Rumford Complete Cook Book

by Lily Haxworth Wallace

Excerpt from Rumford Complete Cook Book

Many things are passed down from generation to generation things which people hold dear - family names, customs, old silver, precious heirlooms. None, surely, is more precious than a tradition of unfailing leadership. That is the Rumford tradition: leadership toward better cooking, better, more wholesome food.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Genres: Cookbooks, Reference, Food, History, Cooking

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1908

Reviews

[S Vanorse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love an 85 year old copy of a cookbook found at the Salvation Army’s store. Get your shortening supply well stocked because the recipes call for mostly shortening, I learned about Rumford baking powder how it came about and still in business today. I know the original owner of this copy had beautiful handwriting, loved chocolate and pickles by the many penciled in “good”, marked by the recipes and handwritten recipes on note paper stuffed between the pages, I know she must have lost someone she cared about by the cut out obituary from 1964 between the pages of a recipe marked the departed’s favorite. The best part of any book is what’s between the pages.

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a review, just an interesting note: The copy of this I have is the 1938 edition and seems to have had the booze taken out of it during Prohibition and not replaced - "sherry flavoring" in a bunch of recipes and brandy missing from cordials.

[Irma · Rating 5 out of 5]

1936 edition

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book I received which was previously owned by my Aunt Jean. This book was not originally hers, but instead was a book given to her mother-in-law as a gift. There is a photo of my Uncle Vic's brother Ed, and a young woman inside the front cover. On the edge of the photo is written Johnstown, PA. Under the bottom of the photo is written Aug. 30-31. No year is listed. Across from the photo there is a Christmas sticker, and an inscription "To/ Mrs Sobkoviak From Margaret Trybolsky."

Copyright, 1908, 1918, 1929, 1930, 1931, By The Rumford Chemical Works, Rumford, R. I.

I find it interesting how some of these very old cookbooks have recipes which are whole-grain, vegetarian, and others which are healthy by today's standards.
Some of the chapters in this book are:
Canning, Preserving and Pickling
Carving
Chafing-Dish Recipes
Confections
Eggs
Frying
Gingerbread, Cookies, Doughnuts, Etc.
How to Avoid Objectionable Baking Powder
Sick, Recipes For The
Value of Phosphates in Food

Some odd recipes I found include:
Pilau of Fowl (an Indian dish)
Sweetbread and Mushroom Filling
Hashed Turnip
Foamy Sauce
Cornstarch Cake
Milk Sherbet
and Sweet Pickled Prunes

[Taj · Rating 5 out of 5]

first off i need to say my copy is the 1938 Revised copy of this book
but i love the book. have already planned to try a number of these vintage recipes
(except the vegetables- the recipes tend to boil them to death)
that said there are some great charts -
in the weights & measures chart it explains that a Gill is 1/2 cupful. (standard modern cup of 1/2pint)
& did you know that 4 wineglassfuls equals 1 cup full?
or that 4 Tablespoons equals one wineglassful?
or that 9large eggs equals 1 pound?
neither did i . LOVE this. when reading other vintage cookbooks these measures are often overlooked & the reader must make a best guess.
another issue in many of my vintage books is when a recipe calls for "bake in a hot oven'. and thats all it says. aaaaack! but this book has this lovely little chart that notes
a cake -- in a Hot or quick oven that runs about 375-400F for approx 25min..
SO HELPFUL!!!
love this new to me sweet little book

[Christy Leonardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insofar as one can "read" a cookbook... tremendously interesting as a historical document. One sees how, over the past century, process has been supplanted by innovation in apparatus & product... can hardly imagine baking a small rice pudding for three hours, or resisting the urge to add more than two simple spices to curried chicken. Surprisingly most of the book is viable for the vegan/vegetarian and dietary-restricted. Several chapters have been noticeably appropriated by modern works. Reading this has kindled a flame.

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an okay general cookbook, with a standard selection of basic recipes.

I have the 1930 edition, which still has some of the awful excuses for salads of the nineteen-twenties (balls of mayonnaise mixed with cheese served on lettuce leaves, yikes), but overall the recipes are usable and not bad.

This book was prepared by the Rumford Chemical Works, which sold baking powder. I think there's one yeast-using recipe in the whole book.

[Jay Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were recipes I grew up with - and made as a child and young wife and mother.
Gave the book to one of my sons, and now I'm looking to replace it - cause I loved some of the recipes - jelly's we made, cookies and cakes. Memories come from cookbooks with family.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherished treasure.