A Classic Cookbook from the ’50s
And here I go, getting nostalgic over food one more time.
Back when I was a kid, growing up on Detroit’s East Side, I spent A LOT of time with my neighbors who lived two houses away from me. Their mom, Mrs. LaBine (I always called her Mrs), was a really young mom of four. She was always stylishly dressed, listening to Elvis and the Everly Brothers on her console stereo. She was soft spoken, so kind to me, and was also a SUPERB cook and baker.
And I remember her cookbook, Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking.
A Copy of My Own
The things you remember from when you were a kid–the neighbor’s Dutch Elm tree falling on our house, the 1967 Detroit Riots and curfews, the endless summer days playing with the kids on our block, walking to the park, the swim mobile and the the book mobile.
And I remember Mrs. LaBine’s cookbook, often times sitting open on a table in her dining room. It was a HUGE book and most likely where her recipe ideas came from.
Fast forward to the late 1980s when I was was living far away from Detroit. Vacationing in LA, I stopped at a thrift shop. While looking through the store’s collection of books, I came upon the Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking. Could this be a copy of Mrs. LaBine’s cookbook? The one with her Blueberry Boy Bait recipe? (That recipe is still a favorite.) The cover was different but it sure looked familiar.
I pulled the book from the shelf and flipped through the first few pages. It was published in the late 1950s (check) and was it was HUGE-1535 pages (check). But did it have the Blueberry Boy Bait recipe? I excitedly flipped to the index, and there it was! I hugged the book. I felt like I hit the jackpot that day.
These days a recipe is easy to find on the internet (thank you Pinterest), but back then you had to buy the book. So that’s what I did. Buying this treasure of recipes and memories, and then schlepping it all the way home to Dallas, Texas, was the thrill of a lifetime. Lucky for me there was no extra charge back then for my weighted bulging suitcase.
More to a Book Than it’s cover
Recently I read an interesting article about cookbook author, Ms Mary Margaret McBride.
Considered to be the “First Lady of Radio,” she was a voice her 6 million listeners, mostly women, trusted.
Mary Margaret had great respect for her listeners. She wanted to validate stay-at-home moms and keep them connected to the outside world. She did interviews with popular authors and actors of the day, and talked about Broadway shows, Hollywood movies, pop culture, politics and even civil rights. And of course there was always the FOOD!
She ad libbed all of her shows. Even her guests weren’t allowed to use notes.
She was the 1930s-1950’s version of TV’s Oprah and considered to be a huge influence on modern-day talk shows.
The Cookbook
Mary Margaret McBride’s Encyclopedia of Cooking was published in the 1950s, when Mary Margaret was nearing the twilight of her career. It was originally sold in “chapter” form at the grocery store, with each chapter purchased added to a large binder until it was a full cookbook.
The version I have is a compilation of all those grocery store “chapters,” forming one huge book.
The book contains MANY recipes, but very few photos (that wasn’t done back then). But it also has hints and suggestions for making a newly married bride’s life a little easier.
Here a few chapter headings:
- How to Seat Guests at a Table
- How to Select Kitchen Utensils and Equipment to Get Your Money’s Worth
- What to do about Bad Food Habits
- How to Remove Spots and Stains.
So she was not only a version of Oprah but maybe a little bit of Martha Stewart, too.
Here’s a link for more info on Mary Margaret McBride.
My Favorite Recipe
And I love a recipe with a good story, and my favorite Blueberry Boy Bait recipe didn’t disappoint.
The original recipe dates back to 1954 and was submitted to a Pillsbury baking contest by a 15-year-old girl. She won second place (I can’t imagine there could be anything better to beat her recipe). She named her recipe Blueberry Boy Bait because she believed this cake had the power to attract the opposite sex. I think she was on to something.
Would you sell your cookbook? Mother-in-law wanted the 1959 version and I’m looking to be a hero and find her one!
I’m sorry but I have too many memories with the cookbook for me to sell it. Have you tried Amazon and ebay? I’m headed to a couple of used book stores this weekend. I’ll keep a lookout for it and let you know if I find a copy for you.
Wow! That brings back memories. My parents moved from NYC to a small town in Southern NH on a hundred acre farm back in 1965 when I was a kid. My father passed when we were young & I thought I’d I could learn to cook I could get out of farm chores! It worked! I was only 9 & the book was large & heavy. My Mom would put it on the counter & I would sit on a stool for hours copying recipes! Thank you for posting!
Thanks for sharing your memories, Marianne. The book is such a treasure.
My Grandmother passed this encyclopedia cookbook to me. I want to get it re-bonded to keep it in decent shape. Love it!
You are so lucky to be given this treasure of a book, Marcia. So many great recipes and memories.
Hi. My mom baked a delicious Italian meat pie at Easter. She always said she got the recipe from Mary Margaret McBride. The traditional name is Pizza Rustica but it’s not pizza as we know it. It’s a 2-crust (made with lard) pie filled with eggs, sausage, salami and cheese.
My mom passed away in 2019, and I have made the sausage pie as she wrote it out. But I’d love to see the original. I know McBride mentions foods from other countries in her encyclopedia.
Could you check for me which recipes appear under “Italy?” I see individual sections of the encyclopedia on eBay and Amazon and I’d live to buy the relevant section if the recipe is included.
Thank you
Hi Michele–I sent a photo via email of the list of Italy recipes from The Encyclopedia Of Cooking. I looked through the index for something close to what you describe but I could not find an Italian meat pie. I love a good recipe hunt, so if I find it, I’ll let you know. Anita
Hello and thank you for this story. I found this gem on an estate sale on eBay for $25 8 years ago. I first heard of the grocery store “chapters ” from a friend mom. I did a search and found the complete bounded book. I love it and treasure it; though I haven’t made much out of it.
Yes, Kristan, you did find a treasure! I love just looking through this book–true time travel back to the 1950s and 1960s. Along with some interesting recipes, the instructions on how to build an outdoor fireplace or how to turn a closet into a wine cellar always makes me smile. Not something I would expect to find in a cookbook. Do try the Blueberry Boy Bait when blueberries are in season this year. You won’t be disappointed.
I have the cookbook as well! It was my grandmother’s originally, but she gave it to my mom and it was in our house growing up. My mom used to keep leaves pressed between its pages when I would give her some I found outside that I thought were pretty. I treasure this book so much because it reminds me of my mom and grandmother. I love looking through it and remembering all the things my mom used to cook when she was alive.
Actually, That cookbook was written by my husband’s cousin, Bob Gordon. My husbands mother, 2 aunts, and cousins are all part of the “Test Kitchens” After Bob passed away, his wife Frieda had a few copies left. When my daughter was married in 2011, she got the last one Aunt Frieda had. I inherited my mother-in-laws copy after her death. Roslyn Baker was my MIL. Deborah and Esther are my husbands aunts. Marsha and Leslie are cousins. They all took recipes home, made them and then gave Bob feedback. Bob also used the name Anne London (the books editor) No one was buying cookbooks written by men back then..
Thanks for adding all of this cookbook’s history, Therese. Great info!!