Tuesday, February 11, 2014

White Wednesday...on the hunt for an elusive cookbook.

I have been on the hunt for a cookbook from the 1980's by Vancouverite Susan Mendelson called "Mama Never Cooked Like This." I found a few copies online at used book vender's for $90.00 and up...this is much too steep a price for me to pay for a used cookbook that might be splattered with spots so I have been searching through the used book section of every thrift shop that I visit.
Perhaps you have a copy lounging about gathering dust among your cookbook collection...just thought it might widen my search if I harnessed the networking power of the blogosphere.

My fingers are crossed in hope that we might collectively find a copy.
If you know of a reasonably priced copy or find one in your travels I would be most grateful if you gave me the opportunity to buy it from you.

Salvation Army has oodles of books but not one of Susan's sat waiting for me on the shelf....
however I did not leave empty handed.


Do you know what these are?





Ironstone pudding molds.
Do you remember having a tomato aspic or a jellied salad ?
My granny and aunts used to whip these up with regularity when we had family gatherings.
I loved watching the way that they wiggled on our plates.

The women in my family came from strong stock.
Cooking was in their genes.
I wonder looking back if anything much would have happened in the kitchen if it were not for the women.
The men did a great job chopping wood and pouring drinks but honestly the women cooked the food, set the table and put it out for all to enjoy.
They got dressed up and invited us to dine.
Does anyone still make these dishes?
Loving white and vintage ironstone the way I do I will find a use for these molds.



Are you planning anything exciting for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day?
If you could envision the perfect date what would it look like?

I'd fancy some french fries and a few glasses of champagne...
I have a bottle of Tattinger waiting... 
 our son is having a birthday and we plan to celebrate this weekend.
Grand kiddies and all perhaps we'll pop the cork....

"Love is the poetry of the senses."

  ~ Honoré de Balzac ~

21 comments:

Lily said...

Just checked abebooks.com - they have 15, starting at $1 for paperback copies. I've bought many things through their site (it's an on-line collection of international book dealers) and always been happy with the results. Hope you find a copy you like!

Pondside said...

Good luck with our search. I was going to suggest abebooks as well.
Valentine's Day? I have my aged parents here visiting, and they are a living love story. We'll celebrate with them on Friday. Champagne and French fries sound lovely!

ElaineD said...

If you look on Amazon UK there are a couple of American sellers with reasonably priced copies. Good luck !

Anonymous said...

Hostess, I have a copy which you may have. I am up in Courtenay and could either pop it in the mail, or bring it down to Victoria on the 24th. Kris

Madame Là-bas said...

I remember the book well but no longer have my copy. My grandma used to make tomato aspic for Boxing Day dinner. I love red and white together. It looks so cheerful.

Maureen said...

I owned the original spiral bound book until it fell apart. I then bought the updated version..not sure how long ago. I am not ready to part with it however! Is there a particular recipe you would like? I use her Blueberry Muffin recipe and the Banana Bread recipe all the time.

Anna said...

Lily, a thousand thanks for mentioning abebooks.com -- I had not heard of them, and had despaired of obtaining two rare out-of-print books for a project I'm working on, except at a huge price (like our Hostess). I found both books at abe for a reasonable price and have snapped them up. The power of the web! Big credit to our Hostess for bringing us together!

Susan said...

Alibris.com also has affordable copies: http://www.alibris.com/Mama-Never-Cooked-Like-This-Susan-Mendelson-s-First-Cookbook-Susan-Mendelson/book/4132773?qsort=p&matches=10

Anonymous said...

Hope this is it!

http://product.half.ebay.com/Mama-Never-Cooked-Like-This-by-Susan-Mendelson-1982-Paperback/2429443&tg=info

Eloise

Anonymous said...

another one!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mama-Never-Cooked-Like-This-/360842232841?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item5403df8409

Eloise

Lily said...

I continue to be amazed and delighted by the way this gigantic web makes connections - so glad my suggestion paid off for you! For me, abebooks is like a wish factory .... I am almost always able to find what I am looking for at a reasonable price there, even the most obscure and unlikely things.

Bonnie said...

What fabulous finds! I am not familiar with the cookbook, but will make a note and keep an eye out for it. I have a favorite antique store in St. Louis that purchases complete libraries from estates. I will look for it next time I am there. Your Valentine's celebration sounds perfect. Enjoy! Bonnie

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you dear readers for your emails about that cookbook. One very generous reader who lives on Vancouver Island has offered to give me her copy! I offered to buy it from her but she refused so I plan to find something to give her in exchange...
I plan to meet her later in the month for coffee before she heads off to Europe.
Looking forward to our meet up!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

My walking partner uses Susan's recipes from this book a lot. I thought of copying her favourites but then I figured that having my own copy would make it easier to try other recipes in the book. I have her Expo 86 cookbook and it is almost in tatters from use.
I love the curried spinach salad with peanuts!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Maybe aspics will come back into fashion. I remember a buffet dinner years ago when I was on the executive of the Victoria Horticultural Society and one elderly woman made the best molded crab salad and she used a "crab" shaped mold. I think it was her signature potluck dish. My signature dish seems to be either curried chicken or devilled eggs....

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hi Kris,
Thank you so much!
I look forward to meeting you for coffee or tea.
We can arrange a convenient time and place to meet so that you don't need to go out of your way.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Looks like we have sourced a few copies from the kindness of readers...thank you Bonnie, perhaps you'd like this book for yourself?

Susan said...

I may have to get a copy of this one myself! Thank you for the reference Hostess!

Maritimer said...

I have this cookbook and use it often. The pages are stained and dog-eared. It is one of my favorite books; I am a fan of all Susan Mendalson's books. When I lived in Vancouver in the early 80's I loved going to her shop - The Lazy Gourmet.

materfamilias said...

I have a copy of her Let Me in the Kitchen, a kids' cookbook that my kids and I cooked our way through together. Missing pages, spattered with leftover bits from cookie dough baked up 30 years ago, spaghetti sauce dripped by some five-year old. So precious to me, though, and I'm looking forward to cooking from it with Nola.
So glad you found the copy of her "grown-up" cookbook -- such a great community of bloggers!

Donna said...

I found a copy for you also if you still need , it was a Winners in Duncan of all places . I have it if you don't get the copy someone was bringing to you . Donna