Prairie Farmer - WLS Cook Book (1941)

For my friends who like history and cooking, AND for my ag friends, I've got a fun one from 1941.

Many of us grew up listening to WLS 89 AM radio in the 60s and 70s when it was a Top 40 pop station. But from 1928 until 1960, it actually was owned by Prairie Farmer - yes, the same Prairie Farmer magazine that our farm families read. WLS then was a very popular rural-oriented station, complete with livestock reports and cooking shows.

This cookbook (hard cover, 310 pages) was published by Prairie Farmer Magazine (aka The Prairie Press) and was a compilation of recipes by its on-air personalities, from its listeners, and from university ag extensions. I believe that the "Centennial Edition" on the cover refers to Prairie Farmer celebrating its 100th anniversary (it dates back to 1841).

This cookbook has a little bit of everything. Unusually this cookbook has photos of its staff contributors. It also has some photos of dishes and credit lines for listeners who contributed recipes, neither of which were common features in that era.

Without looking, who remembers what "WLS" stood for?

http://www.wlshistory.com/WLS30/

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...

History and Cooking - Antique Cookbooks

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