Going Retro

Lately I have noticed that quite a few of my favourite television programs are set in the past from are from various decades within the last 100 years. Now with saying this, I have also started to take notice of what is being eaten in the shows. Does the food and drinks look authentic? For the most part, the answer is definitely yes. My next thoughts naturally led me to wonder, what recipes were popular in the past. What sweets and baking delights took top prizes in the 20s? 50s? 70s? etc.

Next I went on a search of tracking down retro/vintage cookbooks through Ebay and even my fave, Etsy. One book that seemed to come up quite a bit was Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook which was first published in 1950. Here she is below:

Now here is a look inside. Granted the pictures aren't the most riviting visions of food now, but at the time this was truly groundbreaking.

In the years leading up to this (approximately 20 years), General Mills, Inc had produced several pamphlets that featured such editions as "Betty Crocker's $25,000 Recipe Set Featuring Recipes From World Famous Chefs For Foods That Enchant Men" (in 1933) and "Betty Crocker's 101 Delicious Bisquick Creations As Made And Served by Well-Known Gracious Hostesses; Famous Chefs' Distinguished Epicures and Smart Luminaries of Movieland."

The very first book (no pictures) was published 1941-1945 as Betty Crocker Cook Book of All-Purpose Baking (published as an aid to war-time considerations in cooking).

And she didn't stop there, more cookbooks were to follow after the popularity of the original picture book. Below you can scan some of my findings...

*New goal is to find that Party Book. The ideas in there have to be completely classic.


Another big hit was also from General Mills, Inc from 1947: Learn To Bake: You’ll Love It (pictured below). It was aimed to help the average homemaker better use: Calumet Baking Powder, Swan’s Down Cake Flour, and Baker’s Chocolate. Baker’s Chocolate had cool-er packaging back then!

My next mission is to find popular baking recipes of the early 80s (when I was born), so that means digging them up from my mom's collection in the old house. I seem to remember ones from Hershey, Company's Coming and Better Homes being in that collection. Memories of squares and treats I used to have as a kid are flooding my thoughts. It must be lunch time!