Retro Cookbook

Spam Spam Spam!

Retro Chef — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:15:42 +0000

Well aside from that brief Monty Python reference, I want to say that I’ve once again closed the comments due to spammers. I had been using Disqus to battle spam, and it worked great. But then they started inserting ads at the bottom of every page on my site, and I didn’t want that. The ads I saw were totally not appropriate for Retro Cookbook. Besides, in six months their “ad revenue service” only made me a whopping five cents! Can’t even get a gumball for that!

So, no more comment forms on each post. Not that folks left a lot of them, but when they did it was a fun way to connect.

Spammers give Spam® a bad name.

Drumsticks and Chili Rice Recipe

Retro Chef — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:21:45 +0000

Drumsticks and Chili Rice comes from the cool vintage recipe card collection, Twelve Dream Dishes. “Here’s a new and novel way to serve hamburgers!” says the cheery woman on the front of the recipe card. Indeed! Who would think hamburger when they hear the word drumstick?! Well, I’ll try any thing once… almost anything, how about you?

Twelve Dream Dishes

Retro Chef — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 23:57:15 +0000

Twelve Dream Dishes, yours – for delightful class luncheons, published in 1952 by General Foods Corp for their Minute Rice product line. Not so much a cookbook, as it is a cool little folder with individual recipe cards. A portfolio of 12 exciting recipes, as they call it. Each recipe card has a retro delicious photo of each dish, a cute little illustration, and a menu suggestion. On the back is the recipe, as well as some special tips.

The fun illustrations and upbeat text is probably more exciting than the recipes! Actually, they seem pretty normal and standard fair, with some flair, for the day. Perhaps my favorite is Glorified Banana Rice… “very special for company — very easy for you”. I’m pretty sure any company I had over for dinner would leave once they saw the Glorified Banana Rice!

This is a great little set of recipe cards, and the coolest thing about them is that I found them in my collection and didn’t even know I had them! The vintage cookbook elves must’ve snuck it in one day when I was gone. Sneaky little buggers!

Basic Tossed Salad Recipe

Retro Chef — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:25:21 +0000

Here is an easy recipe from the 1955 They Taste So-o-o Good! cookbook from Planters. Plus the art is really cool.

They Taste So-o-o Good! – Vintage Planters Peanuts Cookbook

Retro Chef — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 02:10:06 +0000

They Taste So-o-o Good, Recipes, Ideas, Hints – Published in 1955 by Planters Edible Oil Company. Wow, good thing Planters changed their name at some point! Mmm… edible oil, that is so tasty sounding.

This vintage cookbook is so-o-o coo-o-o-ol! So cool! It is filled with super cool, classic vintage illustrations, great food photos, hints, ideas, and hey… recipes too!

Just look at the swank illustrations! This cookbook is filled with them. Very fun!

The recipes cover a pretty wide range, all using peanut oil or peanut butter, or another Planters product. While I wouldn’t use peanut oil in my Italian dishes, most of the recipes actually look fairly good. And since it is a peanut oil cookbook, it has recipes for pan frying, shallow frying, and deep frying.

The recipes categories are:

Salad Dressings
Salads
Main Courses
Sauces
Italian Foods
Appetizers
Sandwiches
TV Snacks
Oriental Dishes
Pan Frying
Shallow Frying
Deep Frying
Baking

Another great vintage cookbook for anyone’s collection! Check back for recipes from this gem.

Good and Easy Entertaining with Wine and Cheese

Retro Chef — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:53:12 +0000

Good and Easy Entertaining with Wine and Cheese - How to do it the California Way. This is a tiny folded booklet with a mere eleven recipe, date unknown, but I’m guessing 1960′s.

Don’t let it’s size fool you! This has all the making of a great vintage recipe booklet thingy. Great fonts! Great food illustrations! Great recipes! And best of all… everything has wine and cheese in it! Bright New Recipes, indeed!

A wonderful pair—Wine and Cheese—
Simple to serve and sure to please!
They tempt the eye and taste devine
When friends drop in or when you dine.
In cooking, too, this tasty pair
Add flavor to your bill of fare.
So if you want to really shine
Just entertain with Cheese and Wine!

Check back tomorrow for a recipe from this gem.

Shrimp Cocktail and Cocktail Sauce Recipe

Retro Chef — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 13:30:43 +0000

These recipes come from the 1932 The Silent Hostess Treasure Book.

The Silent Hostess Treasure Book

Retro Chef — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 02:22:34 +0000

It has been a busy few months, so I apologize for the lack of updates. Lets get back into the swing of things with the 1932 edition of The Silent Hostess Treasure Book from GE!

At first glance, you would think this title was kind of sexist, but it may actually be referring to the fact that the modern (1932) GE Refrigerator helps free up time for the hostess. It is about letting the refrigerator work for you!

The Silent Hostess Treasure Book is filled with fun illustration, fine food photos, menus, recipes, tips, and more.

If you’ve been looking for jellied, or molded recipes, look no further! Inside you will find the 24-Hour Salad (molded), Golden Salad (molded), Angel Parfait En Surprise (yet again molded), Jellied Mushroom Soup, Jellied Tomato Bouillon, and oh so many more.

There are even cocktail recipes in here! Oops, sorry, not the type of cocktails you were hoping for. More on the lines of Fruit Cocktail, Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Cocktail, and even Clam Juice Cocktail.

This is a nice little vintage recipe book. The food photography is surprisingly good, and the recipes seems pretty decent, for the most part. Plus you get some tips on how to care for your vintage General Electric refrigerator. Pick up a copy if you find one, it is worth having in the collection!