Recipe book fun
What makes a good recipe book?
I have a few favourite cook books, recipes that have fared well over the years and those family favourites that I have written into notebooks of my own. I also have a folder where I stash anything that looks promising. I’m not an adventurous cook, I don’t buy the latest and greatest cookbooks as they come out and I don’t have favourite chefs I follow either.
You may ask what am I even doing linking up with the others in this challenge!! I ask myself that all the time!!
Many food books these days tell a story, together with the food, complete with gorgeous styling and photography. Next time you’re looking at cookbook, have a think about the language and story that’s being told.
The Literature of Food
One of my favourite recipe books is Boots Off Apron On from the Outback Kitchens of Broken Hill School of the Air. It was a fundraiser recipe book from a few years, and is full of recipes and thoughts from those involved in the School of the Air – families, governesses, teachers – and this recipe took my fancy:
Preserving Children
1 large paddock
as many children as available
several dogs and puppies
a creek
rocks
Into paddock pour children and dogs, allowing to mix well in the dirt. Pour creek over rocks until slightly frothy allowing children and dogs to become almost completely covered. When children have browned to your liking, cool and rinse in bath. When dry, dress and serve with milk and fresh baked biscuits.
Pixie Moses Mt Westwood Station
Food course with friends
A few years ago I did a WEA course with friends, looking at the subject of Eating their Words: The Literature of Food – food in all shapes and sizes – with chapters about what makes a good recipe, eating your words (food reviews), comfort food, literary food, historical food, future food – just to name a few of the topics. It was very interesting with lots of discussion!
I was challenged to write a post after each session mainly because I was one of the least ‘foodie types’ involved!
Do you know what WEA is?
Established in NSW in 1913, and originally working in partnership with the University of Sydney, the WEA was a movement founded to promote the higher education of working men and women. The WEA has since grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious adult and community education organisations in Australia and every year attracts thousands of students from all walks of life.
The courses are like an external discussion group, where interested students pay for a course, receive a booklet of information, questions and links, then met up regularly to discuss the topics, submitting a report to the lecturer in charge of the course after each session. We usually met every 4-6 weeks over lunch in a member’s home and enjoyed the social discourse. Things were put on hold during Covid so we’re hoping to start up again soon.
Feel like joining in?
It’s fun joining Canadian bloggers Donna and Deb for their What’s on your plate challenge series each month. These posts go live on the first Wednesday of each month and you can join in too.
It’s not a hard challenge and I can assure you it’s not just for ‘proper’ cooks – I’m joining in so how hard can it be?? It’s fun looking at what others are making and how they do things.
Jo has shared a delicious recipe here and Sue’s post with not one but three recipes can be found here.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on your favourite recipe book.
As it was Grandparents Day here recently I loved the idea of sharing this non-food recipe for some fun!
Deb xx
You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.
Copyright © 2024 debs-world.com – All rights reserved
Deb's World 
What a great recipe Debbie, and another challenge to look at
I have many recipe books but tend now to just go online and print one off. I do have some favourite go to’s though 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isn’t it a fun recipe Ali? I agree it’s so easy to find and print them off these days, do you collect them in a folder for future reference?
LikeLike
I remember when you did that food course Deb. And I absolutely love that Preserving Children recipe, very creative. Must admit, of all the things I miss on the road (aside from my kids of course) it’s my oven! ☺️
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can imagine you missing your oven Miriam, but oh my what great adventures you are having. I love following along!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fun! Fun! Love this recipe!
and your thoughts about recipe books. Eating Your Words sounds like it must have been such fun! I spotted a post of yours from 2018 with this title – I’m off to check it out.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It was a great course at the time Ju-Lyn and we all enjoyed learning new things 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gosh I have a few cookbooks but my most recent favourite is called Feast and it’s a Canadian one that celebrates our local delicacies. I’ve made a lot of recipes from it. I also have the trio of White Water Rafting which are out of BC and really good as well. Plus for special baking I pull out my Anna Olson one to challenge myself. Interestingly enough I also have 2 Australian women’s Weekly soft cover books that I’ve had for decades!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks are always great to use and I have quite a few of them too! We still look at the Birthday cake one and my daughters use it for their children now. Thanks for your comment and sharing your favourites.
LikeLike
I love your take on the topic! My most-used cookbook is something I picked up at a Target years ago. It’s all different stir-fry recipes and I think I’ve made most of them. It’s full of my hand-written notes, food splatters, and it’s literally falling apart at the seams.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Janis, it was a great recipe to share! It’s great when you have those types of wins with a cookbook that ticks all your needs and is simple to follow, despite the food splatters!!
LikeLike
I think I passed Crazy Cookbook Lady status some years ago. I love them. And my favourite? It really depends on my mood. I do have a dozen or so though that I refer to over and over again. I love the preserving children recipe!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love reading your posts Jo and your recipes are always so clear and easy to follow. Your love of cookbooks shines through your words. The preserving children recipe was a fun find and well worth sharing!
LikeLike
Hi Deb, I love collecting cookbooks and remember my Mum made me one with cut out recipes or one’s she had written and used. Alas, I don’t have it as I must have lost it in the many moves. I also remember the Common Sense Cookery Book which I think was a standard for all cooks! What a great post and approach to this month’s What’s On Your Plate? I on the other hand am so literal and posted some recipes!!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
What a shame about your. mum’s books Sue. Yes I still have my Common Sense Cookery Book and love the simplicity of it. I decided to go a bit ‘rogue’ for this post and am glad you enjoyed reading it!
LikeLike
My favorite cookbooks were written and published by my great-grandmother around 1900. She sold them to women’s church groups throughout the United States for pennies each as a fundraising tool for the churches. The women’s groups would sell them for a nickel or dime. My goal is to republish them soon. They have art deco covers and some of the recipes use such odd language. Also, a few of the recipes are ones that have been passed down through the family and I cook today, like clam chowder and oxtail soup.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Those sorts of cookbooks have always been great fundraisers, how special to have your great-grandmother’s book and to republish them too! Well done 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Debbie – I love the creativity and clever thinking of this post. It’s so cool and soooo you! I also love how great minds think alike. For my upcoming ‘Whats on your Bookshelf’ post, I actually wrote about cookbooks (I know, right?!). I Engine, Engine Number Nine’d it to help decide if it should be a WOYP or WOYBS post. Close call!
Thank you for the morning smile with the Preserving Children recipe. Awesome!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh many thanks Donna, I like going rogue every now and again and this was a ‘fun’ recipe to share. Great minds do think alike 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great “Preserving Children” recipe. Now, if I only had a paddock 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes that would help 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoy cooking too. There was a time when I used to buy cook books of different cuisines but things have simplified with innumerable recipes for anything and everything on the net.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes keeping it simple is my motto too! Thanks for your visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I went on a Book Flea market other day and had quite a haul. Few of them were cookbooks, 2 for baking and another one. I am so excited to try new recipes for Christmas and for the ones we called “Plätzchen zeit” or the christmas cookies time. It´s going to smell heavenly.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sounds like a delightful haul! I wish I could get more excited about trying new recipes, I actually don’t mind cooking. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unfortunately, I am hopeless at cooking. I only know how to write and work for a living. Haha!
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s not a bad thing to good at! Continue doing what you do well 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Debbie.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh missed it – and actually had something I could have written about too…..That course you did sounds so interesting…and as for that preserving children ‘recipe’ is perfect.
LikeLiked by 2 people
No it’s not too late to join in at all! Just post when you’re ready and link up with me, it’s fine. Yes, I agree, the Preserving Children recipe is a hoot! The course we did was really far more interesting than I could have imagined and we all learnt a lot from it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As Debbie said, it is definitely not too late to join in. Some bloggers often join in weeks afer the original post which is very cool and always appreciated. We’d love to add a post from you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Like me! Always late to the game
LikeLiked by 2 people