Between the Covers

I believe that what goes on between the covers is much more important than the covers themselves.   That being said, I do enjoy playing about with them, so some of my instagram posts were my version of some recipe book covers.

None of these were carefully planned, I am far too disorganised for that.

Usually I would be trawling through my books, looking for a new way to tickle our tastebuds, or to use up a glut of fruit, when my eye would be drawn to an image like this one.   A quick glance at the fruit bowl and the dresser and I was off, playing.

I would dash around, gather an armful of appropriate props, and away I'd go.   Propping things up and trying to capture the spirit of the original cover.    It was fun and now that I am retired I feel free to play such silly games, alongside all of the things which have to be done.

This little vintage RNLI book is probably the simplest, and yet it took longer than all of the others to set up. 

It was fun.

For all that I love a good book cover, it is what is written inside which matters most.   I have a slowly growing collection of old/very old/relatively modern cookery books.   

Some are big and glossy, others are tiny, tatty, lack covers or illustrations.   It is this latter group which I find to be the most interesting.     They are mainly from the very early 1900's, through to about 1950's and have few illustrations, if any.  They are often printed on poor quality paper and are ragged, well thumbed, splashed, fragile and show their age and it is something of a minor miracle that they survived long enough for me to get my hands on them.




Many of the coverless ones contain recipes of the kind which call for sheep's feet, calves heads, or 'six pennyworth of meat from the butcher'.   Cake and biscuit recipes require only a short list of ingredients - in either small amounts or enormous quantities, depending upon the era and to whom the book was directed.

Others have been written by 'ladies', directed at households who couldn't afford a large number of staff and give the occasional suggestion for a kitchen supper, for cook's night off.

They are packed with social history.   More of this another time.

Cooking with Florence

Fund-raising events almost always call for bric-a-brac, books, toy donations.   As a member of the village hall committee, and a willing helper for other groups, I tend to gather bits and pieces such as unwanted gifts or unloved toys so that I have a small stock ready for the next worthy cause comes along.     

The doll in this photograph belonged to my granddaughter but she no longer wanted her.   Dolly sat in my sewing room for a few months, somehow or other managing  to avoid being donated...   

I hold my hand up, for some reason I really like her, decision made,  she is staying.

If nothing else, in lieu of a captive grandchild she makes an excellent photographic model.

The cookery book to the left of the photograph was published in 1932, the small yellow one about 2004.    Two remarkably similar images.     I can't find an acknowledgement that it was borrowed from the original book, which seems a shame.

Meanwhile, Florence is busy rolling out her pastry, I hope she has a light hand.