My First Ever Cookbook

[blueyedgirl5946]

I was recently searching how I did something for a friend of mine. I always look first in the first cookbook I ever owned. It is the Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker. I have owned it since 1962. It is a basic, how to do everything cookbook. The spine is taped together. The pages are brown with spots and stains. I have practically guarded this book with my life. There are no missing or torn pages. I hope I always own it.

Do you still have your first cookbook. If so, can you share the name and author and how long it has been in your life.

 

[Columbine]

The first cookbook that was actually mine (as opposed to my mother's/family cookbooks) is a bit of an embarrassing story. When I was maybe 8, Jane Asher (UK actress who moved into writing cake decorating books, among other things) came to my school wanting testers/models for her kid's recipe book. My whole class was involved (it was a very small school ), both testing recipies and later going to a photo shoot for step-by-step photo illustrations. We each got a copy of the book when it was published, and she threw us a thank-you party too, with little gifts for each of us (mine was a mini/travel wooden chess set...I still have it somewhere). I still cringe looking at the book, but I do use some of the recipes occasionally.

If my math is right, I've had it around 18 years.

 

[Furballsmom]

Not my first one, my mom's but sort of same same. Good ol Betty Crocker

 

[Furballsmom]

Columbine I love that story!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Not my first one, my mom's but sort of same same. Good ol Betty Crocker

Oh my. Now I remember an early Betty Crocker cookbook I had. Come to think of it, I don't know whatever became of it. It was a wonderful cookbook. I loved it too. I must have lost it in moving or something. I can't imagine that I trashed it. Here is a link with a picture of one like the one I owned. Furballsmom , is this one like your mother's?

Vintage 1961 Betty Crocker's New Picture Cookbook First Edition Sixth Printing 307492745 | eBay

So honestly, I am not sure now which of these I owned first. The Becky Crocker date is 1961.
I am not sure about the Joy of Cooking.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh that's interesting, no, mine has the mostly red cover. I'd take a pic but I have it tucked away downstairs. Too fun
Edit wow, I just now saw the price on that one!

 

[orange&white]

About 30 years ago I joined a book club, mainly to buy cookbooks so I could learn to cook more variety.

The first three I purchased:
The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker, last copyright in my edition 1975
New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne, last copyright in my edition 1990
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Marion Cunningham, last copyright in my edition 1990

I looked in the covers to check the copyright dates because I can't remember what year I started buying cookbooks. Looks like it was probably 1990.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Furballsmom , take a look on E-bay. Click on the sold auctions and you can see some of the 1961 Betty Crockers have sold for over a hundred dollars and one more than two hundred. Now I am going to be watching these and I would be surprised to find myself ordering a replacement. Gosh, I had forgotten all about the Betty Crocker. I just don't know how I ever parted with it.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

About 30 years ago I joined a book club, mainly to buy cookbooks so I could learn to cook more variety.

The first three I purchased:
The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker, last copyright in my edition 1975
New York Times Cookbook, Craig Claiborne, last copyright in my edition 1990
The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Marion Cunningham, last copyright in my edition 1990

I looked in the covers to check the copyright dates because I can't remember what year I started buying cookbooks. Looks like it was probably 1990.

The last copyright year in my Joy of Cooking is 1964. Here is a link that identifies some of the editions. Editions of The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer
Mine has 849 pages therefore it is the one published in 1964. So I have to withdraw my statement that this was my first cookbook, it was my second, with Betty Crocker 1961 being my first. I want a 1961 edition of this cookbook again. Cross my fingers and toes.

 

[Furballsmom]

My goodness! That's some amazing prices!

 

[orange&white]

The last copyright year in my Joy of Cooking is 1964. Here is a link that identifies some of the editions. Editions of The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer
Mine has 849 pages therefore it is the one published in 1964. So I have to withdraw my statement that this was my first cookbook, it was my second, with Betty Crocker 1961 being my first. I want a 1961 edition of this cookbook again. Cross my fingers and toes.

Wow! There are a lot of editions, with a big gap of no new editions between the 70's and the 90's. I have the 1975 Hardcover, Published 1975 by Bobbs-Merrill Company
Hardcover, 915 pages.

I remember the Betty Crocker Cookbook in Mom's kitchen in the 1960's.

 

[LTS3]

My Mom still has a 1941 edition of The American Woman’s Cookbook. It's dog eared and stained and literally falling apart. Which I find strange because Mom barely reads or understands English The only thing she ever made from the cookbook was a plain chiffon cake.

I used to have a cookbook but I gave it away because none of the recipes interested me. I only bough it because the recipes used no more than 4 ingredients, not including water and salt and pepper. It was also a British cookbook and there weren't any notations on what certain British words were equivalent to in American English.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh yes it's frustrating when there are no conversions. I think your mom just really really liked that book

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I have left my daughter a message and asked her if by chance she has it the Betty Crocker cook book. I would be so happy if she does.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Columbine]

The oldest cookbook I own is my paternal grandmother's. It's the Radiation Cookery Book, with all kinds of recipies for Radiation Regulo cookers (a type of oven, I believe). It's from 1931, and is literally falling apart now (no cover, loose pages, missing pages etc) and is very stained, but we use it every year to make the tradition Christmas sweets (cake, mincemeat, puddings). I've used it for a few other things too, but it's hard because of not knowing how the 'Regulo' settings translate into modern oven temperatures.

 

[furmonster mom]

My first cookbook was the Betty Crocker Cookbook, 2000. I got it because my grandmother had a Betty Crocker Cookbook that she used all the time, and she was the one who actually taught me little cooking tricks, helping me to graduate beyond instructions on boxes.

My oldest cookbook, however, was handed down from my MIL. It is the Fannie Farmer, a 1965 paperback edition that claims to be an exact copy of the original hardback. It's so yellowed with age, I am very careful whenever I feel the need to reach for it. I learned so many more little tricks from that book, it's truly a treasure.

 

[Winchester]

Betty Crocker here, too! Around 1970 or so as I got married in 1971. Rick's sister gave me a McCall's Cook Book, from around the same time period, for my bridal shower.

Those two books were the beginning of a long and wonderful cookbook collection. I love my cookbooks. All of them.

ETA: Oops, I think I goofed. I have the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery set of 12 cookbooks. They're from around the early 1960s. They belonged to my aunt and she gave them to me. They're pretty interesting, but they really cooked differently back then. (For example, does anyone remember threading strips of lard into meat that would then be roasted? It's called "lardon" or something like that. I've never done it myself, but I read about doing it in those books. Some interesting reading.)

 

[Furballsmom]

I get the biggest kick out of reading through cookbook compilations that farm/ranch communities would create back in the day

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I get the biggest kick out of reading through cookbook compilations that farm/ranch communities would create back in the day

In our area, many cookbooks put out by local churches are available. I have quite a collection of them. They are precious because they are tried and true recipes. It has been my experience to know that church people love to eat and therefore, the women love to cook. I treasure my church cook books with recipes by people I know.