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.)

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...

Where Have I Been?

I took an unexpected hiatus from this blog for the last nine months. Despite following all precautions, COVID found us in December 2020. My dear hubby was sick for a week and is pretty much recovered except for one lingering problem. I was actively sick for the better part of three weeks, and I ended up on a cocktail of meds, including steroids and an inhaler. My throat was swollen and I had trouble swallowing pills. I had crippling exhaustion that leveled me, and I didn't realize I had brain fog until I woke up one morning and realized how much sharper the edges of my brain had become. I had an especially scary Christmas night when both nostrils suddenly swelled up: my nose got so large that my dear hubby could see how big it had become across a 12-foot room. It was painful, like the two sides of my nose were fighting to take over the same space on my face. I got frightened when the back of my throat started to swell up as well. I could feel the top of my throat and t...

History and Cooking - Antique Cookbooks

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