoke pouring from my Weber Grill.

Here are a few of my favorite old, collectible barbecue magazines and soft-bound cookbooks.

Big Boy is a grill manufacturer. This spiral-bound book has a semi-rigid cover and contains 64 pages. I paid $1.30 for it quite a few years ago; today I figure it to be worth $7-$8.
Big Boy Barbecue-1960

I’m a great lover of barbecue. In fact, the first cookbook that I ever wrote was a huge collection of barbecue recipes, graphics and odd stories. Here’s an example of what I mean by ‘odd stories’. I have a large collection of barbecue cookbooks and national magazines…both new and vintage editions. I’ll be sharing some of these with you in the near future since barbecue season is fast closing-in on us.

The scent of lilacs bring back a time of long ago – a time of childhood adventure and a time of family. Along with family come the feelings of security, safety, innocence and discovery.

Nick Manero’s Cook-Out
Barbecue Book-1961

 Barbecues represent all that is good in this world. It represents togetherness and the coming together of community; for is impossible to have a true barbecue when you’re all alone.

Barbecues symbolize summertime, even if it’s the middle of winter and snow is still falling. It symbolizes God’s gift of abundance, even if it is simply the grilling of a hamburger. Good food and good drink remind us that life is good. 

 It isn’t a coincidence that lilacs bloom only in the summertime and you never find lilacs displayed at a funeral. Lilacs and barbecue represent a rebirth of sorts.

 The sun is shining and the weather is warm – we’ve survived another cold winter. Lilacs and barbecue remind us of summertime – the smell of charcoal; drinking a cold beer or iced teas with the background sound of a baseball game on the radio. A summertime barbecue is games, happy children, good conversation with friends, music, sunshine and smells, all in the great outdoors.

I don’t remember ever going to a ‘bad’ barbecue. Even if the food was over-cooked or the sunshine was replaced with rain – there are just too many elements of ‘good’ remaining to be anything other than wonderful.

  Barbecue-1963

That’s all for now folks – it’s time to go and get my Weber Grill hosed-off and ready to fire it up!

Until the next time,
Tim Mack

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THE VINTAGE ART OF BREAD-MAKING

THE VINTAGE ART OF BREAD-MAKING: Recipes and Techniques

Learn from the masters how to make great homemade bread
just like grandma’s!

GRANDMA’S BREAD: For those of you who can remember the taste and aroma of grandma’s bread, I need say no more. However, for those of you that grew up knowing only ’store-bought’ bread, you have my sympathy. The good old days of ‘everyday homemade bread’ are long gone, but you have in your hands a solution to recreate those memories for you family. Start a new tradition at home for your family today.

Get it today! 

 STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS: Granted, not all things old are good. Take today’s computers, kitchen appliances and ingredients, for example. These things are much better than those of the olden days. But some things, like homemade bread, just cannot be improved upon. It was good back then and it can be just as good today…if you follow the enclosed step-by-step recipes and instructions in “THE VINTAGE ART OF BREAD-MAKING”.

BREAD-MAKING IS AN ART! Bread-making is an art that few of us moder-day cooks can learn without a lot of practice. But practice is of little value if you’re practicing the wrong methods. I’ve seen modern recipes that give a good list of ingredients for making bread; but they often fail to describe precisely the following: 

THE HOW-TO’s of BREAD-MAKING:

• How to knead the bread.
• What temperature is best for raising bread?
• How long should I raise the bread? Both times(?)
• What’s the best yeast to use? The best flour?
• How long should I bake the bread? At what temperature?
• How to know when the bread is done?
• How to store your bread.
• How to serve your bread for maximum flavor.

IN-DEPTH MANUAL: You’ll learn all of this and much more in this 40-page, in-depth manual. The manual has been compiled from an assortment of wonderful, old, long out-of-print cookbooks dating as far back as the early 1900’s.

LEARN FROM THE MASTER CHEF’S: Learn from the master chefs and cookbook writers of long ago when making a good loaf of bread was a requisite for a ‘good home-maker’. Every word is exactly as the authors penned it nearly 100 years ago. Their language is as unique as their techniques. In all cases I give full credit to these wonderful writers and take only credit for the somewhat unusual compilation of their secrets.

READ AND LEARN: Read and learn recipes and techniques from master bakers like the following:

•  Janet Hill McKenzie
• August Gay
• Mrs. Francis Carruthers
• Isabel Ely Lord
• Hugo Ziemann
• Mrs. F.L. Gillette
• Maude C. Cooke
• Mrs. Frederick Sidney Giger
• Oscar Tschirky
• Mrs. Agnes Marshall
• Annie R. Gregory

GRAPHICS: No cookbook from the early 1900’s would be complete without some wonderful photos and graphics. I’ve included some of these to compliment the manual.

This is an PDF ebook and ready for instant download…get it now!

 
THE VINTAGE ART OF BREAD-MAKING

That’s all for now folks! Be sure you send me your name and email so I can keep you posted whenever I write some more stuff.

Tim Mack

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MERRY VINTAGE CHRISTMAS

A VERY MERRY VINTAGE CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

A Christmas Greeting to you from Tim and a vintage page from my favorite vintage cook book. IDEAL COOK BOOK by Annie R. Gregory, 1902.

Tim

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VINTAGE COOKBOOK COLLECTING

Vintage Cookbook Collecting
October 10, 2008

Welcome to my new blog. Cookbooks, both old and new, have been my passion for many years. I hope you find something here that interests you.

In upcoming issues we’ll be looking at cookbooks in general, along with a special focus on vintage cookbooks. Here’s just a few of the topics we’ll be touching upon:

* Vintage cookbooks
* Vintage Recipes
* Elements of a good cookbook
* Vintage cookbook authors
* Neat vintage graphics
* Vintage cooking techniques
* How to write a cookbook
* Vintage recipe/advertising pamphlets
* Cookbook collecting
* Cookbook values
* Companies behind advertising pamphlets
* Vintage recipes for today
* Cookbook reviews
* And much, much, more!

I have some good ideas of what I’d like to cover in this – what I hope you’ll find – informative and entertaining blog, but I’m certainly open to new ideas and directions. I look forward to your input and feedback. Heck, who knows, maybe together we can create our own best-selling cookbook!

I’ll also be looking at other food-related blogs, websites, forums, newsletters, and cookbooks and share with you what I learn from them.

Until next time,

Tim

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