Found this old cook book at Half Price Books of all places, in the clearance section. For a DOLLAR! I was not going to pass this up!
Page after page of recipes, and many of them are stained and spotted, always a sign of a well used (and loved) cookbook...
There are even a few neat, old photos and drawings.
The original Boston Cooking School book was published in 1896 and then every few years after that...and it's by by Fannie Merritt Farmer! This edition was published in 1924 which makes it in pretty good shape for 91 years old. We are going to have a special shelf at the farm for all our old cookbooks. We have a lot of newer ones (some might say too many, ha) so we're trying to just limit our purchases now to older, vintage cookbooks as we can find them.
Sometimes, the best recipes are the older ones!
Sometimes, the best recipes are the older ones!
Warning, old cookbooks are addicting, I have over 100 of them. I like them partially because because the recipes require real food, not processed things.
ReplyDeleteWow, 100? That's awesome!! Amen to the real food thing. It's funny how one thing you have to get used to in old books is the lack of pictures. I notice new books of course are filled with food styled photos, but the old ones saved the photos (if they even had them) for the special ones.
DeleteThat is a real jewel! I only have one very old cookbook from which I have learned so much. Okay, there is the cookbook I received when I went to college in 1964, and it is now 50-years-old. WOW, am I that old to have an ancient cookbook?
ReplyDeleteLOL! 1964 is my time frame, so I understand, ha. It's not ancient it's just kind of older, ha.
Deletea friend in maine gave me that many years ago! i love it!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! Gotta love the older ones for sure.
Deletelovely find! wonder how many meals and how many people who've eaten those meals that treasure is responsible?
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, we wonder the same thing...how often they were used, what some favorite recipes might have been, etc. Awesome thing to think about!
DeleteI think she covered every conceivable recipe in that book. I remember last time I perused it, there was a recipe for cheek meat from a calf. Don't think that one sounded very good. She was definitely a master chef before her time and I have used some of her recipes.
ReplyDeleteWe're having a blast reading through it. Haven't seen the cheek meat recipe yet, but down here, barbacoa is a great dish made from 'face meat'.... :-)
Delete1st Man,
ReplyDeleteEvery time we go to an estate sale, yard sale, or thrift store sale we look at the cookbooks. If the book has recipes we like, I snatch that baby up. Congratulations of finding, "The Boston School Cook Book". It's an awesome cookbook :-)
Thank you! Yes, I'm always making beeline for the cookbook section. 90% of the time I'm skipping over the newer stuff. Yes, this is looking to be a great find especially for a dollar. :-)
DeleteI have a very old cookbook that was given to my mother by my grandmother and recipes come from a lot of the ranchers in Arizona.
ReplyDeleteNow THAT is awesome! It not only has history in and of itself, it's got family history too. Very neat!! And I bet ranchers had some great recipes.
DeleteWhat a find! I bought an old, well used cook book at a garage sale once. Not sure how old it was but it looked ancient. When I flicked through it I found nothing to interest me but then on the blank pages at the back someone had written a recipe for Surprise Butterscotch Cake. I made the cake and to this day it is everyones favourite.
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat story. I have found a few cookbooks where papers have dropped out with handwritten recipes. But I've never been so lucky as to find butterscotch cake, ha! Butterscotch is one of my favorite flavors!!
DeleteWhat a wonderful find. I have a couple of very old cook books and like you, I love the pages with spatters and stains. The recipes on those pages are rewarding too.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about it but you're right, if there is a particularly stained/splattered page, it means that recipe was used a lot. Cool! thanks!!!
DeleteWow, you scored a real FIND! A treasure of history and cooking all in one place. I love old cookbooks, too. I especially love old cookbooks self-published by local organizations and churches - with their name by each recipe, they only contributed their best recipes.
ReplyDeleteI've often thought about that, with church cookbooks, the contributors had to put their name by it, they wanted to make sure it was a good one.
DeleteI have the new modern Fannie Farmer's cookbook and I love it! It tells you how to cook or preserve anything. It's a great find!
ReplyDeleteI guess that means it has stood the test of time, always a good sign. We're so excited. The old cookbook hunt is a new thing for us. We'll give them a special spot at the farm.
DeleteWow!! What a Find!! And, I am jealous.. I do have a reprint. Love the back part of the book about cleaning... anyway, have fun reading them. As for preservation, you may want to find some archival book boxes or archival zip lock plastic bags. I would do the bags, if I were going to leave them at the farm. I wouldn't want some creepy crawlies eating at the pages, especially since they are stained. And, don't ask me how I know this.. Enjoy!! M
ReplyDeletep.s. I'm one of those "north living people." Tues nite 2 degrees above, Wed high 11, Wed nite, a very frigid minus 9 and a high of 12 of Thursday, then we finally, are able to get back to some "normal temps" are that. Can't wait for the weekend.
Hmm, great suggestion, thank you!!! And yes, I didn't think about it but if stained with 'foodie' things, that might make them doubly 'delicious', ha.
Deletei love old cookbooks and well...any old books! that is an amazing find and i am sure that 2nd Man will scour through it and find many a delight to fix up! make sure that if he makes a recipe from that book that you take pics and let us know how it turned out. much love to you both!
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
kymber
This might be silly but I love the SMELL of old books. Oh, and we will definitely take pics and post the results. It would be neat to make a recipe that's been around a hundred years. Always much love to you both!!
DeleteOh, I am so jealous. What a wonderful find and such a great treasure. I have a Fannie Farmer cookbook but it isn't nearly as old.
ReplyDeleteThe oldest and most treasured is my grandmothers cookbook. Some things are even written in her own handwriting which I love.
Even tho I have close to 3 thousand cookbooks, I'm still on the look out for the old and those that have hand written notes/ recipes inside.
Protecting old, vintage cookbooks.
If you store vintage cookbooks in your kitchen, select a shelf where they are away from the cooking range where grease, heat, and dust can easily damage paper and bindings.
If you like to cook using your old cookbooks, consider covering the book with a protective book jacket, or using photocopies of favorite recipes.
I do have a rather large leather bound cookbook put out by Mary and Vincent Price (yes, Vincent Price the actor). Has many wonderful pictures in it including pictures of the many dinner parties that they had with other famous actors, family and friends.
WOW!
DeleteOK, to echo Tonya, WOW! THREE THOUSAND? Color US jealous, ha. Thanks for the tips and I like the idea of a book jacket. Thanks!!!
DeleteAnd wow again!
I adore a much-loved cookbook. Anyone who sees my cookbooks will know they've been used.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Used cookbooks are the best aren't they? Proof that they have good stuff inside!
DeleteA treasure, for sure. Love how they slathered lots of butter and lard on everything. Yum! I have an ancient "A way to a mans heart" cookbook and use it a lot. You did good.
ReplyDeleteThey sure didn't worry about diet or allergies or anything like that did they, ha. I think good food is the way to anyone's heart, LOL!
DeleteWhat a truly lovely find!
ReplyDeleteIt was exciting, and still can't believe it was only a dollar, ha.
DeleteI have two newer versions of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook and just love the recipes.
ReplyDeleteI have four words of advice for you: Cape Cod Oatmeal Cookies!
Enjoy your wonderful treasure.
jaime
Thank you for that, and what a tip, I will be going in there looking for that recipe now!!
DeleteWhat a bargain ! I love old books, such character.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked it up to see what it's really worth - more than $1 I should think.
I would look on Ebay and Amazon. It would be nice to know how much of a bargain you really have.
Ooh, that's a great idea, thank you for that. I will check it out! Old books are so nice....history in more ways than one. :-)
DeleteI found some that sold for anywhere from $15 plus shipping to $35. It was a good bargain!!
DeleteFanny Farmer was the only cookbook my mother ever owned. She received it as a wedding gift, and it was much used and stained by the time I came along (child #5). I spent many hours poring over its pages when I was growing up. Have fun with your cooking adventures!
ReplyDeleteAwesome memory to share, thanks!! Yes, we're going to pick something out of it and cook it soon Can't wait.
Delete