Betty Lives!

The Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places
1955
I should just give up the whole pie thing.  The problem is I don’t get it.  The recipe says “stir until thick” and I do just that but it still comes out like soup.  You will recall both the chiffon chocolate pie and the maple syrup […]

Favor-Eats
A community cookbook by The Women’s Society of Christian Service, Vincent Methodist Church, Nutley, NJ
1965
One of my great passions is old community cookbooks.  I just love the way they look, the way the read, the way they reflect.  Unfortunately as far as cooking tools go though, they pretty much suck.  The beauty is the homespun […]

How America Eats
Clementine Paddleford
1960

I know I’ve already done the maple dessert thing but this one sounded SO good and had the added benefit of not requiring me to make my own dough.
Obviously this recipe comes from the Vermont chapter of the book and from the way Paddleford writes it, Vermonters pretty much do everything with […]

Savory Stews
Mary Savage
1969

My daughter trusts me implicitly.  If she could have a mini-me on her shoulder guiding her all day long she would be perfectly happy.  She’s nearly seven and I still pick out her clothes every morning which is fine with her.  I could say something banal like “This will probably continue until she […]

A Quintet of Cuisines
Time-Life Foods of the World
Michael and Frances Field
1970
It’s amazing I haven’t made fondue earlier.  I mean, seriously, what dish could possibly be more retro than fondue?  I even have a fabulous vintage fondue pot that I bought on ebay, along with vintage teak fondue forks (also ebay).  Plus I love it and […]

Woman’s Day Cook Book of Favorite Recipes
1958

This small book, which was published to commemorate the twentieth anniversary year of Woman’s Day magazine, is not part of the Encyclopedia about which I have written much.  This was printed eight years earlier and is infinitely less interesting as far as recipe content, illustrations or general culinary interest.

I […]

Recipes from Great American Inns
Presented by Benson & Hedges
1981

Of course, this cookbook is not particularly old nor does it have oddly-styled photos filled with neon-colored fruit and extraneous statuary.  What’s fascinating to me is that it was sponsored by a CIGARETTE COMPANY.  While I could explain the last entry as a travel guide disguised as […]