When I got married 54 years ago, I didn't know how to cook a thing. My mother never wanted anyone in HER kitchen making a mess, so I had never even made cookies. I was well prepared to clean house, do laundry, sew, collect dishes, etc. etc. -- but cooking -- no! I think that my future mother-in-law was worried about her son's survival, because she gave me this Betty Crocker's cookbook at my bridal shower.
So, the first week of marriage in September 1958, I set out to teach myself how to cook from this book. It told me with detailed instructions how to boil an egg, make gravy, and even a 3-picture layout on "Know Your Raisins". Since I was always good at doing mathematical word problems, I was off and running. By Thanksgiving, I was ready to make a pie. The first one was a pumpkin from the recipe on the pumpkin can - not so great, but passable. The next pie I made was an apple using the following recipe from the cookbook. A Hit! See that blue star - I put that on the recipe page back in 1958 to indicate that this was a recipe to repeat.
I now prefer this variation of the basic apple pie shown just below the original in the book.
The butter/brown sugar/flour crumb topping adds just the right amount of caramel gooeyness!
From the the wear and tear on the cookbook, it looks like I've finally taught myself how to cook.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
5 comments:
What fun that you still have your cookbook that you learned to cook from. I learned a lot once I got married, too. It's amazing how we survived and grew into our cookbooks, isn't it? I still use the recipe for spaghetti that I found in my very first cookbook, too.
I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving- xo Diana
I am loving the dessert plates the pie and ice cream are on.
Think I'll have to be printing out those recipes since my hubs of 44 yrs. loves apple pie. I'd love to surprise him for our soon to be anniversary with a homemade pie.
When I got married the first time my poor new husband didn't know what to think. Don't think we ever got around to talking about whether I could cook or not, we got married 4 days after I turned 19.I could do alot but cooking wasn't one of them. Never was interested really.
I learned the hard way and him too, lol. Great pie.
Ahhhh, takes me back to the late 50's and early 60's...my mama didn't like anyone in her kitchen either, so, I didn't know how to cook, either.
I tried to get MY daughter to cook some..and she did, but it was very little. She turned out to be a great cook, tho...much better than her mama. :))
The only way I like apple pie is if it has a crumb topping. Yours looks delicious and I'd say you definitely taught yourself to cook. :-)
I learned with Betty Crocker too! :) And then I think the other main cookbook that I had was a Better Homes and Gardens or some such thing...but I relied on two basic cookbooks when I was young and learning and Betty was one of 'em : )
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