Cookbooks from Thrift Stores or How To Cook A Husband in Salt Fat Acid and Heat

I don’t know about you, but I find a lot of awesome cookbooks in thrift stores. So, starting today, every so often I’ll show you some of the cookbooks I’ve picked up at thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales and the like.

I rarely buy a cookbook new anymore. I used to…and I’m a member over at Eat Your Books where all of the newest cookbooks are indexed.

(I love Eat Your Books, especially if you have a lot of cookbooks like me. It invites you to ‘search’ your cookbooks for ingredients…and find recipes that match the ingredients you have on hand. Unfortunately, I have a LOT of old, spiral bound cookbooks which are definitely NOT indexed at Eat Your Books and likely never will be. )

Salt Fat Acid Heat

And, the first cookbook in this “recent acquisitions’ post is NOT an old cookbook at all, but a newbie from Samin Nosrat. I absolutely loved the Salt Fat Acid Heat series on Netflix and just had to get this cookbook as much for the theory behind each section as for the recipes themselves. And the illustrations are charming…. so much good reading in this book!

Here’s the trailer for the netflix series:

And now to the other cookbooks — all spiral bound, mind you.

I picked these up at a local thrift store and it seemed like someone who had a collection of cookbooks had donated a ton. The cool thing was that there were a bunch of cookbooks from different states – like the previous owner was working on a collection of cookbooks from all 50 states.

I just might have cookbooks from 25 states already. I know I have a cookbook that has recipes from all 50 states.

Anyhow, here’s the first of those cookbooks from the thrift store.

Tastes & Tales from Texas with Love

Tastes & Tales from Texas…with love: A Collection of Texas Recipes by Peg Hein. This is the third printing edition from November 1985.

This privately published spiral-bound cookbook is 180 pages of recipes, an 8-page index, and a complete list of contributors from around the state. There’s plenty of tall Texan tales and wisdom in this cookbook, too. Some of those recipes?

• Son-of-a-Gun Stew
• Enchilada-Taco Torte
• Sesquicentennial Spread
• Saucy Rump Slices from Lubbock
• Rio Grande Pot Roast
• San Jacinto Corn
• Texas Pecan Bars
• Granny Joyce’s Pickled Peaches
• Crown of Shrimp Ixtabay

Cafe Oklahoma

Continuing our deep south tour the next cookbook is Cafe Oklahoma: featuring casual recipes for the casual Sooner lifestyle by the Junior Service League of Midwest City, Oklahoma. I forgot to take a picture of the cover of this cookbook.

This Junior League cookbook is from 1994, and this is from the second printing in 1995 of 5000 books. There are Oklahoma specialties and the usual beverages, breads, sweets, and more. A quick sample of recipes:

• Candied Dill Pickles
• Cattle Rustler Cornbread
• Salsa Cruda
• Cornbread Salad
• Pumpkin-Pecan Tea Loaf
• Potatoes, Honey!
• Hoppel Poppel (a kind of sausage and potato hash)
• Grandmother’s Christmas Lizzies.

Himalayan Mountain Cookery

The Himalayan Mountain Cookery cookbook is from the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. It is spiral-bound and was first published in 1976. Recipes include:

• “Chocolate” Dahl
• Khichari
• Spiced Tilk
• Flavor 34 Ice Cream
• Peas in Khoya
• Cashew Subzi

Well Seasoned: A Southern Classic

Well Seasoned is from Les Passees, Inc. in Memphis, Tennessee. The non-profit organization began more than 100 years ago and with a particular interest in supporting children and families.

You can even get a copy of this cookbook from the website…so long as you can get to the Memphis headquarters. And if you’re so inclined, I’ll bet that a phone call to the headquarters might get a copy mailed to you, just saying.

This is a very comprehensive, spiral-bound cookbook with more than 400 pages of recipes, a herb and spice glossary, sauce chart, measurements, and index. It was first printed in 1982. I think I have the 4th printing from 1990. Some recipes:

• Jade Garden Soup (lots of spinach, parsley, and some lettuce)
• Grama Truax’ Oyster Patties
• Marinated Steak Drena
• Party Bean Casserole
• Mocha Meringe
• Brownies That Brag!
• Microwave Mexican Dish

Ms. G’s Cookbook

Ms. G is Goldie Comeaux who owned the original Mulates Cajun restaurant in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. She passed away in 2008 and, in 2011, the restaurant was sold and is now known as Pont Breaux Cajun Restaurant.

• Dirt Cake
• Fig Cake
• Louisiana Yam Cake
• Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
• Hush Puppies
• Mulate’s Catfish Jambalaya

The Memphis Cook Book

The final spiral-bound cookbook I scored at the local thrift store is the 1952 edition of The Memphis Cook Book; it was published by the Junior League of Memphis. It looks like my copy is the sixth printing from July 1958.

This cookbook has more than 200 pages including a wine chart, herb chart, table of equivalents, table of weights and measurements, oven temperatures, can sizes, and terms used in cooking. There is a good index also.

For the most part the chapters are standard: appetizers and canapes, soups, cheese and eggs, and so on. But the last chapter is “Quick-Ups, Pick-Ups, and Hic-Ups.”

That is, it’s a collection of household tips like laundry legerdemain, parental prestidigitation, Houdini in the house, cleaning capers, cagey kitchen keeping, needle necromancy, food foolery, paint pranks, and gardening gimmicks. There are a few recipes in this chapter, too, like Wintertime Vegetable Soup Party for 18 people. The “Hic-Ups” are cocktails like cafe royal, coffee-nog, and mock lemonade.

Otherwise, the recipes are a nice community collection:

• Cheese Cocktail Spread
• Mrs. Holmes’ Cheese Souffle
• Chicken Croquelle
• Aunt Marj’s Chocolate Sauce
• Corn Flake Ring with Ice Cream Balls
• Cauliflower A La Belgique
• Damson Plum Conserve
• Hot Tamale Loaf

How To Cook A Husband

However, the forward of The Memphis Cook Book is a sheer delight, and I’m typing the whole thing out here because it’s awesome.

Since forwards are usually wordy, seldom-read epistles, we have decided to dispense with it here. In its place is printed something more entertaining (if not entirely respectable,) yet pertinent to the subject at hand. It is taken from a cook book of the 1800s and appreciatively dedicated to the long-suffering men in our lives who have tested, tasted, and typed with us, until a lowly peanut butter sandwich is King’s fare to them, if they can just eat in peace and tranquility from an uncluttered table.

How To Cook A Husband

A good many husbands are uttlerly spoiled by mismanagement in cooking and so are not tender and good. Some women keep them constantly in hot water; others let them freeze by their carelessness and indifference. Some keep them in a stew with irritating ways and words. Some wives keep them pickled, while others waste them shamefully. It cannot be supposed that any husband will be tender and good when so managed, but they are really delicious when prepared properly.

In selecting a husband, you should not be guided by the silvery appearance as in buying a mackerel; nor by the golden tint as if you wanted salmon. Do not go to the market for him as the best ones are always brought to the door. Be sure to select him yourself as tastes differ. It is far better to have none unless you will patiently learn how to cook him.

Of course, a preserving kettle of the finest porcelain is best, but if you have nothing better than an earthenware pipkin, it will do – with care. Like crabs and lobsters, husbands are cooked alive. They sometimes fly out of the kettle so become burned and crusty on the edges, so it is wise to secure him in the kettle with a strong silken cord called Comfort, as the one called Duty is apt to be weak. Make a clear, steady flame of love, warmth, and cheerfulness. Set him as near this as seems to agree with him.

If he sputters, do not be anxious, for some husbands do this until they are quite done. Add a little sugar in the form of what confectioners call kisses, but use no pepper or vinegar on any account. Season to taste with spices, good humour, and gaiety preferred, but seasoning must always be used with great discretion and caution. Avoid sharpness in testing him for tenderness. Stir him gently, lest he lie too flat and close to the kettle and so become useless. you cannot fail to know when he is done. If so treated, you will find him very digestible, agreeing with you perfectly; and he will keep as long as you choose unless you become careless and allow the home fires to grow cold. Thus prepared, he will serve a lifetime of Happiness.