Vintage Cooking Booklets and Pamphlets

[Anna N]

On 11/7/2020 at 8:48 AM, liuzhou said:

Possibly/probably history's biggest selling cookbook with over 40 million copies distributed. From the promoters of the newly invented self raising/rising flour. Now in its 41st edition, this one is from the 1950s and my mother still has and uses it.

Memories are made of this! The one I remember most of the pages stuck together because of drips on them. I’m sure if you threw it into a pot and added water you’d be able to make soup.  Thank you so much for sharing. 
 

Edited to add:

 

And here it is – – The Be-Ro Cookbook.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Anna N (log)

[Kim Shook]

On 11/9/2020 at 10:18 AM, weinoo said:

 

"Imagine there's no heaven..."  It's easy if you try...

 

 

 

 

 

I really enjoy reading this kind of thing.  Some of it is funny, but some of it is unexpectedly wise: What she writes about a servantless household having informal meals for guests and the hostess not apologizing for things is spot on.  And, being a stickler for table manners (my mantra is WWMMD? - What Would Miss Manners Do?), I agree completely with the importance of teaching children proper manners.  

[David Ross]

This is a Frigidaire brochure that my Grandmother Ross saved.  Typical of the color illustrations of the times, 1950's, the 8 page brochure is full of tips and smiling faces.  But I remember it hooked up to the kitchen faucet and she always had to wrangle with the thing.  Very touching though as I found this note inserted into the brochure for the Frigidaire refrigerator she bought in 1957, probably at the same time she bought the dishwasher.  

"Frigidaire Refrigerator"

  -CP123157

  -Date purchased, 2/19/57

  -Paid in full-$495 (a tidy sum of money back then)

 

 

[weinoo]

Wasn't bad for the husband either!

[David Ross]

The "After All it Take a Baker" from the Swift & Company.  It probably dates to the late 1940's.  Swift was one of America's largest producers of products like hams, bacons, and many, many more.  That also included a big trade in lard and shortening.  I think my Mother must have gotten his booklet when she started working there after the war.  It's pretty tattered so maybe it had been in the office for some time.  She was the secretary to the plant manager in Portland.  Swift and Company was located in North Portland next to the large livestock yards.  She met my Father there.  He worked as a livestock buyer for Swift and travelled throughout Oregon buying sheep, hogs and beef cattle.  What's interesting is the depth of science they went to back then in developing these products and then sharing that with consumers. 

 

There are recipes for the home, but also for cooks and bakers in bakeries or large institutions. For example, this is a description for using a Dutch Cookie Machine to make "thin embossed wafers"

Soft Flour-200lbs.

Vream (shortening)-50 lbs.

Sugar-80 lbs.

Honey-12 lbs.

Swift's Brookefiled Eggs-16

Salt-1 lb.

"Powdered Ammonia"-6 oz.

Soday-10 oz.

Vanilla flavor

Water to make medium dough

 

 

'

 

[weinoo]

Note the section "Water Content of dough."  Not dissimilar to what we read today!

[Eatmywords]

La Vache Qui Rit (Laughing Cow) recipe pocket (sort of) booklet. Not vintage but fun 'slice' design and illustrations.  Hits the nostalgia bone since we grew up on it.  En francais, sorry.  'Smoothie a la tomate' anyone? Haha

 

 

 

 

[David Ross]

30 minutes ago, weinoo said:

Note the section "Water Content of dough."  Not dissimilar to what we read today!

I noticed that and was really intrigued.  This book is 125 pages, small and spiral-bound.  I've got homework.

[heidih]

Poor cow has something to laugh about. We loved the cubes the size of dice as kids. Fun to watch grown ups try and fail to pull the red "cord". !

[heidih]

Still can't find my good stash but these 2 were in my mom's Betty Crocker cookbook. Huge binder - thus the punch holes.

The caramel one cross promotes other products like parkay margarine. The tag line "So pure, so good, so wholesome!" - no date. The hamburger one (1958), as David noted with the bakery booklet, has some"modern" items like cracked wheat. Mom worked in accounting for PacBell so this must have been reprinted for the ladies. 

[Kim Shook]

Another one from the Culinary Arts Institute:

 

Does anyone know how publications like this were distributed.  I mean, unlike the company/appliance-tied booklets, these don't seem to be tie-ins.  Where they available at checkout counters?  Book stores?  Newsstands? 

 

Here's one from Pet Milk:

 

I love the back cover:

[heidih]

The Edison ones showed up. They were classes and mom and friends enjoyed the demo, hands on, and tasting. Mostly ignored the contrived  "electric" aspect. We had gas oven and range.  The beef fondue was a nightmare. They bought nice fondue pots (open electric skillet and all that oil -nope!) I still have hers though the smell of Sterno makes me zip out of events where chafing dishes use it to get air. But though dipping sauces tasty the endless waiting for meat to be done - boring. We transitioned to cheese fondue - Velveeta amped up with a bit of stronger cheese. The salad was quite good - a meal. really..

 

[Martin Fisher]

I have hundreds that were collected by my Grandmother Brown during her almost 92 years.

[David Ross]

9 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Another one from the Culinary Arts Institute:

 

Does anyone know how publications like this were distributed.  I mean, unlike the company/appliance-tied booklets, these don't seem to be tie-ins.  Where they available at checkout counters?  Book stores?  Newsstands? 

 

Here's one from Pet Milk:

 

I love the back cover:

I have some of these too.  From what I've been able to read from my collection, if the sponsor was like PET Milk, and you listened in to the radio program they might announce, "send us a self-addressed stamped envelope to xxx and we'll mail you this new PET Milk baking booklet." Or something like that.  

[David Ross]

Again, no date, but looking at the photos and the color printing, this one is probably from the early 1960s.  It's a Holiday collection of the best recipes from the Pillsbury Bake-Off.  At first glance you think the recipes are pretty silly, but a closer look and I think with just a few modifications, these would be delicious today.  And they had some good copywriters back then coming up with catchy names like "Merry Mincemeaters" and "Cranberry Crisscross Coffee Cake."

 

 

 

[heidih]

1 hour ago, David Ross said:

Again, no date, but looking at the photos and the color printing, this one is probably from the early 1960s.  It's a Holiday collection of the best recipes from the Pillsbury Bake-Off.  At first glance you think the recipes are pretty silly, but a closer look and I think with just a few modifications, these would be delicious today.  And they had some good copywriters back then coming up with catchy names like "Merry Mincemeaters" and "Cranberry Crisscross Coffee Cake."

 

 

Yews! I loved taking that one out around the Holidays for inspiration. It has disappeared...

[David Ross]

43 minutes ago, heidih said:

Yews! I loved taking that one out around the Holidays for inspiration. It has disappeared...

If you look you can see my yellow sticky notes on certain recipes.  I'm constantly putting notes in these booklets for recipes to try.

[hsm]

You all made me look on the back of my bookshelf. I have more I can share, but this one, from 1942 jumped out first. Some are from my mom, some I picked up along the way. I find them all fascinating.

 

ETA: Those creatures looked more like crazy cats than bunnies to me, but the intro says, "an attractive garnish is pear halves, notched at the small end to make bunny ears and stuck with cloves to make their cunning faces." 

Edited November 25, 2020 by hsm (log)

[Kim Shook]

OMG - those "bunnies"!  Hilarious.  I think that food styling has advanced so much in the last 50 years!

 

[heidih]

6 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

OMG - those "bunnies"!  Hilarious.  I think that food styling has advanced so much in the last 50 years!

 

First thing i had my kid make while he was in a "gain independence and confidence" phase. Bunny salad from Betty Crocker Boy's and Girl's Cookbook but the pear halves were cut side down. Pretty adorable.  https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/rabbit-out-of-the-hat-salad/6c66506a-8beb-4715-b903-15d23ecd3edd

[Kim Shook]

1 minute ago, heidih said:

First thing i had my kid make while he was in a "gain independence and confidence" phase. Bunny salad from Betty Crocker Boy's and Girl's Cookbook but the pear halves were cut side down. Pretty adorable.  https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/rabbit-out-of-the-hat-salad/6c66506a-8beb-4715-b903-15d23ecd3edd

Much cuter.  And they actually resemble bunnies!  😁

[David Ross]

On 11/24/2020 at 4:20 PM, hsm said:

You all made me look on the back of my bookshelf. I have more I can share, but this one, from 1942 jumped out first. Some are from my mom, some I picked up along the way. I find them all fascinating.

 

ETA: Those creatures looked more like crazy cats than bunnies to me, but the intro says, "an attractive garnish is pear halves, notched at the small end to make bunny ears and stuck with cloves to make their cunning faces." 

I love the color illustrations.  Imagine a staff artist painting that image of Mother bringing out a hot roast.  And the copywriter who wrote, "Their Generous Proportions Please the Man."

[David Ross]

This one is unique.  I'm not sure where I came upon this one, I think maybe an ex-girlfriend who kept a space at a local vintage shop.  She was always on the lookout for these vintage cooking booklets for me.  This is from 1952 in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the "One Man's Family" Radio Show, the "Mother Barbour's Favorite Recipes." Reading through the pages it was a very different time, and recipes, but a fun look back at family life in those days.  The booklet was sponsored by Miles Laboratories of Elkhart, Indiana.  Check out the company history.  Pretty interesting.  

[heidih]

That is cool. Thoughtful girlfriend. Today the Bayer association is poison but so many of these advert booklets are from huge companies that had the advertising budgets. No focus groups then I think. They had no idea how it would play out and influence our cuisine.  The gender thing is simply typical of the era. I almost think it gave permission to housewives to be bolder in their cooking  (not your momma's food)

[weinoo]

12 hours ago, David Ross said:

This one is unique.  I'm not sure where I came upon this one, I think maybe an ex-girlfriend who kept a space at a local vintage shop.  She was always on the lookout for these vintage cooking booklets for me. 

 

This is great - I note the recipe for halibut says to cook for 45 minutes in a moderate oven, "until fish is tender." My guess is that fish is waaaayyy more than tender!