Renewal

I realize I've been neglecting this blog for quite a while. But I'm going to try to improve that from now on. One thing I want to focus on going forward are some of the recipes I have from various vintage & antique cookbooks I've obtained over the last several years. My first vintage cookbook purchase was a 1950's edition of Sunset Magazine's "Cook Book - Favorite Recipes", and I'm most proud of a slightly battered copy of "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management" from a 1921 edition. I picked it up in London's Portobello Road antique market, which was the destination for frequent Saturday-morning outings. It's not entirely a cookbook, but a full guide for how any proper woman should run a household... I'm fully informed should I ever need to interview for a butler position.

Another set of cookbooks came my way a few months ago when my maternal grandmother, Fran, passed away. She had quite a passion for cooking - there were random recipes from magazines dating to the 1950s thru today socked everywhere in the kitchen. I took home just a fraction of the total number of cookbooks, but among them are 2 copies of the "My Better Homes And Gardens Cookbook" each dating from the early 1930's. One of them, bound in silver and green, has become my favorite since it has so many of Frannie's recipes hand-written in them, as well as some lovely antique food prints... when I get access to a decent scanner, I'll make sure to post them.

To get things started with the vintage recipe postings, here's a winner (hand-written) recipe for "Wine."

Pour 6 qts of boiling water over 20 pounds of grapes (stems and all) Let stand until thru working - 7 or 8 days - Strain and add 10 pounds of sugar Put in jars and let stand until thru working - Bottle