Comments on: Cooking With My Great-Grandmother

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:12:51 +0000

I have a handwritten cookbook from my grandmother, with recipes from her, family, friends and others. The earliest one I know I can date is about 1875, but many of the earliest ones quite probably have been passed down by family elders. There are “hints” in the lists of ingredients and cooking tools and measurements. The recipes are written in a ledger that is bound, and thus are written in over time and reflect many eras. Mortar & Pestle > the “meat grinder” you clamped to the kitchen table > mandoline > food processor… suet, lard, butter, margarine, oil…
Please don’t lose family treasures! Find a way to share them.

By: What is this Junket, Anyway? | Food & Think

What is this Junket, Anyway? | Food & Think — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:05:57 +0000

[...] I wrote yesterday, I’m having fun flipping through a century-old cookbook that once belonged to my great-grandma. Most of the recipes are somewhat familiar, but there was one title in the desserts section that [...]

By: Tinky

Tinky — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:28:52 +0000

Amanda–Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful story! It illustrates one of my favorite characteristics of food and cooking–that they put us in touch with the past in very concrete ways………

Enjoy this wonderful gift of history and family!

By: Hawley

Hawley — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:43:32 +0000

Wow, Amanda. THAT IS AMAZING!! I love it. How adorable that your have scribbles from (probably) your grandfather, and you can cook (almost) exactly the same recipes as your great-grandmother once did! I am totally blown away. What a fantastic wedding gift!!

The sexist commentary/advice cracks me up, along with the “coals”. Thank heaven we have modern conveniences! :)

By: Anita Jessop

Anita Jessop — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:52:27 +0000

Oh my gosh. It was so fun to find this. I have my Grandmothers copy. It is inscribed inside with:
Wichita Hired Girl
? this book
To: Mrs. Dorothy L. Woods
July 11, 1916
? bring her
? Day
L. ? Carter
11th 1828. July 11th 1916
This book was pulled out of a fire in the 40′s and has some damage to the right hand corner but I can still read it.

By: Dana Steinhoff Hawn

Dana Steinhoff Hawn — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:06:27 +0000

I have recipes and cookbooks dating from the 1800′s that have been passed down through the Hawn family.

By: Amanda Bensen

Amanda Bensen — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:12:26 +0000

If you’re interested, the full text of the cookbook (though not including the introductory advice to brides, for some reason) is available for free online. I linked to the Google Books version in the post, and it’s also available for download at Project Gutenberg:

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16514

Also, you can buy newer editions on Amazon. So you never know, your library might have it!

By: Heather L.

Heather L. — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:44:51 +0000

Wow, what a treasure!!! I’m guessing my library will not have it on the shelves. :( I LOVE popovers but haven’t made them in so long because they always stick to my muffin tins. I’ll give Alton’s recipe a try soon.