I once attended dinner where the hostess received a compliment on her dessert and was asked to write down the recipe. “Oh, it’s in The Cookbook”, she said. The person was puzzled, but then, she didn’t grow up here. The rest of us know about The Cookbook. Originally published in 1968 by the Dorcas Society of the Methodist Church, it was in most of the households around Deer River. For those of us who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s in this area, it was the food of our grandmothers, our mothers, and our best friends’ mothers. We ate this food at weddings and funerals, picnics and pot lucks. We ate homemade cake or cookies after school served with a glass of cold milk. Our moms made hot dishes that started with a can of tuna or a pound of hamburger and contained at least one can of condensed soup. We ate salads in which the only thing green was the Jello. It seemed like everyone’s mom cooked from scratch, and everyone’s mom had a copy of The Cookbook.
I received my copy as a wedding gift in 1977. I think it was in its second printing by then. Living in the south and surrounded by wonderful cooks, I made many of the recipes to combat my homesickness. I learned that my husband hates Jello and loves wild rice. I learned that my coworkers could polish off a pan of bars in 15 minutes. I learned that in the south, a “hot dish” is called a “casserole.” I learned that my mom’s Never-Fail Chocolate Cake recipe CAN fail if you use expired baking soda. I learned that you really can go home again, even if it is just through your memories and a pot of beef stew simmering on the stove.
(Mom’s Never-Fail Chocolate Cake recipe can be found on page 37 and the fudge frosting on page 50 in The Cookbook)
The Minnesota Farm Woman 
I think that’s the same cookbook I got for a wedding gift in 1976 as well! Does it have a yellow cover with black lettering (it may be a newer version than ’68). I use it for the wild rice recipes as none of our church cookbooks have those!
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I think mine had a white cover, but some had yellow, I think. (The cover is missing from mine) And…..I didn’t even notice I got the year wrong….the Jello hater will never forgive me for forgetting that I got married in 1977!
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I also talk about “The Cookbook” of which I was a part of putting together back in the 60s…I call them the white and the yellow cookbooks. The white is still my favorite and recently was given used ones to replace the first ones, that have completely fallen apart (but I still have every page)! They are truly some of my favorite recipes! I am going to try your mom’s chocolate cake!
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Kathy…..YOU were the one who made the delicious dessert that was complimented. It was after a pontoon evening. We talked about “The Cookbook” and how we never called it anything but that. Great memories!
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Would it be possible to get one? I love regional cookbooks and I am a Methodist. God bless.
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Carla, it is out of print and most folks hang on to them. If I happen to find one at any garage sales this summer I will let you know. Now I have something to hunt for! :o)
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What a wonderful post! I have tried to figure out how to subscribe to your posts. How do I do that??
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I think you can just click subscribe at the top of the page, but I don’t see tha same thing you do. I think you can also go to wordpress.com and subscribe on their main site….maybe…..
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