Topic: Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book (1950)

[Anne E.B.]

I don't normally get excited about cooking but this American cook book is simply wonderful.  I won't be trying out any of the recipes, but instead I'll be giving it to my youngest sprog, who loves baking cookies.

Its dated 1950, 1st edition, and packed full (463 pages) of recipes and info.  It has amazing illustrations reflecting the period, and lots of black & white photographic images and some colour images.   The ring-binder book is bound in fabric.  It still contains 1950's dust and cobwebs along the inside of the 'spine'

Forget Delia Smith, give me Betty Crocker any day

[Anne]

Looks and sounds wonderful Anne! But make sure you clean out the cobwebs (and spiders!) before your daughter uses it... or you might find odd crunchy bits in the cakes! 

Old cookbooks are fascinating... my mother still has her BE-RO cookbook from when I was a little girl, which she won't part with and still says has the best recipes for everything; and somewhere on the shelf here I have a 1901 (I think from memory) copy of the tiny Non-Alcoholic Cookbook by Miss M E Docwra and published by the Ladies Temperance Movement. It's just brilliant!

[keith]

I've got an old cook book from the 1920's,in a terrible condition,my favourite part is how to save money in the kitchen by doing some of the cooking yourself and cutting down on staff,where's that maid with my supper?

[antiquerose123]

Wonderful -- I think I had posted some old aprons here on the board that would just go with that....LOL.

Even the pictures there show a concrete example of the households during that time.  When one goes Garage Sale shopping -- you might just *spot* a kitchen collectible that is shown in your book -- thus helping to Circa date it too.

Wonderful reflection on the good old days..

[Anne E.B.]

"Wonderful reflection on the good old days.. "

I remember them well!

I also remember a Temperance Bar near to my old Nan's two-up two-down in Rusholme, Manchester.  The walls were lined with wooden barrels, and there was an old kitchen chair next to the counter where you could sit and have a glass of dandelion & burdock, sasparella(?), ginger beer and other strange sounding concoctions.  The smell was absolutely wonderful, and if I get a whiff of something similar, I'm immediately transported back in time.

The corner shop is still there, but has passed through several hands over the years.

I love retro - and some of the things in the illustrations are now quite collectable.  And the clothes!   My youngest loves clothes from that era   What goes around, comes around   I love the idea of economising by reducing staff!  My OH is unpaid fortunately

[keith]

Had to post this,love the second one about communicating with the kitchen....

[Anne E.B.]

 
A bit different from my version of "announcing breakfast", and no need for "speaking tubes" in our house!  A yell suffices

Just been googling Betty Crocker and found that she never actually existed .  Its just a brand name.  According to Wikepedia, the name Betty was chosen because its a "cheery All-American name", and the surname Crocker was chosen in honour of William Crocker - a director of the company.

My ring-binder book is missing its dust cover, but the red and white pattern on the cloth bound ring-binder is apparently a Pennsylvania Dutch design.  Some fascinating info on that on the web, but I mustn't digress.  There aren't enough hours in the day!   The original 1950 copies of the cook book seem to go for quite a bit of money, depending on the condition of course.  They've been reproduced in hardback more recently.  Mine is a first edition (sixth printing) dated 1950