An array of cookbooks
You can find northern cookbooks full of recipes for cooking game including rabbit and deer , while the southern ones will feature key ingredients more likely to be found at the local grocery store .
One of my books has a “ celebrity ” section with recipes from the town ’ s mayor , local personalities , and federal politicians such as Ed Broadbent and Brian Mulroney .
No matter the source of the community cookbooks , any copy hides the most popular recipes between stuck pages , while spots of honey or oil mark other pages of these well-worn books .
In our house , the stickiest pages were the ones in the dessert section , a chapter that held tried-and-true recipes passed down through the generations . These recipes often featured the name of the original family member who was associated with the dessert , so we see names like Grandma ’ s Favourite Ginger Cookies or Auntie Carol ’ s Date Bars .
In Canada , small publishers specializing in community cookbooks appeared in the 1930s and many of these still exist today , with the process being much easier and more streamlined than ever .
Although the original vintage books are becoming more difficult to find , archives have been developed to preserve these important parts of our collective history .
No matter where you currently reside , what you enjoy eating , or what dietary restrictions you live with , these community treasures will have something special for your family dinner . If nothing else , the funny stories and the tidbits of advice stand the test of time .
Recipe for Elephant Stew
Jane Thrall says she ’ s no culinary genius , but she knows her way around the kitchen . A good recipe that can be put in the crockpot and left to simmer all day is her idea of perfect comfort food ( see recipe for stewed elephant ).
Possibly the most significant archival collection is the Canadian Culinary Collection at the University of Guelph , home of Macdonald Institute , by the 1950s the premier school of home economics in North America .
news & views WINTER 2023 | 41