Cookbook Art: The Health Value of Bee Hive Corn Syrup

So, I'd just like to start by apologising for not posting on the weekend... or on Monday... or Tuesday.  I was attending to family issues out of town on the weekend, still exhausted by Monday, then it was grocery shopping after work yesterday.  Not that you should care.  I just like to post a tidbit of awesome cookbook art when I haven't been on-the-ball enough to do a proper recipe like a good little blogger.

So, without further ado, this is the centerfold of the Budget Recipes For Every Day of the Year cooking guide from Bee Hive Brand Corn Syrup and the St. Lawrence Starch Co.  (There is no date on this pamphlet, but I'd estimate early 1960's).

Ok... let me tell you all the things I love about this image:

Cover Art: Tasty Table Treats

This is the cover artwork of the Tasty Table Treats cookbook, published in 1947 by Southern Publishing Association:

"Darling, I baked you a pie!  It's made of concentrated nightmares!"

Oh god.  I am afraid of this woman.  She really creeps me out with that psychotic leer.  And the room looks all dark, like she's baking pies at night... in the dark... with her hair perfectly coiffed. Also, the background is at an off-kilter angle, which is cinematic code for waking up tied to a chair.  Your head hurts and the room is spinning.  Did you hit your head?  Were you drugged?  Why are you tied to this chair?  Why is there a wadded-up oven mitt stuffed in your mouth? The room is dark except for the glow of the oven light.  A strange woman enters the room, takes a pie out of the oven, and grins at you. 

We've all been there!  Amiright?  But who wants to relive that horror?  I mean, that was the frickin' worst meringue I ever ate!

Happy (late) Labour Day!

So yesterday was Labour Day (labour has a "u" in it when you're Canadian... cuz that's how we roll), and I didn't post all weekend because I was in Victoria visiting with my family and the husband's family.  It was a fun weekend, but the logistics of fitting in all the visits with all of our various family members was as much as I could manage.  Also I have strep throat, which is considerably less fun.


I know all of you are probably getting twitchy from missing your weekly fix of cookbook-related absurdity and sass.  Don't worry.  I won't leave you hanging!  Remember how I mentioned a cookbook called His Turn To Cook in last week's post?

So, check out that red-faced Ken doll guy who is clearly in the throes of some sort of intense meatgasm. I mean, we can clearly see where both of his girlfriend's hands are, so I guess he just really likes skewering meat. Welp... Rule 34, guys. 

Anyhow, if I'm feeling up to it, I may post a mid-week recipe. Thanks for being patient.

Metapost: Judging A Cookbook By Its Cover

I'm heading out of town this weekend, so I won't be posting a recipe.  I know this is a huge disappointment to my vast and loyal fanbase, but so it goes and whatnot.   I don't want to leave you guys pining away for me, though, so I've got a vintage cookbook cover for you to ponder in my absence.


Dudes and Ladies, kindly direct your gaze to the bottom left corner...

Is that...is that slices of avocado floating in cups of tea?!?!   I've looked through the recipes in this book and can't figure out what recipe this picture is supposed to be.  If anyone has any idea what that is, post it in the comments section.  I will judge the best/funniest comment on Friday, July 23rd.  The winner will receive a shiny "FTW" award* and the runner-up will receive the ever-so-slightly less shiny "WTF" award*.


That's all I've got!  See you next week!


*Legal boilerplate and such:  These awards only exist on the internets, but you'll totally have the satisfaction of knowing your comment is the very bestest of them all.
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July 24, 2010 - UPDATE: No comments, No Winner!  :-(
Okay, I think maybe I've jumped the gun a little bit here.  Maybe I shouldn't attempt a comment contest until I've been around for more than a few weeks and accumulated a larger following.  Or any following.  Oh well.   When I consider the number of websites and blogs where I lurk and never comment, this isn't so surprising.  Anyhow, to all 3 of my loyal, but painfully shy readers, I say this:  feel free to comment on the site any time you wish!  I promise to reserve all of my mockery and snark for the terrible food I'm making and not unleash it upon your comments!