Let’s Have a Barbecue, by the Marketing Division of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, published in 1960 (I believe.) You may recognize this cheery couple, which seem to have become the mascots for Retro Cookbook. They kind of exemplify that happy, feel good kind of couple you expect to find in vintage cookbooks, especially [...]

Recipes On Toast, published in 1950 by the Marathon Corporation. This was a complimentary cookbook from Snowhite Baking Company, the bakers of Snowhite Bread.  ”Baked in Muskegon by Muskegon Bakers for Greater Muskegon People.” Nice!  Local food long before local food was trendy. This may be the only toast cookbook in my collection, and I [...]

Abalone to Zabaglione – Unusual and Exotic Recipes, published  by Peter Pauper Press in 1957. Another fine example of the cool & wacky mini cookbooks published by Peter Pauper Press back in the late fifties! Abalone to Zabaglione is the food recipe version of the wild drink recipe book called Aquavit to Zombie – Basic [...]

Festive Buffet Cookery, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1965.  Recipes compiled by Evelyn Loeb, with Decorations by Maggie Jarvis. The cookbook series from Peter Pauper Press stands apart from many of the other vintage cook booklets out there. They are actual hardcover mini books with kitschy illustrations, and an easy to read type size. [...]

Let’s get Acquainted With Your Hotpoint Electric Range, published in 1953,  a combination of an owners manual and recipe booklet for your retro cooking enjoyment. You’ll find a nice mix of info on using the electric range, reference charts for cooking and baking, and then a bunch of mouth watering recipes. Before we get to [...]

Women’s Institute Library of Cookery, Volume 3 of a five volume set, published in 1928 by the Women’s Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences. This volume covers: Soup, Meat, Poultry and Game, Fish and Shell Fish. While there are recipes in this book, it is more of a resource which describes cuts of meats, poultry, [...]

Seasoning Makes The Difference by Carol French, published in 1951 by R.T. French Company. While R.T. French Company is best known for French’s classic yellow mustard, they also sold spices and herbs back in the day. As you can imagine, the recipes in this little cookbook use a wide range of French’s seasonings. Luckily they [...]

 The Culinary Arts Institute series of cook-booklets had a couple variations in styling over the years. The series from the mid-1950′s had a little more style in relation to the design & illustration of the booklets. Even the recipes got a little more “creative”. The series from the early 1950′s (late 1940′s) was a little [...]