New Purchases - NYT & Cooking School

The New York Times International Cookbook, published in 1971. Follow up to the New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne, this book features recipes from around the world. Besides the United States (?) , 44 other countries are represented from Armenia to Turkey.

Cooking Essentials - Cooking Club of America, published in 1997.  The first 70 pages concentrate on detailed information for the pantry, equipment and techniques - with LOTS of pictures and tips. The second half of the book has a few master recipes with step-by-step photos and the last chapter consists of a recipe repertoire with a few recipes for the usual cookbook categories: eggs. soups, pasta, casseroles, roasts, veggies and desserts.

New Purchases - Friends & Cocktails

Cooking with Friends, published in 1995. Chapters include Central Perk - coffee , coffee drinks & muffins, comfort foods, holiday selections, urban eating (dished inspired by city living) vegetarian delights and of course desserts. Scattered throughout the book are photos and tidbits of each cast member as well as quotes from the show.

Classic Cocktails, published in 1997. There are really only two chapters on drinks - a 20 page treatise on martinis and another chapter simply titled The Rest. There is a section on cocktail essentials, stocking your bar, glassware, tips/techniques, etc. Vintage liquor ads, photos and other alcohol related memorabilia are sprinkled among the recipes.

New Purchases - Celebrity Chefs Represent!

Hard to pass up 50 cent cookbooks! Found a few books by "celebrity" chefs.

Top Chef - The Cookbook, published in 2008. Recipes from the first three seasons (San Francisco, Los Angeles & Miami). Plus tons of info on the show including casting, kitchen set-up and of course the hosts. Alas, I have yet to watch an episode of the show - I love to cook, but don't really enjoy watching cooking shows.

Sizzling Skillets and Other One Pot Wonders, published in 2011. Book is in pristine, unused condition (same for the two other books in this post) - score! Recipes for one dish meals: skillet meals, big pot meals, casseroles, woks and of course the crock pot. Less dishes + tasty food =  my favorite way to cook!

The Deen Bros. - Y'All Come Eat, published in 2008. Southern favorites, but with a lighter touch than mama! Recipes for family/Sunday dinners, plus desserts!

New Purchases - VINTAGE Cookbooks

Lately I have been finding newer (1980's or later) books, but found these vintage cookbooks in the past week.

The Beta Sigma Phi International Cookbook - Casseroles, Including Breads, published in 1969. Filled with 2,000 favorite recipes from members of Beta Sigma Phi. Casseroles include veggies, meats, top of the stove, fish & shellfish and poultry. There are  smaller recipe sections on breads and foreign favorites.

Farm Journal - Freezing & Canning Cookbook, published in 1964. Recipes for canning everything from main dishes, vegetables, fruits, etc. Filled with great photos and canning tips. I also own the hardcover edition.

Betty Crocker's Cooking Calendar - A Year Round Guide to Meal Planning with Recipes and Menus, published in 1962.  More like a date book filled with recipes, cooking hints and menu ideas. Each day of the month also has quotes, trivia and historical events.

New Purchases - Restaurants & Muffins

Cooking with Heart in Hand, published in 1987. Recipes from the Heart in Hand Restaurant and Catering Company of Clifton, Virginia. Various menus highlighting regional fare, with a heavy leaning towards Southern cooking.

The Blue Willow Inn Cookbook, published in 1996. The Blue Willow Inn is located in Social Circle, Georgia and opened in 1991. It's located fairly close to me, but while I have never eaten there, my parents went once and enjoyed the offerings. The book is filled with Southern fare with no holds barred - lots of butter and sugar!

Muffins Galore, published in 2008. Filled with 120 recipes for muffins: chocolate, fruit, nut/spice and healthy & special diet.

New Purchases - Southern Roots

Lee Bailey's The Way I Cook, published in 1996. The last book published by Mr. Bailey. There are 1,300 recipes complied from all of his previous cookbooks, plus a few new favorites. I waited patiently for this book to be marked 50% off!

Marion Brown's Southern Cookbook, published in 2001.  This edition is an imprint of the 1951/1968 editions originally printed by the UNC Press.  The book has sold over a half million copies since it was originally published in 1951. Filled with tons of Southern recipes complied by Mrs. Brown from over 30,000 recipes submitted by cooks from all over the South.

New Purchases - Vintage Cookbooklets

Found a few cooking pamphlets while out shopping.

Yeast Breads - Plain and Fancy, published in 1961. Recipes compiled by Betty Crocker for General Mills and featuring their products: Gold Medal flour and Fleischmann's yeast. Lots of great vintage photos!

Bread You Bake with Yeast, circa 1960's. Another General Foods booklet featuring Gold Medal flour. The first few pages have great photos and instructions on bread making and the remaining pages are filled with recipes.

Lincoln Heritage Trail Cook Book, published in 1971.  The Lincoln Heritage Trail runs through the states of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky and opened in 1963. Simple recipes emulating the food of the period.

A Treasury of the World's Best Almond Recipes, no publication date. Sold by the California Almond Growers Exchange for 50 cents. Beside appetizers, there are recipes for main dishes, cakes and cookies.

New Purchases - Rachel Ray and Baptist

Rachel Ray - 30 Minute Meals 2, published in 2003. I bought this book since I already own the the first 30 Minute Meals which is filled with a few quick and easy recipes I use, plus it was only 50 cents!

The Collection - An Anniversary Cookbook, published in 1994 by the Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.The previous owner (Drew) was given the book by his/her mother. I find it hard to pass up church cookbooks since they usually contain only the BEST recipes of its members and since this one is quite fancy I am sure I will find a few dishes to add to my culinary repertoire.

New Purchases - Christmas Edition

My local thrift store had all their Christmas related items marked off 70%, including cookbooks! I bought a few and spent only $1.25!!!

Better Homes and Gardens - Treasury of Christmas Crafts & Foods, published in 1980. Most of the craft projects have a country theme - which was huge in the 80's. There are several menus for holiday meals, plus lots of great recipes especially cookies.

Favorite All Time Recipes - Gifts from the Holiday Kitchen, published in 1996.  Filled with recipes for cookies, breads, sauces and chutney, cakes, plus scones! One chapter has great ideas on how to package each gift.

The Best of Martha Stewart Living - Holidays, published in 1993.Book is laden with overblown "projects" in the Martha Stewart manner. (Yes Martha, of course I will gather leaves from my yard, spray with gold paint to add an accent to my gift wrapping , from paper I made myself!) The recipes look great and include the usual holiday fare but jacked to the Martha Stewart standard. I love to read each picture's description and look for any decor or serving dish that is NOT an antique or bought in some far away place like Mongolia! (PS they are few and far between).

Christmas Cookies, published in 1988. The title says it all - cookies! Cookies run the gamut from bars and squares, dropped, rolled/sliced and shaped. There is a chapter on foreign cookies as well.

New Purchases - Seafood Frenzy

Found a few great seafood books while thrifting the past 10 days. I really need new recipes for the coming year as I mostly eat seafood (or chicken).

Kinkead's Cook Book - Recipes from Washington D.C.'s Premier Seafood Restaurant, published in 2004. Kinkead's opened in 1993 and unfortunately closed in December of 2012. The photos are very appealing, now to see if I can replicate the recipes!

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant Cookbook, published in 2005. This restaurant chain, with 80 restaurants scattered throughout the United States, was founded in 1973. Another book with lots of pretty pictures, the recipes look tasty too!

The last book I bought in 2013! I popped into a thrift store after leaving work early on New Year's Eve and found this gem.

Paul Naquin's French Collection Cookbook - Volume I, Louisiana Seafood, published in 1978. Mixed between the recipes are amazing photos and memorabilia of New Orleans. A few of the usual restaurants have recipes featured: Antoine's, Galatoire's La Provence and Versailles.

New Purchases - Remembering the Old Days

The American Heritage Cookbook, published in 1969. A bit of (food) history is mixed in among the recipes. The historic menus are an interesting read and include Lincoln's Inaugural Luncheon, Christmas Dinner at Mount Vernon, Moravian Love Feast, Breakfast with the Autocrat and an American Dinner at the Waldorf (Astoria).

Good Old Days in the Kitchen, published in 1998. Different writers reminiscence about growing up and the role food and the kitchen played in their upbringing. There are also recipes and great vintage photos and memorabilia.

New Acquisitions - Estate Sale Finds - Renfew Drive

Welcome 2014! Fell behind on my blog updates and thrifting forays due to holidays. Also, I am trying to be a bit pickier when buying  new books for my collection - at last count I have 700+ books and pamphlets! My spare room is beginning to look like a library - which is not horrible except my guest room is also bulging with other books I have purchased.

That being said, I bought the following books from the first estate sale of the year! It was held a huge house (6,000 sf) and I spent at least an hour looking in every room and closet, I found cookbooks and tons of other great items.

Cook Book - A Picture Cook Book for Children, published in 1951.  Cute book aimed at children between 7-12 years old. It covers the basics: measurements, cooking techniques, setting a table and even suggested menus. The recipes are fairly simple with drawings to aid the young reader. I started cooking/baking when I was around 9 years old and would have LOVED this book.

Ball Blue Book - Easy Guide to Thrifty Canning and Freezing, published in 1974. Chock full of canning/freezing recipes for ALL food types. I have always wanted to can fruit and veggies during the summer, but never seem to think about actually doing it until the fall! I "put up" strawberries in the freezer each year to enjoy during the winter months.

Good Housekeeping's Book of Salads, published in 1958. Recipes for all types of salads from green, fruit, frozen, hot and of course the congealed salad. There is also a chapter on salad dressings.