A History of Collective and Social Cookbooks

Winter months are a great time to think about cooking and food. Take a sentimental journey through these interesting collections.


Gathering Recipes: Social Cookbooks
Article and Photographs by Toni Leland

     Gather a group of women together and, eventually, they’ll publish a cookbook. “Social cookbooks” are a cultural phenomenon going back generations, though more polished than our ancestors’ boxes of “receipts” or hand-written journals.

     The first American cookbook was published in 1796 by Amelia Simmons, about whom very little is known, other than the supposition by researchers and food historians that she was unmarried, uneducated, and possibly illiterate.    Nonetheless, American Cookery was revised and reprinted for thirty-five years–a testament to the author’s knowledge and skill in preparing food.

     Because early colonists brought family recipes with them, most dishes did not include common early foods such as pumpkin, cornmeal, or molasses. Simmons’s cookbook incorporated these readily available ingredients, as well as introducing the use of pearl ash as a leavening agent. Additionally, the recipes were formulated for cooking in the fireplace, which was the primary cooking source at the time.

     Eventually, other cookbooks followed. During the 1820s, Virginia Housewife was published and, by the 1850s, recipes were adjusted for use with cook-stoves. The first all-electric kitchen was introduced at the World Fair in Chicago in 1893, and cookbooks evolved again. Throughout the development of cooking resources, recipes expanded from simple lists of ingredients to detailed instructions including measurements, temperatures, and other critical details.

Social Cookbooks

     Church groups, literary and art groups, social clubs, grange women, and ladies auxiliaries have produced collections of favorite recipes, usually for fund-raising and gift-giving, but mostly to preserve the traditions of family fare for future generations. Most of these charming cookbooks aren’t available in bookstores or Internet sites, but a search through thrift stores, used book stores, and yard sales can unearth these treasure troves of delicious recipes and delightful insight into the women who compiled them.

     My own collection spans 30 years and includes several well-thumbed and annotated books from my mother’s and mother-in-law’s kitchen shelves. Some of the titles alone are delightful: We Can Cook, Too!, a collection of favorites of the Oak Grove Garden Club (Oregon) in a small black ring-bound notebook with mimeographed pages of hand-typed recipes; Cooking for Applause, a well-produced spiral-bound fund-raiser for the St. Louis Repertory Theatre; Thank Heaven for Home Made Cooks, compiled by The Christian Women’s Fellowship in Corpus Christi; and an elegant, professionally produced book, Women of Good Taste, compiled by Beta Sigma Phi and commercially printed.

     A fascinating combination of ingredients reflects the era of each cookbook and, likewise, methods and appliances change the theme of these cookbooks over time. Early twentieth-century recipes incorporate readily available and inexpensive ingredients, with emphasis on frugality. A drawback to some of these recipes is the lack of instruction. “Combine and bake until done.” Okay, in what, how hot, and how long? Homemakers simply “knew” what to do, and writing it down wasn’t necessary. Once these recipes were handed down and incorporated into family collections, the missing data became important. Another glitch in hand-me-down recipes is the margin of error. Grandma’s handwriting wasn’t too good and, along the way, one teaspoon became one tablespoon, or she forgot to include an ingredient. But that said, with a little thought, one can figure out how to successfully make it.

     As the economy improved, more convenience foods appeared in the entries, and the housewife’s role as chief cook and bottle-washer was made easier. Recipes such as “Tomato Soup Cake” and “Mock Escalloped Chicken” used ingredients that cut preparation time by as much as half. Many “overnight” dishes appeared, such as “Refrigerator Salad” and “Ribbon Sandwiches.”

     Another delightful aspect of these recipe collections is the insight into the women who shared them. Leafing through the pages, one can almost hear the comments and discussions as the cookbook committee planned their book. “Grandma Elsie’s Cornbread,” “Good Ole Soup,” and “My Man Cookies” intimate a special place in the heart of the person offering the recipe. Many of the recipes included in these books are, indeed, company-published favorites such as the famous  “Green Bean Casserole” that appears on every Thanksgiving table, or the decadent “Chocolate Wafer Cake” printed on boxes of Nabisco® chocolate wafers. This too enhances family tradition. Everyone wants to cook it the way Mom did.

     Sprinkled throughout these cookbooks are bits of wisdom and humor that give each book its own personality through the individuals who contributed. “Sad fact of life: square meals make round people,” “Don’t put off until tomorrow the things you should have done yesterday,” and my own personal favorite: “Many a cook does wonderful things with leftovers–she throws them out.”


A Recipe Sampler

The following menu is compiled from several of the books I mentioned earlier. I tested 18 delicious-sounding dishes and settled on the following six, which span from 1960 to 2004.

Appetizer: This creamy spread is delightfully different and goes especially well with water crackers and a fruity white wine.

BLEU CHEESE CHUTNEY SPREAD

Cooking for Applause, by Backers of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. 1981

2      3oz.    pkgs. cream cheese, softened

3      oz.      bleu cheese, crumbled

1/4   c.        butter, softened

1/4   c.        finely chopped onion

1-2   Tbs.    milk

1/2   tsp.     curry powder

1/4   tsp.     salt

3      Tbs.    chutney

Combine cream cheese, bleu cheese, butter, onion, milk, curry powder, and salt. Blend until creamy. Add chutney and stir in well. Refrigerate 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

Soup: One of the best potato soups I’ve tasted, and very easy to make. Keeps well if there is any left over!

GRAMMA LEGER’S HOMEMADE POTATO SOUP

Women of Good Taste, by Beta Sigma Phi. 1998

(No water is drained from the cooked vegetables, which allows the rich vitamins to remain.)

3   lg.      potatoes, peeled, diced

1   med.   carrot, peeled, chopped

1   med.   rib celery, chopped

1   slice    onion

1/4   c.     butter/margerine

5      oz.    can evaporated milk

1      tsp.   salt

1/2  tsp.   garlic powder

        dash  pepper

Place potatoes, carrot, celery and onion in a 2-quart heavy pan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally. The starch in the potatoes will thicken the soup. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes. 4 servings.

Salad: This slaw-type salad is now a family favorite. Goes well with almost any main dish.

SNOW SALAD

We Can Cook, Too! by the Oak Grove Garden Club, Oak Grove, Oregon. 1960

2       c.     shredded cabbage

1        c.     white grapes

1        c.     shredded coconut

1/2    c.     chopped almonds

Mix 1/3 c. mayonnaise with 2 Tbs. cream and toss with salad ingredients.

Entrée: An old favorite with a spicy twist. Leftovers make terrific sandwiches.

MEATLOAF WITH ZESTY TOPPING

Trinity Treats, Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Zanesville, Ohio. 2004

2                 eggs

3/4    c.      milk

1         c.      dry breadcrumbs

1/8     tsp.  pepper

2         tsp.   salt

1/2      c.      grated carrots

1/4      c.      minced onion

2          lbs.   ground beef

TOPPING

1/4      c.      catsup

2         Tbs.  prepared mustard

3         Tbs.  brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300˚F. Beat eggs in mixing bowl, then stir in remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into loaf and place in 2-quart casserole with cover. Combine topping ingredients and spread over meatloaf. Cover and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Serves 8

Side Dish: Ohio farm cooking at its best. Delicious with pork or chicken main dish.

CORN PUDDING

Ohio State Grange Cookbook, Ohio State Grange, Columbus, Ohio. 1970

2     c.    cut or grated corn

1      c.    sweet milk

4            eggs

1     tsp.  salt

1     Tbs.  butter, melted

2     tsp.  baking powder

2     Tbs.  sugar

2     Tbs.  flour

Mix well and bake 1 hour in moderate oven.

Dessert: I was dubious about this one, but it’s fabulous–similar to Pennsylvania Dutch “Montgomery Pie” (or Shoo-fly Pie).

OATMEAL PIE

Thank Heaven for Home Made Cooks, Christian Women’s Fellowship, Central Christian Church, Corpus Christi, Texas. 1968

2/3    c.       sugar

2                  eggs

1         tsp.    vanilla

1         c.       old-fashioned oats

1/2     c.       oleo (margarine), softened

2/3     c.       white Karo syrup

1         tsp.    white vinegar

1         9-in    pie shell

Mix together sugar, butter, eggs, syrup, vanilla, and vinegar. Add oats and pour into pie shell. Bake at 350˚F. until filling is set, 45-60 minutes. Serve hot or cold; may top with whipped cream.

This charming piece appeared in more than one of the cookbooks. Excerpted from a World War 1 era Davis Baking Powder Booklet

First Cake

She measured out the butter with a very solemn air,

the milk and sugar also, and she took the greatest care

To count the eggs correctly and to add a little bit

Of baking powder, which you know, beginners oft omit.

Then she stirred it all together and she baked it full an hour,

But she never quite forgave herself for leaving out the flour.

________

©2011 Toni Leland. All rights reserved. This article first appeared in GRIT magazine, Mar/Apr ’09. No portion of this work may be reproduced without written permission of the author. Links to this article are welcomed, with proper full credit.