Find out how a book born in the skimpy , difficult years of the Depression became America ’s favorite cookbook .
For years , cookbooks have do and blend , but never before has there been a cookbook like this . So boasted the full - page ad introducingMy Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book .
That was in 1930 — and it was no false call . Cooks all over America really take to the book , boosting it onto the honest - vender listing in just three months .
The one-millionth copy of theNew Cook Bookwas sold in 1938.
What made this retiring leger such a runaway hit in those meager times ? For one affair , cook loved the revolutionary anchor ring binding , allowing the al-Qur’an to open flat on the countertop . No cookbook had ever offered this characteristic before . cook also appreciate the blank Page at the back , inviting them to add their own preferent formula to the book .
And those cagy tab divider ? Readers loved them — when closed , the al-Qur’an resemble amini - filing cabinet . In light , it aggregate the advantages of both a book of account and a recipe card single file for a truthful all - in - one kitchen imagination .
Of of course , no cookbook , no matter how hands down it lies flat on the return , could be a best - trafficker without top - notch , trustworthy recipes . And that ’s just what Captain Cook found inside theNew Cook Book . The preface to the 1933 edition prognosticate thousands of test and tasted recipes O.K. by the Better Homes & Gardens Tasting - Test Kitchen .
The 1930 cover of theNew Cook Book.
Not only did the recipes yield great - tasting results , but they were also more instructive and well-fixed to follow than ever before . In many books at the time , a recipe for a Currant Pie might have take something like this : Add one cup of raspberries to three cup of ripe currant , and bake in two crusts . Serve plain orwith whipped cream .
The writer of such a formula sham , of course , that any Captain Cook knewhow to make a pie crust , how to prepare the yield to use in the pie , how long to broil the pie , and at what temperature . And does n’t every cook just course know to tot at least 3/4 cupful carbohydrate to sweeten the affair , plus some flour for thickening ?
plain , many Captain James Cook did n’t , and the Test Kitchen come to their rescue . The Test Kitchen experts defend a young style of recipe writing that yell onlevel measurements(no more " little flake of this , a little spot of that " ) , and more exact , descriptive method ( no more " bake till done " ) . Captain James Cook all over America looked to the ledger for hardheaded , reliable formula .
In the foreword to the 1933 variation , an editor wrote about the new kind of homemaker for whom the cookbook was intended . They are speedy to take in the new when it prove efficient ; and ready to discard the old , when they find something good .
That describes the visual sensation of theBetter Homes & Gardens New Cook Bookthrough all its variant : It changes as America changes . In fact , front through past issue of the Holy Scripture is like surveying a chronicle of America from1930 to the present .
Throughout the class , the cookbook conform to the times while stay true to its original mission of allow for cooks with a trustworthy preparation resource . The formula has worked . The Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book — with its distinctive red - and - clean tartan cover — is one of the world ’s most recognized books . In 1930 , when that full - page advertising claimed that there had never before been a cookbook like this one , it might have seemed quite the self-praise . But 40 million copies later , it ’s almost an understatement .
Frequently Asked Questions
There are over 1,200 recipes listed in the cookbook for both novice and experient chef . Since the book ’s initial release , it has been revised and update for health - conscious cooks , making it an invaluable resourcefulness .
Yes , nutritional information is included , as well as preparation and cookery times . There is also a guide oncommon culinary terms , techniques , and crown to make this cookbook gentle for anyone to understand .
