Cooking & Baking

Marthe48

(19,539 posts)

19. Yes, recipes and ingredients have changed for sure.

Mon Jul 31, 2023, 08:45 PM

Jul 2023

I picked up a spiral notebook at a sale a few years ago. When I looked at it, I saw that it had belonged to one of the local undertaker's wife. There are handwritten recipes from different families. Reads like a who's who of our town. Even more fun, mixed in with the recipes are eulogies and appropriate poems to honor your deceased loved one. :/

The oldest cook books I have belonged to my maternal grandmother, and one of my paternal great aunts. They are around 1900.
There was a lot to running a house back then: making your own cleaning products, dying your cloth to make clothes, dressing fish and game, running a sanitary and healthful sick room. One of the cooksbooks I have describes how to tell if you have a slow or quick oven. You put a piece of paper in, and if it doesn't burst into flame right away, you have a slow oven. If it bursts into flame immediately, you have a quick oven. Wow.

I was looking at a 1940s era cookbook I have. Was curious to see if there were any recipes for pizza. Nope.

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I love old cookbooks [View all] spinbaby Jul 2023 OP

The cinnamon and cloves is Greek influence. Ever had Cincinnati style chili? FSogol Jul 2023 #1

I have had it spinbaby Jul 2023 #2

Whatever it is, it's not chili rokar Jul 2023 #13

I have my mother's 1947 "Joy of Cooking." Ocelot II Jul 2023 #3

Is that a Scandinavian cake, Ocelot? Diamond_Dog Jul 2023 #5

Yes, it's a Norwegian recipe, it's bread, not actually a cake. Ocelot II Jul 2023 #7

In my move back to Montana I somehow lost my mothers very old Searchlight cookbook. ratchiweenie Jul 2023 #10

I did a search for julekake Marthe48 Jul 2023 #20

Me too! In my family, we have an old Quakerfriend Jul 2023 #4

Did it include amounts and instructions? spinbaby Jul 2023 #6

My sister has it & I haven't see it in 16 yrs. but, Quakerfriend Jul 2023 #8

Many of the ingredients would be made ahead of time and kept on hand Major Nikon Jul 2023 #9

Agreed, a completely different way of eating spinbaby Jul 2023 #11

Some of the old biscuit recipes produced a very different result Major Nikon Jul 2023 #12

I used to collect them, sort of... 2naSalit Jul 2023 #14

I had my Mom's copy of The American Woman's Cookbook Marthe48 Jul 2023 #21

I had four other editions of that book... 2naSalit Jul 2023 #22

It has the only recipe I could find for salt rising bread Marthe48 Aug 2023 #24

I wonder about that too. 2naSalit Aug 2023 #25

I might try the oat bread, sounds good Marthe48 Aug 2023 #26

Check out this hilarious resource on old (mostly 20th century) cookbooks: TygrBright Jul 2023 #15

I love this! James Lileks is a humor columnist for my local newspaper Ocelot II Jul 2023 #16

I was collecting Old Crank Jul 2023 #17

I have a cookbook that was sold as a fund-raiser Mr.Bill Jul 2023 #18

Yes, recipes and ingredients have changed for sure. Marthe48 Jul 2023 #19

I collect Fannie Farmer cookbooks Retrograde Jul 2023 #23