VINTAGE COOKBOOKS

I love them! I have lost a bunch, unfortunately, moving too many times. So now I am rebuilding my collection. I found this one in Richmond VA at a HUGE antique store. They also had gorgeous aluminum cake caddys (is that what you call them?) and I am still kicking myself for not bringing one back, oh well next time. So anyway this one here, features recipes with "SPRY". I have never heard of SPRY, it's like CRISCO, I guess, which is actually something I used to use in baking, but now fear. Look on the cover how that one lady is gripping the other's arm-".....that marvelous chocolate cake". How funny is that? It looks so maniacal. I would totally do that! "Do you remember those cookies you made last year...do you!?.. THEY CHANGED MY LIFE...do you hear me?" I especially love the images (duh) in vinatge cookbooks, don't those doughnuts look amazing? It makes me actually want to make doughnuts- and that is crazy. I have this one at home "101 CAKES", it's small like a flip book and I tried to find it to post from but could not-it's so beautiful and has the craziest shit in it. It has a house cake- a big cake that looks like a house.(!?) A bridge cake- for your weekly bridge party, silly. All types of random event cakes. (Which is brilliant-I am so into that idea of cake for any/no occasion. "Quit my job cake", "Monday's suck cake","Best Friend is Upset cake")The pics in that one are amazing- the frostings are so billowy and perfect, I wanna sleep on these cakes. I remember my Dad's copy of Joy of Cooking, the line drawings in there made cooking seem so appealing, especially the dessert and drinks sections- those were my faves-still are ha! I imagined being a grown up and having parties with long tables full of desserts right out of a 1950's cocktail party.



I think what I love most about these books are the lifestyle they represent to me. Was there once time enough in life for "250 Refrigerator Desserts"? I mean I know the 50's were a big sham. The facade of the american dream hiding all the seediness and corruption and complacency- but when I flip through these books, I see works of pastel art, chrome kitchens and delighted faces, the promise that I can create something in my kitchen, present it to my pals and be psyched as they delight in it ahhhhhh..Ok time to make the doughnuts