There is
something both nostalgic and intriguing in reading old cookbooks, especially European
ones from the first half of last century. This was a time when during and after
the world wars the mothers of the house had to rely on their skills to produce appetizing
and nutritious meal, while all the while making do with rationing, budgeting,
using local products or what they could grow in their own garden, they still
canned, or preserved for the winter, and did not have as much access as we have
now to more ‘exotic’ ingredients.
Maybe there
is something to be learned from our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, about
how to stretch proteins, and use seasonal meats, fruits and vegetables. This would support local
farmers and save our planet from unnecessary carbon footprints pollution. And
yet, I fear that we will not be going back to more sustainable eating practices anytime soon
due to the growing popularity of bloggers, and online sharing of recipes which
introduces us to new and exiting dishes made from ingredients that rarely are
produced locally.
This summer
my Papa gave me two 1950’s French cookbooks, the recipes present us with an
idea of what might have been on the menu in a French household at the times.
Many of the recipes are perfectly suited for modern cooking, but others are
terribly outdated such as the ‘ Bouillie’ for babies made from 175g of milk, 1
spoon flour, 1 pinch salt and 2 cubes of sugar….. Imagine giving your baby that
much sugar in his bottle !
One of my
favorite bits are the words from the writer H.P. Pellaprat, a cooking
professor. He dedicates the book to the '' French housewife who is more conscious
than all others of the well-being and happiness of her household, where the table
contributes strongly to this well-being,
by being one of those rare joys that the passing of time measures out
with so much parsimony ''.
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| Vintage French cookbooks |
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| Picture perfect cakes of the 50's.... |
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| Pork head aspic anyone ? |
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| French strawberry pie |
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| Special dish for special days.... the side decoration are cubes of meat gelatine. |
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| Some recipes might taste good, but they needs some help with the presentation...... |
What great books ... the saturated (?) photos seem so specific to that time period.
ReplyDeleteYes, the photos are typical for the time period, slightly blurry sometime, but with very vivid colors.
DeleteI'm actually lucky to live in an area where I can eat local fruits and veggies 6 months of the year, we also have our own chickens for eggs, local seafood, and I've started preserving recently. It takes a little more effort, but its worth it. The pictures of the food are so fun!
ReplyDeletePreserving is something I have on my to-do list. Right now I mainly do jams and dry/freeze items from the garden. My dream is to build a green house so I can supply my family with tomatoes, cucombers and other vegetables that don't grow outdoor where I live - Norway.
DeleteWhat an incredible gift! I am going to France this autumn and I keep seeing things that are making me so excited for my trip. I remember reading my mother's cookbooks when I was young. The writing styles are very different, now. There isn't much flavor in a straight forward directional recipe, is there?
ReplyDeleteOlder recipes were tasty in that they made use of herbs, spices, and meat stock. But our modern palate is often damaged by the excess of salt/sugar and flavor enhancers that are found in almost everything.
DeleteWishing you a very pleasant trip to France, and if you have the time do try to visit a street market. They are a great experience, and there is so much amazing things to taste....