Vintage cookbooks are drawing attention (and money) from customers. For some, vintage cookbooks are a trip down memory lane, a chance to recreate childhood recipes. Other customers are interested in the history of food. Avid cookbook collectors can purchase a cookbook for just one recipe.
The old cookbooks, the ones used by our mothers and grandmothers, have things to tell us. “The Victory Cook Book”, published in 1943, is a good example. The title page instantly tells you what the book is about. “Wartime Edition,” the page declares, “Featuring Victory Substitutes and Inexpensive Recipes for Delicious Wartime Meals.”
The keywords for Americans in the middle of a war were “surrogates” and “inexpensive.” This cookbook told them how to make store-bought food and home-grown food. The cooks were told how to extract the fat from the meat, which was put into cans and delivered to local butcher shops. As hard as it may be to believe, this fat was turned into explosives.
A large part of the book is devoted to menu planning. Donuts, cookies, and pancakes were to be eaten only after “healthy foods” had been eaten. The meat was eaten in small quantities. Sweets were meant to be eaten in moderation and “The Victory Cook Book” recommends eating salad for dessert.
Meat was in short supply during World War II, the chapter on meatless meals must have been very helpful. Just reading a dinner menu can make you feel full. A sample dinner menu includes cold fruit, stuffed tomatoes, parsley potatoes, creamed asparagus, pumpkin pie and milk. If that didn’t fill you up, nothing would.
The school cafeteria menus continued the theme of fruits and vegetables. A sample lunch menu includes whole-wheat sandwiches filled with cottage cheese, a thermos of cocoa, applesauce, and whole-grain crackers. Kids today would probably go on strike if their school cafeteria served this food.
The point is, there’s no mention of a double cheeseburger, a giant order of fries, or an oversized soda. What’s the “new” news in this old cookbook? It is eating fruits and vegetables, things that can help us feel fit and live a longer life. This news could help reverse the obesity trend.
According to government statistics, 65% of Americans are overweight. Many Americans eat double or triple portions of food and it shows. Go to a mall and you’ll see people who walk, people who don’t walk, people who are at risk for heart disease and diabetes. Some Americans are literally eating themselves to death.
Maybe it’s time to go back to the foods recommended in “The Victory Cookbook.” We can plan meals around fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, small portions of meat, and some sweets. The best news of all is that fresh fruits and vegetables taste great.
The next time you go to a used book store or browse the internet, look for old cookbooks. Find books that include fresh fruits, vegetables, and vegetarian foods. Also look for name-brand cookbooks and brochures. You may be surprised by your “new” and healthy news.
Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson
