Skip to main content

A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband with Bettina's Best Recipes (1917)






 Here’s another history geek post for my friends into cooking:

This is one of my favorite old cookbooks. It is from 1917, and tells the story of newlyweds Bettina and Bob and their friends over their first year of marriage. Unusually, the cookbook is made up of more than 100 little chapters that present some housekeeping situation with Bettina’s recipes and tips - everything from an unexpected luncheon for Bob’s boss to a Washington’s Birthday tea to Bob “manfully using his strong right arm” to stir the breakfast popovers batter.

I think Bettina hosted more to-do’s over the course of this book than I have in my entire life. She makes Martha Stewart look like a slacker!

Popular posts from this blog

How to Eat Well Though Rationed: Wartime Canning and Cooking Book (1943)

  For my friends who like history and cooking, and in honor of the 4th of July, here’s a little gem from 1943. The government had some propaganda work to do to convince citizens to go to war again so soon after WWI, and booklets like this played a role in keeping patriotism and morale up as the war dragged on. Sacrifice then was considered honorable for the greater good. On a personal note, I’ve entered antique shows with my cookbooks only twice. I entered this one in the 1993 McHenry County Fair and it won a Best of Show. (I entered another one in the Walworth County Fair the following year, and the superintendents of that show damaged it with their poor handling practices. Because of that experience, I will not enter any more antiques in any show.)

Pillsbury's Bake Off Breads Cook Book (1968)

  This is kind of a history geek post 😊 ok, it’s completely a history geek post 😄 I have collected old cookbooks most of my life; I love looking at history through them. I found a couple this year at the Walworth County Fair’s used book sale that are too cool to not share. Bakers, check out the subhead on this Pillsbury bread cookbook from 1968 - when instant dry yeast was NEW to the commercial market. I can’t imagine not having it on the pantry shelf.

The Mystery Chef's Own Cook Book (1943)

  For my friends who like history and cooking, I have a nondescript thick gray cookbook from 1943 with a fascinating story behind it. Can you imagine a time when it wasn't socially acceptable for a man to be known as a chef? Other than Escoffier, the only famous male cook during the first half of last century was the Mystery Chef. He was a Scottish immigrant named John MacPherson, who parlayed his enjoyment of cooking into hosting a national radio program for more than 20 year s. He also wrote several cookbooks and had a TV show for a season. It's probably fair to say he helped pave the way for today's celebrity chefs. His alias came about because he claimed his mother was embarrassed that her son liked the unmasculine activity of cooking. In his book, he actually advocates quite a bit for men to "find pleasure and relaxation in the art of excellent cooking." This book is unusual in that it doesn't have a single drawing or photograph. But, the Mystery Chef...