Potpourri Press Books By Irena Chalmers

I have a small collection of these fabulous little paperback cookbooks written by Irena Chalmers and published by Potpourri Press in Greensboro, North Carolina. All of mine were published during the years 1969-1977.
 This one, the only one that is NOT a cookbook, is the one that started it all for me,
 "Napkin Folding":

Here's one little bio and photo from the back cover of one of my books:

And here is another:

The first cookbook photo below, the "Cookie Book" is one that I do not have.
 I'm hoping to find it: I love the illustration on the cover:

I think I found nearly all of my others at thrift shops.
And I like the covers on all of them.
The next four volumes pictured here today all feature artwork by Bob Penny. 
"Crock-Pot Cookery":

"Lover's Dining":

"Cooking In Clay":

"Souffle Spectaculars":

"Wok And Tempura Cookery" was written with Barbara Farr and has drawings inside, also by Ms. Farr:

And "Crepes And Flaming Desserts" has cover artwork by Mr. Penny, with drawings inside done by Sara G. Skardon :

 In perusing these little cookbooks, I see a lot of recipes that I want to try.
Here's a Beef Stew recipe from "Crock-Pot Cookery":

 

 There are at least a half-dozen more that I do not have, but I'm still hoping to find them very inexpensively at thrift stores, rather than buying them on eBay.
Because I don't NEED them, you know?
 I'd just like to have them if I happen across them - and perhaps I will!

Chocolate (Cream) Cheese Pie, A Recipe From Farm Journal

 I made this creamy, delicious chocolate dessert yesterday:

The recipe actually comes from a cookbook we grew up with,
 Farm Journal's Complete Pie Cookbook, published in 1965:

I have Mother's copy, and the recipes in it are fabulous.
Some of our family favorites were the Frosted Apple-Raisin Pie, Crisscross Cherry Pie,
and the Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie, which really IS, by the way; it always got the highest bid when Mother would make one and take it to one of our 4-H Pie Socials.
Does anybody do Pie Socials any more? Our 4-H ones were fund raisers, and they were just plain, good, old-fashioned family fun. They were meant for the whole family to go, and we would bring our pies as donations, and then they were auctioned off. Maybe there was also a pot-luck dinner to enjoy; I can't recall.
But it was neat, and I miss stuff like that!
At our Gold Oak Union Elementary School Halloween carnivals, I remember also having a Cake Walk, and as I recall, working that - or participating - was fun, too.
 (I'm not sure now whether those were a 4-H Club sponsored event or if perhaps it was our 8th grade class to raise money for a class trip? Either way, they were enjoyable!)
 An array of cakes were donated by the club/class members and/or their families, and then we used a record player. There were taped out squares on the floor to walk as the music played, we'd stop the music, and then I guess we picked a number to determine the winning square? Your ticket(s) enabled you to "walk", and if you were the winner, then you got to pick whichever cake you wanted from the table. I mean, come on - how great is that?
All right, yes, I digress!
Those memories came flooding back as I was typing - so back to the topic at hand.

This is a picture of the pie from the cookbook:

And here is the recipe for the Short-Cut version:

 I didn't make the Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust this time, because I had some Cocoa Krispies in the pantry, and I found a recipe for a pie crust using Rice Krispies in an old magazine, so I decided to try that.
And then I also didn't feel like putting it in a pie plate, so I used an 8X8" Pyrex dish instead.

Here's the "crust" recipe, if you're interested:
Melt one cup of semi-sweet chocolate morsels with 1/4 cup of butter in a microwave-safe bowl for one minute or so and stir together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
 Stir in 2 cups of Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies and press mixture into a lightly greased pie plate or square baking dish.
You could fill this crust with anything, of course; like ice cream or pudding, to create any number of refrigerated pies. It was definitely something new to me - and I really like it.
But honestly, this chocolate dream - I mean cream  (or do I?) - stuff is so delicious and so rich and decadent, I actually don't think you even need any type of crust. I think it would best be served as a wonderful sort-of Chocolate Mousse type of dessert in crystal goblets or sherbet dishes.
It's pretty fabulous. I love chocolate and I love rich things - but consider yourself warned, if you do not.
(I previously wrote about this pie back in my inaugural  "Then And Now" post, in June of 2008.
 (Click here  if you would like to go back and read that post.)
 I've also written about the Farm Journal Cookbooks more than once. Indeed I have, and for good reason.
All three of the Gold Country Girls have a collection of these fabulous vintage cookbooks, and I feel that the recipes they hold are worthy of a whole slew of posts!

A Charming Cookbook

Lori found the cutest cookbook at a thrift store on one of her visits here to Sonora. and the illustrations inside by Barbara Corrigan are so charming that I just wanted to share some of them with you today.
The title of the vintage (1953) cookbook is "Early American Recipes", and it was written by Heloise Frost.
First up, for  "Chowders, Soups And Stews", we see the lady of the house getting the large soup tureen down from the top of her hutch:

 (I love the framed silhouettes on either side in that one.)
Just look at all the kitty cats clamoring for some of her
"Fish And Sea Foods", below:

"Cakes 'N' Cookies" are next, and all I have to say is  "Yes, please; I would also like to sit in that nice big red wing chair,  a sweet kitty by my side, with a nice book in MY lap and help myself to some of those cookies, as well!"
I mean, there's even a footstool on which to place my feet:

It appears that this rising bread may have gotten a bit out of control, here in the illustration for the chapter on Breads, Biscuits, and Muffins:

Bringing a nice pot of "Vegetables" to the table, here:

(Don't step on any of those sleeping puppies or their Mama!)

We also have Jams, Jellies and Relishes  - ready for a nice slice of toast, anyone?
Looks like Fido is ready, willing AND able to help Junior out with his, any time!

"Fillin" Dishes" ( including a big turkey on the table) are precisely what you need to have ready and waiting when you are expecting company, who just happen to have been traveling over the river and through the woods - and snow - to reach your house.....

Early American Recipes that are "Smackin' Good":

Hope you enjoyed seeing the illustrations!

Retro Jell-O Salad - A 1960's Betty Crocker Recipe

My gal pal Heidi and her husband invited a few friends over to their house Saturday night to watch "The Beatles: Eight Days A Week- The Touring Years".
 It was requested that each of us bring a dish, preferably Beatles-related.
Well, if you're me and you decide to make a Jell-O salad, the first thing you have to do is hunt down your favorite Tupperware mold that you haven't used for about twenty years:

Done.
I had decided on a "vintage" gelatin salad recipe from my 1969 Betty Crocker Cookbook.
60's - so, I'm in the right era for the film.
"Jell-O, Goodbye" Salad - get it?
"You say goodbye, and I say ..... Jell-O. Jell-O, Jell-O?
 I don't know why you say goodbye, I say Jell-O"
The next thing you do (if you're me - and I am), you take these ingredients along with a couple of others:

 And then you add some orange sherbet to the Jell-O, and then you put it into your vintage Tupperware Jell-O mold until it sets up:

 And then you mix up your ambrosia, and you serve it like this:

I used to make it years ago for holiday dinners, but I hadn't done so in quite some time.
I am so glad to tell you that the salad was a hit!
And, if you're me, that makes you very happy.
We all had a great time, and Ron Howard's film about the Fab Four was fabulous. (Thank you, Heidi and Wes!!)
The recipe is below, just in case anyone is interested.
"Triple-Orange Ambrosial Salad":

It's seriously yummy, believe me.

Do You Have Salmon In A Can?

I found this vintage cookbook at a thrift store, and I was intrigued - "Magic Entrees With Canned Salmon":

I mean, who doesn't want a taste of a Magic Entree?
The one on the cover is Festival Salmon Supreme:

Or perhaps you's prefer to try Planked Salmon Savannah, hmmmm?

There's always "North Coast Salmon Bake"....

Here is a pictorial description of the three sizes of canned salmon available when the cookbook was printed:

We just happened to have some cans of salmon in the pantry:

Those cans were there because, for years, my husband has wanted me to make "Salmon Patties" from a recipe given to him by the wife of his best friend, with whom he worked on the Sierra Railroad.
His friend would come to work sometimes with salmon patties in his lunch, and my husband always thought they looked so good!
I'm not even sure why I never made them - I knew exactly where the hand-written recipe was.
He had seen the cans of salmon at the store, and he got some because he was still hoping I would finally make some.
More on that in a sec, but first,  just for fun, here are a few vintage labels that I got in a "lot" I purchased years ago on eBay.
First up, we have Creamed Salmon and Peas.
You know, I actually detest canned peas, but I honestly think I might have liked that stuff served over toast, as shown in the picture below.
Call me crazy - but it looks good to me:

Fancy salmon steak, two brand labels from the Columbia River:

The one recipe in my cookbook that sounded the very best to me was this one, below, for "Salmonburgers":

So I decided to try and make some, combining and adapting the recipe above from the cookbook with the recipe from our friends.
Here they are sizzling in the pan:

We liked them so well that the next time we went to the store we bought more canned salmon and salmon-in-a-pouch to have on hand so that I could make them again.
We didn't eat them as burgers.
He ate his with tartar sauce, and I just had fresh lemon juice on mine.
They were GOOD.
I will leave you with one more colorful illustration from the vintage cookbook  - a buffet spread with canapes.....

And if you are wondering who put out that cookbook back in 1937?
Why, it was none other than the Canned Salmon Industry in Seattle, Washington.

Love Me Some Soup!!!

Hi, Sis Lori here:
Just a quick post with an awesome Soup recipe I found. Here's hoping we have some Fall weather soon!!!!

TACO SOUP

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 (15.25 oz.) can sweet corn, drained

1 (12.5 oz.) can white chicken breast, drained

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10 oz.) can green enchilada sauce

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

1 packet taco seasoning

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large pot.
2. Heat until warm, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Approximately 4 servings

I made this recently for my clients that I work with and they loved it!!! Adding some avocado, sour cream and tortilla strips would make it that much more special!! It is super easy and very tasty!!! A total pantry fix you can easily whip up anytime!!!

Chez Panisse

I have always wanted to dine at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, but I've never had the pleasure.
From the very first time I ever read about Alice Waters, (most likely back in the 70's, in Bon Appetit magazine) I was intrigued.
So, when I came across this copy of "Fanny At Chez Panisse" at a thrift store, 
I was happy to bring it home and add it to my cookbook collection:

With delightful illustrations by Ann Arnold:

It's such a lovely book!

And then, just about a week later, I came across these note cards below.
They feature the gorgeous artwork of Patricia Curtan:

These illustrations were done for menu covers at Chez Panisse;
aren't they wonderful?

Lovely, lucky finds.
It's awfully nice when that happens.
And, perhaps I WILL make it to the restaurant - one of these days.

Then And Now #102: Mrs Butterworths' Helps To Make A Nice Breakfast

Mrs. Butterworth's Syrup is the only kind I ever buy.
We don't even use syrup much in this household, but it's my favorite, and, while it may take us a while to get through a bottle, I do always have it on hand.
Shown below is an advertisement from 1965, and you see Mrs. Butterworth as she looked back "Then":

And another shot of a vintage ad, below:

I'm really glad I saved this glass bottle, seen in the photo below - from at least fifteen years ago, I believe, maybe longer - because now it only comes in plastic bottles.
 I understand that companies need to try and make things less expensively, but I miss glass bottles.
(Especially for mayonnaise!)
So here she is again, as she looked 15 or 20 (?) years ago:

And "Now", you will only find her in plastic bottles, like these:

Kind of a bummer.
Our local stores don't even carry the "Lite" version any more.
 Must not have been a good seller, I guess.
Luckily, syrup seems to keep for a good while, and I had a bottle in the pantry when I felt like making myself some french toast.

I LOVE french toast, and I can't even remember how long it had been since I had made some! I usually make it with sourdough bread, because that's what we normally have on hand.
Milk, egg, cinnamon, and a little vanilla - what a lovely combination.
Dip your bread in and after some time on the griddle, you have.......

.....one very nice, and rather delicious breakfast!

Thank you, Mrs. Butterworth!
I shall remain true to you.