The Vintage Cookbook Trials

About

The Vintage Cookbook Trials came to us as all the best ideas come – in the pub. Over the years the contributors here have amassed a range of cookery books of various vintages – from kitschy 1950’s leaflets produced by the Bacon & Ham Council to musty Edwardian tomes with instructions on how best to prepare ptarmigan for the pot, to recipe cards from the 70s with some godawful sounding concoctions for children’s parties on them (Turkey Men or Walnut Cheese Balls anyone?).  Half the fun of gathering this collection has been to compare and contrast the attitudes and foodstuffs of the past with our modern experience of it and up to this point the books have been used solely for entertainment. It’s out of a desire to actually use these resources for the purpose they were created that this blog has arisen.

Our definition of ‘vintage’ is anything first published more than 25 years ago.

You can contact us at vintagecookbooktrials@googlemail.com

9 Comments

9 responses so far ↓

  • rosemary chambers // 25 November 2008 at 1.18pm

    Can anyone give me the recipe for CURRIED TURKEY under Poultry in the Alison Burt’s cookery cards? The puppy found it on the floor and demolished. I am lost without it!

    Thanks,
    Rosemary

  • vintagecooking // 26 November 2008 at 12.58am

    Hello

    I’ve scanned and uploaded this recipe to my flickr account here http://www.flickr.com/photos/fathands/3060165002/in/photostream/

    It’s not a great scan, so let me know if you need me to transcribe the recipe..

    thanks for reading!

  • Jo // 20 January 2009 at 2.15pm

    This is brilliant. Your Haricot Bean soup made me laugh loudly. Will be signing up for more recipes and experiments. Keep it coming.

  • Alix // 22 January 2009 at 8.23pm

    Thank you! Good to have you here

  • Fatima // 29 May 2009 at 12.50am

    We just want you to know, over at LLGB we love you guys and your blog. We need to find a way to collaborate, one of these days! Are you all in the UK, by the way?

  • T Cobb // 23 July 2009 at 10.02pm

    I stumbled across your webpage and have been totally engrossed and fascinated with your trial dishes. I couldn’t stop laughing over the recipe that called for a salamander. I would have been just as perplexed. I am from a little town in Texas, USA. Awesome stuff here. Your postings are very funny and I was so intrigued by one of your posts that I just purchased Taglienti’s “The Italian Cookbook”. Go figure.

    Can you try something from “The White House Chef Cookbook” by Rene Verdon?

  • Elly // 24 July 2009 at 12.27am

    Hello T Cobb, Glad you’re enjoying our blog! Older US cookbooks are in short(ish) supply in the UK but the Whitehouse Chef Cookbook sounds great – I’ll buy it, if I see it.

  • Rev. Roxanna Sparks // 23 September 2009 at 11.18pm

    I Love Cookbooks , the Older…The Better
    This is A Wonderful Website…What A Find…
    I Look Forward to Many Adventures in Cooking and Sharing and Enjoying All Who are Doing the Same. Much Love from California.

  • Alix // 25 September 2009 at 12.55pm

    Thank you for your kind comments – it’s a pleasure to have you here!

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