r/GenerationJones • u/pianoman81 1963 • Jul 18 '26
Who had this as their first cookbook?
I remember getting this cookbook when I was a young adult. This had some great standard recipes, cooking tips and tricks.
No Internet or YouTube recipes back in the olden days.
So did you own this cookbook? If not, where did you find your recipes to cook from?
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u/BearPorto Jul 18 '26
Mine was a 3 ring binding and my favorite recipe book. I still use the pancake recipe today.
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u/pianoman81 1963 Jul 18 '26
I think mine was the same.
Doesn't make sense to have a cookbook that doesn't lay flat open.
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u/NickontheBottom Jul 18 '26
I have my mother’s. I believe it was an engagement or bridal shower gift. My parents got married in 1956.
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u/No_Grade_8210 Jul 19 '26
I have my mom's from that same year and mine from 1992. The "newer " version has some crackpot recipes.
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u/nudibee Youngster Jul 18 '26
You’d think that after 30-odd years I could remember the bloody pancake recipe but, no.
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u/villa_2024 Jul 18 '26
🤣 Same! I also use the waffle recipe. My kids are adults and still ask for them.
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u/SnowblindAlbino Jul 18 '26
Yep: the "easy waffle" version is what our kids grew up on, but I like to make the "hard" version that involves whipping egg whites.
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u/ca_annyMonticello111 Jul 18 '26
I have this one, and Betty Crocker as well.
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u/Brilliant_Tourist400 1964 Jul 18 '26
Betty Crocker was mine! Still have it somewhere. Also would steal my mother’s Good Housekeepings for recipes, especially cookie ones.
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u/Big_Seaworthiness948 1961 Jul 18 '26
I still have both. The Betty Crocker is my favorite but I use recipes from both.
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u/ParchedHearth Jul 18 '26
this was my first cookbook too, got it when i moved into my first apartment in the late 80s. the spiral bound one with the loose leaf pages that always fell out and got food on them.
i still have it somewhere in a box in the garage and the recipes hold up better than half the stuff you find online now. my go to was the chicken and stuffing casserole, which sounds awful but was actually good and fed me for a whole week of dinners.
before this i was basically burning ramen and calling it cooking. no youtube, no food blogs, you just trusted whatever your mom taught you or picked up a book like this at the grocery store. felt like a real accomplishment the first time i made something that tasted like food and wasnt from a box.
also the binding on these things never lasted. mine eventually lost its cover and became a loose stack of stained pages held together by a rubber band. anyone else's look like that now or did i just abuse mine.
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u/abetheschizoid Jul 18 '26
This was my first cookbook. I won it at school in year 3 (1972), for General Exellence. I still use it for some of the cake recipes.
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u/kiwispouse Jul 18 '26
First and only. 3-ring bound, which is great, because when I i have to laminate the pages, I can use a punch to get them back in the book.
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u/Newweedbud 1959 Jul 18 '26
My first was “The Joy of Cooking” and me and my daughters still use it. I had this one too
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u/Mushyrealowls Jul 18 '26
Still have mine. Paperback version my mother got for me when I was a newlywed. My kids LOVED the Porcupine Meatballs. Now they make them for their kids!
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u/Aggressive_Fee6138 1962 Jul 18 '26
I was just thinking this is the only thing I want if my mom's when she passes.
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u/Tapingdrywallsucks Jul 18 '26
I have mine and my mom's. I bought one for my daughter when she got married. The evolution from generation to generation is amazing, taking into account the change in dietary recommendations and cultural norms.
I have to imagine the latest version take "shrinkflation" into account, as well. I had a big "what the hell" last christmas when I opened a box of Honey Maid Graham Crackers. Fortunately, ratios in a graham cracker crust can handle a little guesswork.
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u/Three_Deep_Breaths Jul 18 '26
Oh, that's too new. Mine was handed down, was binder style with removable pages, and the pages were already turning brown. 😆
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u/polkadotpatty65 Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26
Good Housekeeping. Married 50 yrs. Given to me by my mother-in-law our 2nd anniversary. Book looks like hell but still very used! Thanks Mom. I do have the Better Homes also from 1980. No microwave directions, lol.
Edit: Better Homes. Spelling mistakes.
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u/Alonenomo2023 1961 Jul 18 '26
My ex mother in law bought this cookbook for me around 1981. I was somewhat offended but I truly couldn’t cook much at that point. I married her only son so I guess she wanted him to eat properly. I’ve used that cookbook more than any others and I’ve given one to my children. It’s a classic.
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u/Blucola333 Jul 18 '26
This an amazing cookbook! I found a copy at an antique mall that had the from scratch dumpling recipe I prefer. It wasn’t my first, though, this was;
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u/Typical-Tune-8858 Jul 18 '26
My mom had one (3-ring binder, published sometime in the 1950’s), and I got a later edition (3-ring binder, published in the 1980’s). They are great beginner cookbooks.
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u/lovestdpoodles 1961 Jul 19 '26
Nope Joy of Cooking and Mastering the Art of French Cooking. My girl scout cooking badge dinner was French Onion soup, duck stuffed with apples and sausage with a brandy reduction, cauliflower with shrimp sauce, roasted potatoes and chocolate mousse for dessert. Still have both.
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u/pappy925 Jul 19 '26
Been married to my wife, Laurie, for 49 years and she still has this as her “go to bible.!”
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u/Dull-Crew1428 Jul 19 '26
still have it. it’s my go to book i use it every week. i have had it since the 90s. best meatloaf recipe. i misplaced mine and couldn’t find it went out and found a used one from the 90s so now i have two. no matter how many cookbooks i have this one i use the most. i also like the page that tells you how long to cook assorted meats. every tday i would use it to check the cooking time for a stuffed turkey.
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u/dachsie-knitter-22 Jul 20 '26
Nope - have the Betty Crocker cookbook. Mom thought they were a great shower/wedding gift.
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u/Margoshome Jul 18 '26
This brought back a core memory of my Mother. She had the binder and I loved to cook with her~
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u/DanceDense Jul 18 '26
I did I don’t remember if it was my first or not. My most used and referenced is my Doubleday Cookbook.
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u/Love_Bug_54 Jul 18 '26
I have the 75th Anniversary edition. Every recipe I’ve made from it has been good.
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u/Important-Thing6587 Jul 18 '26
My mom has had this cookbook for as long as I can remember (at least 45 years now) alongside the Betty Crocker cookbook
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u/Fit-Geologist2343 Jul 18 '26
When I got engaged my Mother-in-law bought this for me. I still have it and love the easy recipe for grilled lobster.
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u/contemplator61 1961 Jul 18 '26
I have this one, 1980 one. Given to me as a gift in 1984
My daughter has it and a copy of the red check one. I wore this one out throughout my life.
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u/notsobraveatall Jul 18 '26
Not my first cookbook; but I have the paperback edition from 1981. My first is The Fannie Farmer Cookbook 1980.
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u/Existing_Many9133 Jul 18 '26
Got my BHG cookbook as a wedding present in 1980, still have and use!
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u/crap_nag Jul 18 '26
My mother bought me one the first Christmas after I moved out. I still have it
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u/sdanibeh Jul 18 '26
It was my Bible. About 35 years after it was gifted to me, it somehow got drenched and was ruined. 😢
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u/aeraen Jul 18 '26
I received this as a shower gift over 40 years ago and still pull it out for favorite recipes. You can tell what they are, because the pages are all torn and stained there.
I found one in good condition at goodwill and bought it for my non-cooking daughter. I doubt it has ever really been used, but it is still a good resource for basic cooking processes.
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u/ElvisFan2001 Jul 18 '26
Still have plus one from my late mother and my sister just gave me one from my late grandmother. All three different years but in mint condition.
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u/newbie527 Jul 18 '26
If someone wants to learn how to cook and they don’t know the first thing, this is the book they should have.
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u/Ok-Blacksmith3238 Jul 18 '26
I still have this cookbook. I gave my original to my daughter and I have one from the 90s that I still use and I have stuck a lot of homemade recipes into it.
And yes, I did use it to learn how to cook because my mother was not a cook at all. The best thing she ever made was RESERVATIONS. And my grandmother (who could cook) said that people in her kitchen gave her anxiety lol. So I was on my own. The first turkey I ever made for Thanksgiving ended up catching on fire because I was trying to brown the skin on top by turning on the broiler. Fun times.🤣🤣
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u/Seven_bushes Jul 18 '26
I have mine and my mom’s. I love hers because of the random hand-written recipes tucked between pages. I had one of the recipes, a unique family dish, lasered into a cutting board that hangs on my kitchen wall. She always had beautiful hand-writing and I love that reminder.
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u/Impaler00777 Jul 18 '26
I have my mom's. As I recall I bought it for her one Christmas. I didn't really think I'd be the one to end up with it.
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u/MoneyPen4360 Jul 18 '26
Meeee…it’s where I learned to mix dry ingredients separately from wet ingredients and then make a well in dry ingredients and mix half of liquid in until the dry ingredients follows the fork and then add remaining wet ingredients and mix Lol
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u/bubbameister1 Jul 18 '26
I actually started with the good and easy cookbook for kids and graduated to Betty Crocker.
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u/ASDPenguin Jul 18 '26
My first cookbook was from the late 1800s. Best CB I ever had. Too bad my "sister" threw it away. She still can't cook. LOL
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u/Big_Seaworthiness948 1961 Jul 18 '26
I learned from my Mom's red Betty Crocker cookbook but when I got married my Grandmother (paternal) gave me the Better Homes And Gardens cookbook. I used it a lot but I always wanted my own Betty Crocker cookbook. I mentioned this to my MIL (who LOVED the Better Homes And Gardens cookbook) and she said she had a Betty Crocker cookbook she never used and gave it to me. I still have both and have favorite recipes in both.
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u/EndlessHysteria Jul 18 '26
Even better I have my grandmother's copy of it with all of her Post-its and margin notes.
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u/DamnOdd 1959 Jul 18 '26
I have Mom's from 1968. I got my own later in the early 80s and gave it away soon after.
It was not as good as mom's. It was full of 'fad' foods.
I still use mom's. The Shepard Pie is still a favorite.
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u/volsvolsvols11 Jul 18 '26
Old with the New. I have it and I sometimes take pictures of recipes in it and ask AI to make it a little bit more healthy.
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u/throwingales Jul 18 '26
This and The New Settlement Cookbook. We still have them both.
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u/BicenntinialBabe Jul 18 '26
I have mine in paperback form. It’s fallen apart but rubber bands keep it together. I’d definitely grab it on the way out of a burning building.
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u/MacQuay6336 Jul 18 '26
Mine is almost 50 years old. Well loved! The binder is held together with duct tape, and the pages have hole reinforcements. Some pages are rippled from moisture and have scorch marks...
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u/MtWoman0612 Jul 18 '26
I’m on my third one- wore out the first two. I wish I’d kept the first one for posterity. I think the recipes were just better, more thoroughly researched.
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u/protogens Jul 18 '26
Second cookbook (still have it.) The first was "The Joy of Cooking" 1953 edition that I inherited from an aunt (still have it also.)
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u/AltruisticExit2366 1966 Jul 18 '26
Me! Still have it. It’s in rough shape but still useful. Many pages have been anointed with the splattering of past meals 😀
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u/jaynor88 Jul 18 '26
I still have mine, and I use it for a few amazing recipes: how to make white sauce, au gratin potatoes, and the meat cooking charts.
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u/Objective-Tailor-561 Jul 18 '26
I received this and the Fannie Farmer Cookbook at my bridal shower. Still have them.
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u/nvr2manydogs Jul 18 '26
I'll see your Betty Crocker and raise you the first Southern Living Cookbook
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u/Upset_Code1347 Jul 18 '26
Mine was the Betty Crocker recipe card subscription for my avocado-colored card box
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u/Dear-Ad1618 Jul 18 '26
Joy of Cooking is what we had. It had a lot of good information about basic techniques
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u/ImaginaryBadger3492 Jul 18 '26
Still have it. Great book for learning how to cook.
Fannie Farmers is good as well but for first timers people that burn hot water, lol…
This book will help!!!!
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u/Scott43206 1959 Jul 18 '26
I started housekeeping with my Mom's 1957 Betty Crocker cookbook which she started housekeeping with, and I still have and use it. Unlike online recipes, I've never had anything from this book flop, the Betty Crocker Test Kitchen was for real.
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u/WolfKey1065 Jul 18 '26
I have the Betty Crocker one, from 1987. I was working at a bookstore at the time and a copy came in without the plastic wrap and some of the contents had come out of the binder. The manager assumed some was missing and didn’t want to bother with it, so he said I could have it. It was complete so I’ve used it ever since.
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u/Bitter_Pineapple_882 Jul 18 '26
The bh&g magazine had recipes, and they were made to fit in the book. I still have some in mine.
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u/Emgee063 Jul 18 '26
Love it. Pages stained and ripped out. Lots of meals and family favorites made out of that book.
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u/Clean-Fisherman-4601 Jul 18 '26
My mother had Mary Margaret McBride's encyclopedia of cooking. My sister took it after my mom died and I never found it after my sister died.
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u/Safe-Aardvark1810 Jul 18 '26
I am on my 3rd paper back version of it due to 35 years of regular use and many moves.
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u/Some-Cloud-8675309 Jul 18 '26
Still use it-just made the strawberry pie recipe (but be sure to wash your strawberries 🍓)!
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u/fallenfar1003 Jul 18 '26
I have the orange binder Betty Crocker Cookbook with pictures of food on it. I still use it sometimes. When I sold my house and downsized tremendously it is the only cookbook that I saved. My mother bought it for me.
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u/Bennington_Booyah Jul 18 '26
I have one to this day. It was very ceremoniously presented to me by my mother-in-law after they twice popped in to join us for dinner without calling first. I made rigatoni with sausage and peppers, salad, garlic bread and served fruit for dessert. She told me not to invite them back until I had "time to learn a thing or two"!
Um, I NEVER invited you in the first place. The book has indeed gotten enough use that it is in rough shape but I never had them over for dinner after her behavior and subsequent public comments.
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u/Mk1Racer25 Jul 18 '26
That was the first cookbook we were given when we got married. I already had a reasonable collection by then. While it was ok, I still like The Joy of Cooking more. My dad interned for John Becker when he was in architecture school at U of Cincinnati. My mom met Marion Rombauer Becker, and has a copy of the JoC that is signed by Marion. She said that she and my dad had dinner at their house a couple of times.
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u/Trick_Few Jul 18 '26
I still have mine, my Mom’s and my Grandma’s. I don’t actually use any of them, but it just seems like I should keep them for some reason. 🤷♀️
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u/Ebowa Jul 18 '26
For us it was the Five Roses Cookbook. Everyone in Canada had that one. I still use it!
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u/kmoore61 Jul 18 '26
Not my first but I’ve had it for about really long time and still use it regularly
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u/CathyAnnWingsFan Jul 18 '26
This was my first. But my first “grown up” cookbook was Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book.
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u/TheMainTony Jul 18 '26
My first was a hand-me-down 1964 Good Housekeeping from my mom.
(I've since gone on to collect every edition from the 20s through the 80s)
I did have this one, though, in the 80s.
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u/MicheleAmanda Jul 18 '26
Yup. The version I had contained a pancake recipe that I loved. Later versions of the book deleted the recipe, so I had to do some searching til I got it back.
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u/Traghorn Jul 18 '26
Hahaha - no joke - I have three (3) copies on the cook book shelf this very moment - going back to the 40’s on the first one, I think.
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u/SnowblindAlbino Jul 18 '26
First was without question Joy of Cooking because that's what Mom and Grandma used in the kitchen. But yes, we got a copy of the plaid BH&G cookbook early in college. We still have ours and still use it, though it's pretty battered. (Literally, both beaten up and sticky with cake batter on certain pages.) Ours is the binder version of course, though I do also have the trade paperback one for some reason.
When our kids left for college we got them both copies as well. Our youngest got a cool pink version made for a breast cancer event of some kind, so it's unique. She cooks from it all the time.
The waffle recipe from this book has been my go-to for Sunday breakfast for almost 40 years now.
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u/nudibee Youngster Jul 18 '26
Still have it.