If you lived in Mt. Vernon, Iowa in the 80s, you recognize this cookbook. It has become a coveted item in MV these days. Luckily my mom had the good sense to get one for herself as well as both my grandmothers, so now my sister and I each have one. I have very fond memories of my mom pulling this out when she was teaching me to bake. Looking through its pages I see all the adult faces of my youth in that town. Now that I am teaching my own children to cook, I find myself reaching again for this book. It has a recipe for any occasion that should arise in this Midwest woman’s life. Going to a 4th of July potluck and need to make a salad? Look no further than Helen Rockrohr”s Red, White, and Blueberry Salad! Having friends over for Brunch? How about Zelda Radloff’s Spinich Quiche? Is your Rhubarb patch particularly abundant this year? There are no less than 30 recipes for that! There are 52 pages of casseroles!
I have heard that cookbooks are coming back and I have no doubts. Cookbooks from churches and small towns allow us to hold on to the memories of a time gone by, of people and places who shaped us. When we cleaned out my childhood home and had an estate sale, the cookbooks were some of the first things to go. And it wasn’t the shiny, hard cover ones by famous chefs. No, it was the church cookbooks and the cookbooks made by small town groups trying to do fundraising. These are the heart of who we are, written down in teaspoons and cups, baked at 350 for 45 minutes and served with love.