Favorite Things :Vintage Cookbooks

Do vintage cookbooks catch your eye and spark images of yummy foods made by loving homemakers?

They sure do summon me for a second (or third or forth!) look.

But not as much as my friend Noel. Among her many talents and businesses is her passion for vintage cookbooks. I can easily see why. It is fun to browse the pages and read how food was prepared the 'modern way' in 1951, or '61, or well, whenever!

Noel loves vintage books so much that she started an online business via Etsy that specializes in selling vintage books, aptly named "Noel's Vintage Books".

I like the cookbooks from the 50's and 60's because they remind me of my growing-up years. I also like the graphics.

Back when printing books was a lot more expensive than it is today, many illustrations were line drawings limited to one or two colors. To make them more interesting, elements such as boomerang shapes were added.

Today I am sharing a post from Noel's blog, Apron Free Cooking. The cookbook featured is by Cutco, the largest manufacturer of kitchen cultery in the United States and Canada (as per their website).

Marcheta *canned fruit cocktail in Jello, topped with mayo....yes, please!

 

 

 

From Apron Free Cooking, Cutco Cookbook

Cutco Cookbook Front Cover

Many vintage cookbooks were developed as a marketing tactic. Before we had hour long infomercials and Internet advertising, marketers took many different approaches to getting their product in front of buyers.
Think about the door to door salesman. He walked many miles, knocked on many doors, all in an attempt to convince the housewife that his product deserved a place in her home. Sometimes he was successful. Sometimes he was not.
Businesses began to offer complimentary products as a way to entice purchase of their primary product. Remember your grandma or mom purchasing a specific brand of laundry soap in order to get the dish of the month? Who would consider dinnerware a complimentary product to laundry soap? Perhaps that’s why we don’t see offers like that anymore.
It makes much more sense to develop a cookbook of recipes that can be used along with your new appliance or kitchen tool. I still see new cookbooks for sale that feature a specific brand of food or kitchen utensil. Cutco was one company who printed a cookbook to encourage cooks to purchase their cutlery.

1961 Cutco Cook Book Worlds Best Cutlery

Cutco Cookbook Front Cover

Vintage CookBook
Copyright: 1961Publisher: Cutco DivisionHardcover, 128 pagesCondition: very good, printed cover, no dust jacket, no marks, no tears, binding tightAuthor: Margaret MitchellPrice: 10.00

Cutco Copyright

Synopsis: A complete education in meat and poultry cooking. This book is illustrated with butchers diagrams labeled with the names of meat cuts. There are instructions on the care and sharpening of your knives. There are recipes for all sorts of meat based dishes.

Cutco Inside Cover

“Variety is important. If the family sits down to the table, takes one look and says, “I’m not hungry.” The reason is almost always a lack of appetite appeal either in the food itself or in its preparation.”
Menu suggestions are included, to help the cook determine appetizers, side dishes and dessert that best compliment the type of meat being served.

Cutco Recipe

This copy is in excellent condition. You would hardly know that the book has been used.

Cutco Back Cover

See more Vintage Cookbooks at the ApronFreeCooking store on Etsy. I have added lots of the treasures I find on my book scouting adventures to the list over there. My bookshelves can’t hold all the great cookbooks I find!
What is your favorite brand of kitchen knife?

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