Recently, while at an antique show, I came across a wooden recipe box. I flipped open the lid and discovered that the entire box was packed full of old recipes – some dating back to the 1920s. It made me sad to think that someone’s collection of recipes was being sold at an antique show instead of lovingly tucked into a family member’s kitchen and cooked for special occasions. It reminded me of my grandmother’s many boxes of old recipes and how much I loved to look at the yellowed cards and trace my grandmother’s tight, loopy handwriting with my fingers when I was a kid. The thought of her boxes ending up at an antique show made me sick and I knew I had to buy these recipes and show them the love they deserve.
Some were collected from newspaper clippings, some are handwritten (a few are really hard to read), and some are from ingredient packages. I don’t know who owned them, what their favorite one was, or who they were passed down from, but each recipe has a story. I hope that by sharing all of these found recipes, it will help keep traditions alive and maybe even create some new ones.
The beauty of this box is the cards and it’s important to see the handwriting, the decay of the paper, and the food stains. For each recipe, I will scan the card and post it to the site. I am not a chef by any stretch of the imagination, and I am a very picky eater, but I will try to make as many of these recipes as my schedule and budget allow and share the results. Lucky for me, a majority of them are desserts (I have an insatiable sweet tooth). Some will require a little research, as I am not familiar with all of the names and types of food included in the box (there seem to be a lot of German recipes) and I will also share what I learn about each one.
The late Dan Eldon, a photo journalist and one of my greatest inspirations, wrote in his journals that “the journey is the destination.” I don’t know where this trip through the recipe box will lead, I have no set schedule for the project, or purpose in mind other than sharing lost recipes with anyone who might need some comfort in the form of food, but I look forward to every step of the journey. Thank you for stopping by the site, I hope you find a recipe to add to your own family’s recipe box.
I cant wait to see what you post from the box.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see you blogging about your find. I have recently received my mother's recipe box and am trying to blog the recipes in it. Isn't fun to find old recipes? Will be following you, maybe we can keep each other motivated. Hope to becoming blogging buddies: http://mymomsfilebox.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteGlenda
As a recipe collector I'm excited to see what recipe you will share next. More than that I really enjoyed your writing. Thanks. Mary
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing the next one. It will be fun to see all the different recipes and the original card it is on. It would be neat if someone saw and recognised a recipe from the box sometime.
ReplyDeleteit was good to see you tonight! i'm checking out your site as i sit with my feet up after a long day of cooking, and am enjoying your blog :) Melanie
ReplyDeleteI have just stumbled across your blog and totally fascinated by the journey you are on! What a super find and it is great that you are sharing the contents and preserving a little bit of history!
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