The Gallery of Regrettable Food
Mid-20th century cookbooks, filled with unappetizing recipes and poor photography, evoke nostalgia and reflect a postwar homemaking ideal, despite lacking culinary merit. Limited updates are expected in 2024.
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The piece reflects on the peculiarities of mid-20th century cookbooks, particularly those filled with unappetizing recipes and poorly presented food photography. The author, James Lileks, questions the appeal of these books, which often feature recipes that are more advertisements for food companies than practical cooking guides. He notes that the food depicted is generally bland and uninviting, yet these cookbooks have become collector's items, possibly due to nostalgia for a bygone era. Lileks suggests that the "Mom factor" plays a significant role in their appeal, as they evoke memories of parents' kitchens. Despite their lack of culinary merit, these books embody a cheerful postwar ideal of homemaking. Lileks humorously critiques the absurdity of some recipes, such as a "Bacon Milkshake," and acknowledges that while the books may not be used for actual cooking, they hold a certain charm and historical significance. He concludes with a note about limited updates in 2024, promising more content in 2025.
- Mid-20th century cookbooks often feature unappetizing recipes and poor photography.
- These cookbooks serve more as advertisements for food companies than practical guides.
- Nostalgia, particularly the "Mom factor," contributes to their collector's appeal.
- The books reflect a cheerful postwar ideal of homemaking despite their culinary shortcomings.
- Limited updates are expected in 2024, with a return planned for 2025.
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6 commentsI remember that my mom had some of those books, and my spouse remembers the same, but neither of us think that our moms actually used those recipes. She recalls that the books were given away for free at the supermarket. There were also recipe binders, and recipe cards, where you picked up new recipes every week at the supermarket.
For reference, I'm 60.
I kid you not, her cakes looked better than the ones shown in the book. And the ones in the book looked pretty good.
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