Sunday, July 16, 2006

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, my husband I recently went for a day of antiquing. In the back of a huge barn of an antique mall, I found a little basket of cookbook pamphlets marked 50% off. So I picked up about 13, all for $1 - $3 each. I then found a couple books, soon to be featured here. It amazed me that while I left my husband near the front of the store and I was crouched down going through the pamphlets quietly, his head soon appeared over the booth divider. He seems to have a radar for when I find a cache of cookbooks... At any rate, I still bought them.

Most of the pamphlets were from the 1950's - 1960's, but a few from the 1940's. Most were in the Culinary Arts Institute series from Chicago, and have titles like the "250 Tempting Desserts", or "500 Tasty Snacks - Ideas for Entertaining." Needless to say, I am very entertained by many of these.

For example, in the '250 Delectable Desserts', the Introduction is incredible:

Everybody has a "sweet tooth" of considerable size. As a nation we Americans
consume more sweets in every form than any other group in the world - and that
is a tribute, not a criticism. We need more sugar, because individually and
collectively we move faster and farther than any other national group. Sugar in
every form is what feeds that dynamic energy.

Hmm, there may be a few other 'national groups' who would not agree, and who also probably eat less sugar. These amazing statements seem to be based upon no research...

Here are a few more from this purchase:

If anyone can tell me what the purple sauce is on the Snacks one I'd be grateful. There is no reference to it in the cookbook.

The Children one boasts recipes that 'All Children' love. Well they have met their match in my son. Plus they seem to be extremely elaborate. Can't wait to try it out.

I plan to do a little vintage cooking this evening, maybe finally get to the stuffing burger balls. The heat here has made cooking totally unappealing, as it's in the 100's.

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