One of my recent vintage finds was this "Calendar of Luncheons, Teas and Suppers" by Elizabeth O. Hiller. I just love reading through old recipes, and I especially love coming across old teatime recipes because it's interesting to see which tea foods of yesteryear are still popular today.
I hope you can double-click and read this OK, because I am intrigued that she referred to "the old-time practice" of having a tea hour. This book is from around 1915, so "old-time" to her meant something *really* old-time to us today!
The teapot and teacup graphics appearing on all the pages are just so lovely, I think. The flip-calendar format is intriguing, and the pages are rather large -- about 5-1/2 x 11 inches.
Each page of the calendar lists an entire week of menu suggestions, and each day includes one recipe from the day's suggested menu.
I had never heard of French Macaroni, Blackberry Rolls (which sound great) or Ceylon Cocoa. (Ceylon tea, yes. Ceylon cocoa, no.)
And finally, I found it amusing that the ingredients you would need to assemble for this recipe include a tea house! Looks to me like only Marilyn will be making this anytime soon since she is the only woman I know who currently has a tea house. Do you enjoy reading old recipes? Do you actually use any of them? I'd love to know!
It is fun to read old recipes, although they are sometimes not very practical (scrambled eggs with smoked sturgeon?).
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite cookbooks is The American Century Cookbook. It has the most popular recipes of the 20th century and is packed with old photos and food history.
I do use some of the recipes in this book, like the one for Yellow Squash Casserole.
I find things like this fascinating.....the menus and recipes. Lovely! Theodosia Browning would love this! Since I am from Virginia I enjoy looking at the Williamsburg era cookbook which has things like eel and turtle, etc.
ReplyDeleteAngela, what a beautiful calendar. Neat idea, too, featuring all the recipes. Once again, you have proven what a great 'eye' you have, for finding the beautiful, the unique and the interesting. Thanks for sharing, Joanie
ReplyDeleteps: I was able to get Country Living's 25th Anniversary edition at Hastings, in Newnan. As of last night, June 29th, there was one left. They may be able to do a 'Swap Meet,' with their other stores, if you're interested.
Oh, how special!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting calendar. I have a few old recipe books and I agree wtih parTeaLady, they are fun to read.
ReplyDeleteI do love reading old cookbooks. I was thinking the graphics would make great templates for embroidery. Maybe Maureen's husband would like to use this idea.
ReplyDeleteI wondered what you were talking about my having a tea house. I had to go see and laugh. Guess what, now it is a bedroom for company coming tomorrow night. No room in my little house. They thought I was crazy when I said they could sleep in the greenhouse. I just hope the spiders don't visit them. LOL
Girlfriend, you find the BEST stuff! And yes I do have many, many cookbooks and enjoying reading them like I would a novel by Jane Austen! For Mother's Day, I did go through my Grandmothers recipes and chose 2 of them to make for a tea I had with my sister and mom! One was a Maxwell cake ~ yes as in the coffee ~ and the other was cucumber and onion salad. Great memories!
ReplyDeleteMy backyard gazebo serves as my garden tea house for at least a couple of afternoon teas every year. But more often I have them indoors.
ReplyDeleteLove your vintage find! I so enjoy reading things like that, but nearly all my teatime recipes are my own original recipes or re-creations of my mother's and grandmother's recipes. I love keeping my English heritage alive and sharing it with friends.
So glad I found your wonderful blog. It's a pleasure to "visit" with another tea lover.