While I was in Florida last week I managed to check out a few antique malls. Out of the four places I visited, the only thing I left with was this 1964 salad cookbook for $6. It's part of the "Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers" series from Favorite Recipes Press.
Check out this photo of a 1964 era spice rack. I'll bet I'm not the only one who grew up in a household with these exact same spices in bottles with the exact same font!
The night before I found this cookbook, the DH and I had enjoyed a calzone and a particularly tasty Caesar salad at a local restaurant, and for some reason I got a hankering to explore the history of salads. How, I wonder, did we go from the classic iceberg lettuce with shredded cheese, croutons and a little thousand island dressing to today's arugula and mixed green salads with fancy vinaigrettes and unusual toppings? Looking back at salads of the sixties, I'm glad I came of age as all those exotic Jell-O molds, Coca-Cola Salads (featured on both pages of this spread) and Aspics were on the way out! Some of these salads, though, would make great first courses for a tea, especially the seafood and chicken salad recipes.
When I saw this recipe for Asheville Salad, it made me think of tea friend Lynn (a/k/a Frivolitea) in North Carolina!I also have this antique store "quirk" I wanted to share in hopes of finding out if some of you share it as well. You see, it is my belief that almost every antique store in America has at least one copy of "In the Kitchen with Rosie," that book that came out in 1994 written by Oprah's cook. Did you know they sold 12 copies of that book for every man, woman and child in the country? Well, OK, I made that up, but it sure seems that way based on the endless number of copies for sale. It's an obsession for me now, to the point that I can't leave an antique store without looking for a copy. Instead of "Where's Waldo?" I play "Where's Rosie?" because I know she's in there. (And no, I don't own a copy, although I did back in the day!) So next time you're in an antique mall and can't find a vintage tea cookbook, you can at least enjoy scouting out their copy (or copies) of "In the Kitchen with Rosie."
Asheville Salad - well how interesting is that? I wonder how it came to have that name? You cookbook is neat - a little slice of history. And thanks for thinking of me!
ReplyDeleteFun post Angela! Over the years, my sisters and I purchased that entire spiral bound series of "Favorite Recipes" for our Mother, with the desserts cookbook being heavily used. I don't believe I have any of them now. But the 'where's Rosie' concept is what really brought a chuckle this morning! I'll be on the lookout for that cookbook from now on, agreeing with your sentiments exactly!
ReplyDeleteSix, that would be my count, six copies all in a row at the local Goodwill Store....Rosie is everywhere...so glad I'm not the only one who's seeing her!
ReplyDeleteI so love to look through old cookbooks. It's like returning to a simpler time and yet I think cooking 'back in the day" was harder.
ReplyDeleteI found a new book about old cookbooks/recipes called "The Gallery of Regrettable Food" by James Lileks...oh, not only does it take you back (almost too far back!) but his commentary on some of the recipes is hysterical!
What a great find! The page you pictured with that Cherry Salad, by that teacher in Norcross, Georgia was similar to one of my favorites (it uses Cherry Jell-O and definitely pecans)! Now I will have to recreate it. Thanks for that entry! (I wonder where that teacher is today???)
ReplyDeleteWait... I'm confused - you find a book that was published in 1994 in antique stores?!?
ReplyDeleteYou are right on about the Rosie book. ;=) I have seen frozen fruit salad fairly often in tearooms. That recipe for Asheville Salad seems very similar to one I used to make many years ago except for the addition of chopped shrimp. I made it in a fish shaped mold and served in as a spread with crackers.
ReplyDeleteI remember "In the Kitchen with Rosie"' but I don't have one. The salad that came to mind in reading your entry was a wedge of iceberg lettuce with thousand island dressing on top. That was one my mom made. Now I am seeing it show up in a new barbecue restaurant here in town. Too funny!
ReplyDeleteMy Mom had that same spice rack. I've never heard of the Rosie cookbook but then I'm not an Oprah fan and we don't have any antique malls around here (that I know of). :-)
ReplyDeleteOprah's cook? I'll pass on that. But I will go for the modern day salads with mixed greens. I'm glad I have them today available widely enough that salad is always a healthy option. --Spirituality of Tea
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