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Well it’s been a time of catching up with family and friends, watching three weeks granddaughter old Sonoma Grace coo and kick and remembering festive occasions when we were children. We recalled what our mothers and grandmothers cooked for special occasions. Older friends recalled times of deprivation, tales told of the Depression and war rationing when food was precious. We talk of the waste now, the over indulgence, the mass produced and packaged food of today (are we the only western nation whose food is controlled by two major retail entities?) and welcome the growth of farmers markets, organic and slow food movements. In these economic times perhaps we should have a veggie patch, chooks in the back yard and barter and trade with neighbours.
It was with great reverence that Boris returned from the Tip bearing a precious gift. It’s a fat book, it’s spine missing, crammed with extra bits of note paper, the thick paper pages mould-spotted. But what a treasure. It’s called Australian Home Cookery from the Ideal Home Library and is a homemakers’ comprehensive guide to cuts of meat, weights and measures as well as recipes. In the Introduction (written by Prudence, whoever she was) it states – “No expense or effort has been spared in selecting references for the housewife’s guidance and all recipes were tested under Australian conditions.” A leading Melbourne butcher helped with the meat diagrams, but there’s no other clue to when or where it was produced. But I’d say late 1940s or early 1950s. There’s every conceivable dish from fruit cocktails, broths, economy dishes, sweets, puds, cakes, biscuits, jams, preserves, pickles, drinks, cordials and toffees and candies.The first recipe that caught my eye was Devilled Beetroot. But most touching is the book is filled with scribbled recipes written on the backs of envelopes, on paper with a childish drawing done by ‘Cameron’, a fruit cake recipe is pencilled on a sheet from the Corrimal South Pharmacy. Some recipes are torn from magazines and a no-bake ginger slice recipe is from the back of a Kinkara Tea packet. On the back of a meat loaf recipe are directions to a retirement village in Picton and the name, Alan Mutton.
I wonder who was the owner of this book who obviously loved cooking and entertaining? How sad this still useful book with all its memories was being relegated to the tip. I wish knew the owner’s name but I hope she’s pleased I have added this book to my shelf of favourite family cookbooks. Cheers Di’s latest book The Islands, published by Pan Macmillan, is now on sale. |
