In the Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, and Social Justice Studies (GSFS) 401 Winter 2020 semester class on Food, Gender, and Environment taught by Dr. Alex Ketchum, students are analyzing the ways that food accessibility and environmental threats are gendered, sexualized, and racialized within the global context. As part of the course, students visited McGill’s archives and special collections to have a hands on experience with historical cookbooks (more on that here: http://www.historicalcookingproject.com/2020/02/field-trip-to-mcgill-rare-books-and.html). The Special Series of Student Posts is a collection of student reflections on what information we can glean from cookbooks.
Even beginning on the front cover, Good Old Food: A Taste from The Past written by Irena Chalmers, brings with it nostalgia for cooking in the past. The cover announces that the book includes “More than 250 authentic recipes brought to America in past generations from all around the world plus up to date ideas that make them easier than ever to prepare”(Chalmers). Irena Chalmers, the author of this cookbook, originally from England founded the New York publishing house: Irena Chalmers Cookbooks, Inc. In addition, she is an editorial consultant for The Cook’s Magazine and is on the board of directors of the International Association of Cooking Professionals and the Symposium of American Cuisine. Good Old Food was her first book with Barron’s. She writes a letter from the author that points out the accessibility of internationally grown ingredients used in recipes today compared to only cooking meals with locally grown foods in the past. She also emphasizes the links between “ancestral past and the future generation” (Chalmers, 4). This connection is made by households continuously preparing and sharing recipes throughout the decades.
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Immediately it can be noted that efficiency was key at the time as it is displayed with terms such as “tips for saving” and “time and effort” for making traditional cooking easier. In addition, most of the recipes were passed down from mothers, aunts and grandmothers (Chalmers, 4). This implies the expectations of women that was still present at the time. Although the workforce was impacted immensely in the 20th century due to industrialization, war and depression women were still expected to be housewives and cook for their husbands. Susan Porter Benson’s study of production and consumption patterns, found "that working-class gender roles were probably more fluid than those of the middle class by necessity" (Parkin 53). However, the division of labor still remained intact. The division of men in the public sphere and women in the private sphere were still being reinforced. The article explains that food advertisements are just one of the many reason the socially constructed traditional ideals about food preparation and consumption remained throughout society (Parkin 53). The consideration of less abled bodies was also a clear factor to be included in the cookbook. In a statement at the bottom of the first page it states that, “a percentage of the royalties from this book is being donated to benefit Meals on Wheels” (Chalmers 1). This organization brings meals to people who cannot leave their home and are often referred to as disabled bodies.
This cookbook contains more than just recipes for good meals, it contains the feelings and the memories of the past with different passages next to each recipe. The passages tell stories of the way life was in connection to the recipe on the page. This connection makes the meal more than food but an experience to enjoy and reflect on.
Although this recipe is from a recipe book from grandmother from my fathers side I couldn’t help but choose the blueberry muffin recipe to discuss because of the passage and the memory that came along with it. Irena Melanie Falick from New York shares her memory of spending her summer in the Catskills with her grandmother who, “made lots of jam but what I remember best are the blueberry muffins she baked for us to eat for breakfast. And so, without fail, every time I eat a blueberry muffin I think of her wearing that hat and picking berries in the sunshine. It brings back good memories” (qtd. in Chalmers 219). Even though Melanie used freshly picked blueberries, this recipe gives leniency to the baker by allowing either frozen or fresh berries.
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The blueberry muffin recipe calls for blueberries, all purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, eggs, milk, vanilla extract or maple syrup and a grated rind of a lemon. At first glance, the recipe is simple in terms of ingredients and instructions, giving room for variation in the recipe based on preference of taste and availability of ingredients. However, there is no mention of ingredient alternatives for dietary restrictions, for people who are gluten free, vegan or lactose intolerant. The recipe lacks substitutes such as oat or soy beverage, vegan butter or gluten free flour.
I picked the blueberry muffins recipe in the cookbook with recipes from all over the world because of the connection I have to the baked good, the feeling and the memories that I remember from not long ago. When I think of muffins I think of my childhood. Although my mother rarely baked she would always make time for muffins. She would always let them cool on the baking rack next to our small grey television. I remember jumping on to the couch with my sister after school finished each day at 4:00pm. It would be such a pleasant surprise when the sweet smell of freshly baked muffins covered every inch of the house.
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Traces of My Grandmother
In addition, my grandmother told me that she use to write in all her cookbooks. Although she had forgotten, this cookbook was no exception. On the first page, below the Irena Chalmers and friends, it is written, “If this book should ever roam spank it well and send it home” (Edna Anzarut-Turner). I think its quite interesting that although it is such a small addition to the page it demonstrates the significance of this cookbook in my grandmothers life. Knowing that my grandmother cherished this cookbook and relied on it for meals makes me nostalgic of an era I never experienced. It is only from her many stories that I have been able to fantasize about living in the past.
As well, she marked off the, “Roasts, Braises, Sautés And Pan-Cooked Meats” section of the cookbook, specifically the roast beef page indicating preference of meat at the time for the family and guests. The passage that lies on the right hand side of the page tells a story of wartime rationing in London and that restaurants were the only places that could have more quantity. Alice Buchanan from Warwick, New York explains that after ordering her roast beef “A gigantic plate arrived, positively heaped with slices of beef, crispy roast potatoes and mashed (all wartime meals featured potatoes in a big way), and I seem to remember Yorkshire pudding and cabbage too. By the time I had eaten my fill, fully half the contents were sitting there” (qtd. in Chalmers 137). She goes on to say that it was unpatriotic to not finish a meal. Therefore, she ran around the city for a bit and once she returned she finished the rest of the plate. This type of eating behavior and the compulsion to finish every last drop on a plate is one of the many reasons these habits continue even today.
Additionally, I found myself drawn to many popular Jewish meals, as the religion I have identified with my whole life is Judaism. I felt a connection to the passages that came along with them, such as the kugel recipe. Sylvia Weinstein from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida who discusses her mothers recipe of “kugel with sour cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, crushed pineapple, raisins, apple, and cornflake crumbs” (qtd. in Chalmers 279). She reminds me of my holiday dinners at my aunts house with her recipe of kugel and the many winter vacations I spent with my family and grandmother in Florida.
The Kosher Dill pickles recipes, another recipe and one of my favorite snacks, sparks the memory of going Moishe’s Steakhouse Restaurant in Montreal with my whole family when I was younger. Carole Cohen Merrick from New York discusses that her holiday shopping was more than just a trip to the store as “Every year just before Passover, my parents would take me to choose the fish for gefülte fish, the Passover wine for the Seder, and matzos (qtd. in Chalmers 305). As a tradition during this outing she would be able to pick out any pickle she wanted to eat from the pickle store.
Although the blueberry muffin recipe is one of the many recipes in this cookbook it brings with it importance when looking at the historical context and the further impact that recipes from the past affect cooking even today. Additionally the kugel and kosher dill pickle recipe demonstrate the traditions in religion that have remained intact through each generation.
Works Cited
Chalmers, Irena. Good Old Food: A Taste from The Past. Barron's Educational Services
Publishing. 1988.
Parkin, Katherine. “Campbell’s Soup and the Long Shelf Life of Traditional Gender Roles.” In Kitchen Culture in America: Popular Representations of Food, Gender, and Race, edited
by Sherrie Inness, pp. 51-67. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001.
The Smell of Nostalgia:
Appetizers, Roasts, Baked Goods and more Recipes From Around the World
by Carly Turner
Even beginning on the front cover, Good Old Food: A Taste from The Past written by Irena Chalmers, brings with it nostalgia for cooking in the past. The cover announces that the book includes “More than 250 authentic recipes brought to America in past generations from all around the world plus up to date ideas that make them easier than ever to prepare”(Chalmers). Irena Chalmers, the author of this cookbook, originally from England founded the New York publishing house: Irena Chalmers Cookbooks, Inc. In addition, she is an editorial consultant for The Cook’s Magazine and is on the board of directors of the International Association of Cooking Professionals and the Symposium of American Cuisine. Good Old Food was her first book with Barron’s. She writes a letter from the author that points out the accessibility of internationally grown ingredients used in recipes today compared to only cooking meals with locally grown foods in the past. She also emphasizes the links between “ancestral past and the future generation” (Chalmers, 4). This connection is made by households continuously preparing and sharing recipes throughout the decades.
Immediately it can be noted that efficiency was key at the time as it is displayed with terms such as “tips for saving” and “time and effort” for making traditional cooking easier. In addition, most of the recipes were passed down from mothers, aunts and grandmothers (Chalmers, 4). This implies the expectations of women that was still present at the time. Although the workforce was impacted immensely in the 20th century due to industrialization, war and depression women were still expected to be housewives and cook for their husbands. Susan Porter Benson’s study of production and consumption patterns, found "that working-class gender roles were probably more fluid than those of the middle class by necessity" (Parkin 53). However, the division of labor still remained intact. The division of men in the public sphere and women in the private sphere were still being reinforced. The article explains that food advertisements are just one of the many reason the socially constructed traditional ideals about food preparation and consumption remained throughout society (Parkin 53). The consideration of less abled bodies was also a clear factor to be included in the cookbook. In a statement at the bottom of the first page it states that, “a percentage of the royalties from this book is being donated to benefit Meals on Wheels” (Chalmers 1). This organization brings meals to people who cannot leave their home and are often referred to as disabled bodies.
This cookbook contains more than just recipes for good meals, it contains the feelings and the memories of the past with different passages next to each recipe. The passages tell stories of the way life was in connection to the recipe on the page. This connection makes the meal more than food but an experience to enjoy and reflect on.
Although this recipe is from a recipe book from grandmother from my fathers side I couldn’t help but choose the blueberry muffin recipe to discuss because of the passage and the memory that came along with it. Irena Melanie Falick from New York shares her memory of spending her summer in the Catskills with her grandmother who, “made lots of jam but what I remember best are the blueberry muffins she baked for us to eat for breakfast. And so, without fail, every time I eat a blueberry muffin I think of her wearing that hat and picking berries in the sunshine. It brings back good memories” (qtd. in Chalmers 219). Even though Melanie used freshly picked blueberries, this recipe gives leniency to the baker by allowing either frozen or fresh berries.
The blueberry muffin recipe calls for blueberries, all purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, eggs, milk, vanilla extract or maple syrup and a grated rind of a lemon. At first glance, the recipe is simple in terms of ingredients and instructions, giving room for variation in the recipe based on preference of taste and availability of ingredients. However, there is no mention of ingredient alternatives for dietary restrictions, for people who are gluten free, vegan or lactose intolerant. The recipe lacks substitutes such as oat or soy beverage, vegan butter or gluten free flour.
I picked the blueberry muffins recipe in the cookbook with recipes from all over the world because of the connection I have to the baked good, the feeling and the memories that I remember from not long ago. When I think of muffins I think of my childhood. Although my mother rarely baked she would always make time for muffins. She would always let them cool on the baking rack next to our small grey television. I remember jumping on to the couch with my sister after school finished each day at 4:00pm. It would be such a pleasant surprise when the sweet smell of freshly baked muffins covered every inch of the house.
Traces of My Grandmother
In addition, my grandmother told me that she use to write in all her cookbooks. Although she had forgotten, this cookbook was no exception. On the first page, below the Irena Chalmers and friends, it is written, “If this book should ever roam spank it well and send it home” (Edna Anzarut-Turner). I think its quite interesting that although it is such a small addition to the page it demonstrates the significance of this cookbook in my grandmothers life. Knowing that my grandmother cherished this cookbook and relied on it for meals makes me nostalgic of an era I never experienced. It is only from her many stories that I have been able to fantasize about living in the past.
As well, she marked off the, “Roasts, Braises, Sautés And Pan-Cooked Meats” section of the cookbook, specifically the roast beef page indicating preference of meat at the time for the family and guests. The passage that lies on the right hand side of the page tells a story of wartime rationing in London and that restaurants were the only places that could have more quantity. Alice Buchanan from Warwick, New York explains that after ordering her roast beef “A gigantic plate arrived, positively heaped with slices of beef, crispy roast potatoes and mashed (all wartime meals featured potatoes in a big way), and I seem to remember Yorkshire pudding and cabbage too. By the time I had eaten my fill, fully half the contents were sitting there” (qtd. in Chalmers 137). She goes on to say that it was unpatriotic to not finish a meal. Therefore, she ran around the city for a bit and once she returned she finished the rest of the plate. This type of eating behavior and the compulsion to finish every last drop on a plate is one of the many reasons these habits continue even today.
Additionally, I found myself drawn to many popular Jewish meals, as the religion I have identified with my whole life is Judaism. I felt a connection to the passages that came along with them, such as the kugel recipe. Sylvia Weinstein from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida who discusses her mothers recipe of “kugel with sour cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, crushed pineapple, raisins, apple, and cornflake crumbs” (qtd. in Chalmers 279). She reminds me of my holiday dinners at my aunts house with her recipe of kugel and the many winter vacations I spent with my family and grandmother in Florida.
The Kosher Dill pickles recipes, another recipe and one of my favorite snacks, sparks the memory of going Moishe’s Steakhouse Restaurant in Montreal with my whole family when I was younger. Carole Cohen Merrick from New York discusses that her holiday shopping was more than just a trip to the store as “Every year just before Passover, my parents would take me to choose the fish for gefülte fish, the Passover wine for the Seder, and matzos (qtd. in Chalmers 305). As a tradition during this outing she would be able to pick out any pickle she wanted to eat from the pickle store.
Although the blueberry muffin recipe is one of the many recipes in this cookbook it brings with it importance when looking at the historical context and the further impact that recipes from the past affect cooking even today. Additionally the kugel and kosher dill pickle recipe demonstrate the traditions in religion that have remained intact through each generation.
Works Cited
Chalmers, Irena. Good Old Food: A Taste from The Past. Barron's Educational Services
Publishing. 1988.
Parkin, Katherine. “Campbell’s Soup and the Long Shelf Life of Traditional Gender Roles.” In Kitchen Culture in America: Popular Representations of Food, Gender, and Race, edited
by Sherrie Inness, pp. 51-67. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001.