History

A few weeks ago, I received a binder from an aunt who was cleaning out her house for sale.

Binder

Based on the calendar in the back, this binder dates from the mid-late 1920s.

Calendar

 

 

 

 

 

This treasure, that I’ve never seen before, consists of several sheets of water-damaged but otherwise blank loose-leaf paper. More than halfway through the binder, the recipes start.

Handwritten Recipes

Handwritten Recipe

 

 

First are the handwritten recipes, in an old-fashioned handwriting. Most of the recipes are for baking, although there are some for “Cooling Drinks,” and a list of cooking terms.

Typed Ingredient List

Then the typed recipes start. These are interesting, as they include lists of ingredients, but very few (often no) instructions. However, the most interesting thing is that the yields given are so enormous – for example, bread recipes often seem to yield over 20 lbs. of dough.  As I had not received the notebook directly from my aunt, the next time I spoke to my dad, I asked him about it. It turns out my great-grandmother had worked as a cook and might be the source of the hand-written section, but my great-grandfather had been a baker in the army during the First World War. The typed recipes are most likely for ordering supplies, and the huge amounts would make sense when one is literally feeding an army.

I look forward to working some of these out to a more manageable form. In the meantime, if I ever need 23 lbs. of bread dough, I am set.