#vintage cookbook

allhailthe70shousewife:

silvergrapefruits:

Good Housekeeping’s Summertime Cook Book, illustrated by Lou Peters. 1958.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wardomatic/1049777550/in/album-72157605018838126/

Banana bread from my gramma’s church cookbook, 1983. 

I subbed whole wheat flour for about ¼ of the flour called for, added about a teaspoon of cinnamon and a healthy grating of fresh nutmeg. I also left out the nuts and chocolate chips because I don’t like either of those in banana bread.

It’s a perfect, classic banana bread and it’s simple enough to make whatever changes or additions you want. It’s not a dark, dense loaf, either, but fairly light and fluffy.

A+ will make again 5 out of 5 bananas

Last month, my kid had a birthday. She didn’t want cake, but asked if she could pick a dessert from one of my old cookbooks. She picked a book that my gramma’s church put out in 1983. It’s obviously not nationally available, but it’s a special volume on my bookshelf because both my gramma and my great-gramma have recipes in there, and rural midwestern church ladies had the best food. My kid didn’t pick one of their recipes, but picked a really good one anyway.

Its called “Banana Split Cake” even though it’s not a cake, but a no-bake, layered bar dessert that I’m sure has made an appearance and more than one potluck. The food of my people. All the flavors worked together perfectly and I didn’t have to turn the oven on. The kid picked a good one and she said it was way better than any cake. 10 out of 10.

Last night I made goulash from the 1971 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Good Food on a Budget.

My gramma used to make us goulash, but I’d never made it for myself. Plus I spent the better part of the last 20 years being a vegetarian, so now I’m ready to revisit some comfort foods of my childhood.

This one was a winner. Both my kids loved it and have already fought over who gets the leftovers. This was easy, fairly cheap, and super comforting. I did make one kinda big change by using ground hamburger (and no added shortening) instead of cubed chuck, but this was how my gramma always made it. Otherwise I pretty much followed the recipe, but only simmered it for maybe 20-30 minutes once the sauce mixture was combined. There’s really no reason to let it go 1-2 hours. I will be making it again, 10 out of 10.

Last week I made Savory Beef Pie, from the 1978 edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. This recipe was randomly chosen from numbers provided by tumblr-ers that corresponded to which book in my library, which page of the book, and which recipe on the page. (13, 14, 1) I was exited to try this one because it had familiar flavors plus homemade biscuits covered in sesame seeds (my favorite). Also, this one would easily adapt to whatever you have in your pantry, but for the first try I wanted to make it as written (except I used butter for the guts and oil for the biscuits-I don’t really keep shortening around).

My picky kid didn’t want any, but my other kid had some at dinner, then more for breakfast and lunch the next day. It’s a new favorite, and I can’t wait to try it again but make it more of a chicken and dumplings casserole-chicken, chicken gravy, carrots and celery, etc. I’m giving this one 5/5 because it was tasty and easy and at least one kid loved it and it can easily be changed to suit different tastes. *chef’s kiss*

This week’s recipe came from the 1975 printing of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. Instead of blindly picking a recipe myself, I let my kid pick. I gave a few rules (food sensitivities, etc), but basically said, “pick whatever you want.” She picked French Onion Soup, and I gave her a high five. Potatoes are my favorite food, but soup is a close second.

I stuck to the recipe but then added gruyère and baked it. For the onions I used three small yellow, two small red, and one shallot. I think that was a pretty good blend. It would up being very savory and salty, and really very easy to make. My kid, my boyfriend and I all loved it. My other kid wouldn’t try it and my boyfriend’s kid took a bite but didn’t like it. I still give it 4 out of 5, only because it was my second bowl of French Onion Soup ever, and the first bowl was pretty hard to beat: