The Margaret Rudkin Pepperidge Farm Cookbook

by Margaret Rudkin, Erik Blegvad (Illustrator)

This lovely book "is really three books, all bound together in a single volume. It is a working cookbook that gathers together more than 500 mouth-watering recipes, from soup to nuts. It is also an intimate autobiography of a charming and adventuresome woman whose enthsiasm has given her the vitality to rear 3 children, manage 3 homes and develop a mulitmillion dollar business. .....and finally, it is a valuable treasury of early recipes from Mrs. Rudkins fabulous collection of antique cookbooks which she has updated with her own modern present-day ready to use translations. It was the first cookbook ever to make the bestseller list of The New York Times.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Reference, Nonfiction, American

438 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 1963

Reviews

[Jileen]

Long and heavy-worded review coming. Just have to explain myself.

Normally I love reading cookbooks and I especially enjoy reading historical cookbooks. I was made aware of this particular cookbook through googling who in their right mind would come up with making little cheesy crackers in the shape of goldfish. Through that research I came to discover Margaret Rudkin… The creator of Pepperidge Farms. She originally started with making whole wheat bread for her children because she felt strongly that was the best way to nourish her kids instead of the white bread that was being touted at the time. That wheat bread became the start of Pepperidge farms.

I originally bought this cookbook from a used bookstore because I wanted her whole wheat bread recipe. Alas, that recipe is not included in the cookbook. But there are wonderful stories of her childhood in New York City and cooking with her Irish grandmother, her story of creating a wheat bread recipe for her children, her and her husband moving and buying land that they later called Pepperidge farms, and how she created a successful worldwide business that has continued to create quality products.

She includes recipes from her childhood, recipes from her time as a mother with small children, and recipes from Ireland where she and her husband bought historical family land and came to know the local people there.

The last section is weird and oddly intriguing at the same time. Margaret collected very old cookbooks and was fascinated by them (I guess she and I have some things in common!) She included recipes from these old cookbooks and then worked on them to transfer them to recipes that could work in our day. Except the problem is her cookbook was written in the 1960s so it’s not really our day now. Was rose water really a common ingredient for recipes in the 60’s?

Anyway, it was a delightful journey into the past and I have been enlightened on a great many historical cooking adventures.

[Anne]

I found my 1963 edition at a used-book store. I love it.. so fun to just read. Being ever enamored of setting, this book was a sure thing for me with its descriptions of other places, other times, and other foods. I especially love reading about Rudkin's childhood in a turn-of-the-century New York City brownstone. And, the glimpse into how people ate a hundred years ago fascinates me. It's food genealogy -- those recipes are the progenitors of my recipes! There are also sections on her years in Ireland, and on her collection of medieval recipes and modern versions.

[Kristina Seleshanko]

This is a cookbook truly worth reading through - because it's not just recipes; it's also about food and cooking history, plus a food memoir of an amazing laddy. I love this book so much, I re-read it regularly. May all cookbooks be this good.

[Debbie Ladd]

Oh my! I picked up this book at an antique shop thinking it would be a cute addition to my "old" cookbook collection. Well, it is that and MORE! The author, who started the Pepperidge Farm brand, wrote about her life as a "foodie" in the early 1900's. It was a fascinating read, along with delightful black and white and colored illustrations by Erik Blegvad. Published in 1963 this book is a hidden gem.
Lots of recipes with the focus on whole foods! I'll be using this book for more than a kitchen decoration.

[Dawn]

I recently found this gem at an estate sale. I'm so glad I did. This book is fantastic. Beautifully written I am telling just about everyone I know Margaret's story. This book is part biography, part cookbook. I adore the stories behind the recipes. Soo many recipes. There are no photos of the completed recipes. However, there are many sweet drawings throughout the book.

[Tamara York]

Gifted from a friend who was reading it for a book club, I thoroughly enjoyed this cookbook/memoir from the creator of Pepperidge Farm. I liked hearing her story and seeing all of the old recipes. Such an interesting book. I would be interested in reading a biography of Margaret Rudkin.

[Beverly]

Interesting

[Lynn Russell]

Darling cookbook with illustrations. Found at garage sale. First Edition 1963

[Books, Brews & Booze]

"Some of these recipes are amusing, some elaborate, and some just plain and easy. That's a good pattern for eating -- and living -- something fun, something super for special times and something plain for the quiet days with just the family to say, 'Golly, that's a good egg!' and you sort of feel they mean you're a 'good egg' too." (From Margaret Rudkin's introduction)

This lovely book consists of five sections: Childhood, Country Life, Pepperidge Farm, Cooking From Antique Cookbooks and Ireland.

Yes, that Pepperidge Farm. Rudkin was inspired to found Pepperidge Farm due to her son Mark's asthma. His reactions to preservatives and artificial ingredients prevented him from eating commercially prepared bread. She created her first product, a whole wheat bread, and offered it to the local doctor, who immediately ordered it to sell to his patients. Rudkin was soon selling it in her town and four months later she was selling it in New York, with her husband as delivery man. Soon she was distributing her bread (both whole wheat and white loaves) across the country. (Source: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margare...)

This working cookbook gathers together more than 500 mouth-watering recipes, from soup to nuts. It is also an intimate autobiography of a charming and adventuresome woman whose enthusiasm gave her the vitality to rear three children, manage three homes and develop a multimillion dollar business.... and finally, it is a valuable treasury of early recipes from Rudkins' fabulous collection of antique cookbooks, which she has updated with her own modern present-day ready to use translations.

Charming, old-fashioned illustrations by Erik Blegvad will remind you of times of yesteryear. They are the perfect addition to this gem of a cookbook.

(Note: I had to had this edition to GR and this is the description I crafted, using a prior description from GR and notes from Wikipedia, which are cited.)

[Cindy]

This is the cookbook that started my collection of now more than 300 cookbooks. This is a readable book much more than recipes. A really wonderful look at cooking and food from history and from her experience living in Ireland. My all time favorite readable cookbook

[Beth Rollins]

I have a copy published in 1963

[Diana Vance]

This was my first "reading" cookbook. Bought it in early 70's and I still love it, especially the stories of Ireland!

[Tina]

Fantastic read for much more than the recipes. I'll be adding this one to my kitchen shelves.

[Joanne]

I love this book. We have it at the lake house and I use it every summer.

The stories are fabulous and the recipes are old-fashioned, but interesting.