Thrifty Finds July (Week 4) #1 Burke's Complete Cocktail and Tastybite Recipes

 Burke's Complete Cocktail and Tastybite Recipes, published in 1936. Super cute small ( 6.5" x 4") vintage cocktail book by "Barney" Burke. Mr. Burke was a bartender in Europe but returned to the United States after prohibition was repealed. The book starts with the recipes which include sandwiches, canapes, dips/sauces and rarebits, then the remaining two-thirds cover a myriad of cocktails, wines, cocktails of the world, tips for serving and equipment for home mixing. Mr. Burke firmly believed that appetizers should always be accompanied by a cocktail.

Page from book:

Thrifty Finds July (Week 3) - BBC Chef & American Royalty

Ainsley Harriott's Gourmet Express 2, published in 2002. Mr, Harriott was a chef and a presenter (fancy British way of saying host) of several BBC cooking shows which involved public participation. The recipes in this book are from his show of the same name.

The recipes reflect the diverse cultures in the United Kingdom with quite a few Indian and Asian dishes making an appearance. The former owner marked a few favorite recipes: Toasted Halloumi Cheese & Chorizo skewers,  Creamy Salmon spaghetti, Cumin Curried Chickpea & Spinach burgers and Red Wine Spaghetti Bolognese (AKA Spag Bog - a favorite of of many literary characters in British chick lit books!).

Cooking for Madam - Recipes and Reminiscences from the Home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, published in 1998. The author originally came to the Kennedy family in 1969 as a governess for Caroline and John, but stayed on after they left to help run the house. She spent a total of 25 years with Jackie. The nearly 100 recipes are family favorites including Caroline's favorite chocolate roll and Ted Kennedy's lobster salad.

Thrifty Finds - July (Week 2) Ripley HS Band and Ozark Recipes

What's Cooking in Ripley, Tennessee, published in 1983. Recipes contributed by the band members of Ripley High School and their families. The recipes range from new (for the time) to many treasured old family recipes.

There is a section titled "Men Only" that caught my eye. It contains lots of recipes for venison and something called "Molded Potato Salad". Yep, that's EXACTLY what it is - molded in Southern parlance means gelatin (jello) - so this guy took a perfectly fine potato salad and mixed it with jello, placed that on top of a thin veneer of pickle juice laced gelatin in a molded pan and chilled until firm. And here I thought the Pistachio Cloud my mom was always pushing on me was the worst "salad" I have encountered.

Aunt Ella's Ozark Recipes, published in 1993. Traditional family recipes from the author's aunt who lived her entire life in the Ozarks. Since Arkansas is considered the South, it's no surprise that many of the recipes are similar to those found in church cookbooks in my area. The best and largest chapter was Desserts, lots of yummy cake recipes to try!

Thrifty Finds - July (Week 1) #6 Dinner & A Movie Plus Dayton Hudson Celebrates

TBS Superstation Dinner & a Movie Cookbook, published in 2003. Another book which I previously owned and gave away to a neighbor only to find a replacement, albeit a few years later. Recipes are based on the movie shown during the program with one recipe per film. Many of the names are a play on the film's title &/or characters - i.e. Coal Miner's Daughter is represented by "Butcher Holler Ham Hocks & Collards".

There are probably close to 100 films and recipes total. The 80's are heavily represented along with a few "classics" from 1990's.  The show ran from 1995 to 2011 (which was a surprise to me since I really don't remember seeing the program after the early aughts) and I can admit that I did watch several episodes.

With Warmest Regards - A Celebration of Our Customers' Recipes and Traditions, published in 1995. Recipes were contributed by the customers of Dayton's, Marshall Field's and Hudson's department stores. The book was part of a fund raiser by the company with all proceeds going to United Way.

There are over 200 pages of recipes many with a mid-west vibe since the majority of the stores were in that region. As with many iconic department stores purchased by Macy's, all the remaining stores are re-branded with the Macy's name in 2005.

Thrifty Finds - July (Week 1) #5 Athens Academy & Down Home Cooking

Athens Academy Cooks with Class, published in 1986. Local private school cookbook with recipes contributed from the Preschool and Lower School Country Fair. The books is quite thick and full of recipes, plus cute drawings and other artwork by the students. I recognize a few of the parents' names - many being former or current clients of mine from various jobs I have held over the years.

Down Home Healthy - Family Recipes of Black American Chefs, published in 1994.  A government NIH pamphlet geared toward the Black American diet. Traditional dishes are given a make-over reducing the fat, cholesterol and sodium commonly found in Southern fare. The chefs re-working the recipes are Johnny Rivers (Walt Disney World) and Leah Chase (Dooky Chase - a New Orleans landmark).

Thrifty Finds - July (Week 1) #4 The Encyclopedia of Cooking in 24 volumes

The Encyclopedia of Cooking (24 volumes), published in 1950, by the Culinary Arts Institute. Possibly the BEST thrift buy of the summer (!!), I paid a grand total of 50 CENTS for the entire lot of booklets! I already own 5 of the pamphlets, many of which are not in the greatest condition so I will be selling the duplicates and keeping this set intact. Of course the binder is missing both the front and back covers, but I will be writing a new entry (or two) once I remove the booklets. 

For now here are a few photos:

Thrifty Finds - July (Week 1) #3 Emeril's Delmonico

Emeril's Delmonico - A Restaurant with a Past, published in 2005. The famed Delmonico restaurant in New Orleans opened in 1895 with the blessing of the Delmonico family of New York who owned the eponymous eatery there since 1827. The original Delmonico (New York) was credited with the "invention" of  well known dishes such as Lobster Newburg, Chicken a la King, eggs Benedict and  Baked Alaska.  The restaurant operated in New Orleans until its doors were shuttered in 1997.

The restaurant was bought was Emeril in 1997 and after a year of renovations, re-opened in July of 1998. The cuisine is Creole and a lot of the classic dishes from the former menu were included in the re-launch. The recipes reflect the usual foods found in New Orleans with quite a few seafood selections and there is even a recipe for the famous Baked Alaska!

Thrifty Finds - July (Week 1) #2 Vintage Dallas Junior League

Finally taking the time to post a few entries from my thrifty purchases earlier this month. Shhh (!!) don't tell my boss that things are super quiet around the office (as it usually is this time of the year) so I am covertly writing updates at my desk - while also appearing to look busy doing "actual" work.

The Dallas Junior League Cookbook, published in 1977. This copy is the third printing - the first printing occurred a mere 7 months earlier on September 7, 1976. Guess there was a huge demand for the books since each printing was for 12k copies.

The book is fairly large with 425+ pages of recipes and is an actual hardcover - pretty rare in older J.L. cookbooks. Speaking of the cover, LOVE the graphics, especially the flowers. Besides the recipes contributed by members, there are a few from local restaurants in the area and a small section on menus for various occasions, including LUNCH ON A PRIVATE JET!! Which apparently was common among the ladies of Dallas in the 1970's. Anyways, the menu for the jet set include Bloody Marys with Caraway Cheese Pastries, Avocado Boats with Crab & Caviar salad, sliced fruit (Persian melons & kiwi), cold coffee souffle followed by Polish Vodka......

Thrifty Finds - July (Week 1) #1 Mary Kay Collection and MARTHA!

Martha Stewart's Quick Cook, published in 1983.  There are 52 menus arranged by season (because MARTHA!) with 200+ recipes total. The inspiration for the book came from the years when Martha worked (as a stockbroker) and had to cook dinner when she returned home from the office. Many of the meals are cooked in portions - that way there are no leftovers (must be MARTHA thing) which is kind of lame since my lunch during the week usually consists of leftovers.

And Stirred with Love, published in 2002. Recipes and reflections shared by the Mary Kay Family. All proceeds from the sale of the book went to the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation which provides money to victims of domestic violence and cancer. It's pretty weird that I had never heard of this book, but since I made my purchase about a week ago, I have seen another 2-3 copies in several different thrift stores!

Recipes range from the usual appetizers, bread, beverages, soups/salads, vegetable, main dishes and desserts. There is one chapter dedicated to Mary Kay's favorite recipes.

Thrifty Finds ( June - Week 4) #1 - Vegetarian Indian Cooking

The Art of Vegetarian Cooking, published in 1999 (original publication date was in 1987). A real bargain at only $1.00!! Massive book with almost 800 pages of 500+ recipes, including 20 pages on pakora (vegetable fritters) one of my favorite appetizers at the local Indian restaurant. There is an A-Z guide on Indian ingredients and cooking terms, plus instructions on making a few homemade essential ingredients (ghee, yogurt, etc. ).

According the inside blurb, the book was 10 years in the making and includes recipes from royal families and temples cooks which had been "jealously guarded" for centuries. Since I am the only one in my family who eats Indian food (usually alone, on my lunch hour, at the ONE Indian restaurant in town) this book may or may not become a shelf sitter. Or I could be adventurous and try making a Spinach/tofu dish to replicate the one I gobble up at my local restaurant, and maybe even tackle Naan, which I can attest tastes better fresh rather than frozen (Sorry Trader Joe's).

Thrifty Finds ( June - Week 3) #3 - Vintage Cookbooks: Southern Cooking (Dull) & Modern Encylopedia of Cooking (Givens)

Southern Cooking by Mrs, S.R. Dull, published in 1941. This copy is an update of the original edition which was printed in 1928 and still considered by many to be the bible of Southern Cooking. I also own another copy (same year, but different color cover), but this one is in much better condition. Lots of classic Southern recipes updated for the (then) modern cook. There is an endorsement(!) written by Mrs. Dull for Bailey's Supreme coffee in the title pages.

Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking - Volume I, published in 1952. I searched the thrift store high and low for volume 2 to complete the set, but alas it was no where to be found. Part one of a two volume set, this book is modern (for its day) in every detail with the latest developments in home economics for the kitchen. The book has close to 850 pages with topics ranging from meal planning, food shopping, homemaker's tips, food preservation and the start of the actual recipes - this volume contains appetizers to desserts.

Thrifty Finds ( June - Week 3) #2 - Church Cookbooks

Great Gregorian Goodies, published in 1989.  Local church cookbook from the St. Gregory the Great Episcopal Church. Another community cookbook filled with yummy recipes from the ladies (and gents) of Athens, Georgia.

100 Years of Good Cooking, published in 1978. Tiny (70 pages) cookbook from another local area church, Bogart Baptist Church located in Bogart, Georgia.

Thrifty Finds ( June - Week 3) #1 - Mary Engelbreit's Sweet Treats

Mary Engelbreit's Sweet Treats Dessert Cookbook, published in 1999. I previously owned a copy of this book which I gifted to a friend who LOVES Mary Engelbreit, so I was quite happy when I found another one.  Filled with gorgeous photos of the finished dessert usually in a vintage dish or plate (LOVE the Jadeite pieces that show up in various scenes!), there are a little over 100 recipes tucked into this oversize book. Surprisingly, there are only a handful of cookie recipes with the bulk of the sweets being cakes or fruit inspired desserts. The previous owner (Jennifer) was given the book by Amber per the inscription in the front facing page.

Yard Sale Cookbooks (Janice Drive) #3 - Best Bake Sale & 101 Cake Mix

The Best Bake Sale Ever Cookbook, published in 2006. I can not resist a church bake sale or ANY bake sale cookbook I come across! This is a rather large book with 325 pages of recipes. I have ear marked a few recipes to try. The cookie chapter has the most recipes (of course) but cakes, pies, breads and brownies are also represented.

101 Things to Do With a Cake Mix, published in 2002.  Shortcut baking using a box of cake mix. Most of the recipes only require 3-5 ingredients (including the mix) and ran the gamut from brownies/bars & cookies to cakes and breads.

Yard Sale Cookbooks (Janice Drive) #2 - Off the Eaten Path

Southern Living - Off the Beaten Path, published in 2011. Lots of down home recipes (150) from Southern diners and "dives".  As always there are tons of lovely photos. Each of the 17 states represented have between 2-6 restaurants featured and the chapters features the best drive for the state and "rubberneck wonders."