Fannie Freakin Farmer

First published in 1896 at the age of 39, Fannie Merritt Farmer published the first edition of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book. According to Wikipedia, “ Her cookbook introduced the concept of using standardized measuring spoons and cups, as well as level measurement. A follow-up to an earlier version called Mrs. Lincoln's Boston Cook Book, published by Mary J. Lincoln in 1884, the book under Farmer's direction eventually contained 1,850 recipes, from milk toast to Zigaras à la Russe. Farmer also included essays on housekeeping, cleaning, canning and drying fruits and vegetables, and nutritional information.

The book's publisher (Little, Brown & Company) did not predict good sales and limited the first edition to 3,000 copies, published at the author's expense.^[1][2] The book was so popular in America, so thorough, and so comprehensive that cooks would refer to later editions simply as the "Fannie Farmer cookbook", and it is still available in print over 100 years later.”

Fannie died in 1915 at the age of 57 and was buried at the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA. If you want to go pay Fannie a visit, she’s laying in repose in Lot 206 on Central Ave.

The year is 1945. The “Last Great War” is coming to a close, Rod Stewart is busy being born, and Americans everywhere are still conserving rubber and rationing meat and pantyhose. Over 2 million copies of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book have been published by this year and if G. I. Joe’s wife can afford it, 2 million more will be bought by the time their children have turned into stinking, communist, hippies.

I saved this book from the trash because I am probably going to recycle the pages. It really is in horrible condition and there isn’t really a good reason for it to be saved. I plan on giving it new life as wrapping paper or maybe as placemats because who doesn’t want to read about aspic at a wedding party? Because I really don’t know much about cooking, I couldn’t tell you if anyone makes these recipes anymore. They probably do in some hipster corner of Brooklyn where the mustachioed masses have moved on from drinking out of Ball Jars to making ramen burger cronut hybrids. Oh wait, that’s already so last month.

So I don’t really cook. I eat. My foodie vocabulary stops at the word bechamel and I’m pretty damn proud of the fact, that I remember what that is. I will also eat just about anything, so there isn’t much that will gross me out. I have been trying to get my partner to crack open some of the cookbooks I have bought her over the years from the 50s and 60s. You know it’s true love when they will make you a jello mold. (Still waiting on that jello mold). So, I give you some random scans of recipes, which tickled my fancy or that I just found somewhat interesting. I’m sure some of these still exist in the latest version of the Fannie Farmer Cook Book, as everything old is new again.

Luncheons

Dinners 

Not sure why this is "Virginia" Eggnog. Is it the extra whisky? The dozen bullets of cholesterol?

Adult beverages for your local hipster.

This is probably the worse recipe in the book. Mush? Although there is bacon fat, so it can't be all bad.

Throughout the book there are obvious tried and true recipes. This is one of about 10. It made me wonder how much Ellen and Eddy actually used this book.

NO. No one should EVER have to stuff a grape. Or an olive. There are machines for that. This is ridiculous.

This is one of those things, that I have always wondered about. Why would you need mock turtle? Did real turtles become hard to find? I've had turtle soup once and it was really salty. Other than that it had the consistency of hamburger and no flavor. Not sure mock turtle would be better or worse. Where does one procure a calf's head these days anyhow? Is that more or less appetizing than a turtle?

What makes this Russian? The horse-radish? There's no vodka. 

Ellen has some advice regarding these meat balls.

This is something I actually thought was a Lithuanian dish as my grandmother used to make this a lot. Balandeliai (which literally translate into "little doves") are Lithuanian stuffed cabbage. This is pretty much my grandmother's recipe. However, I think she used a mix of beef, pork and veal.

Just "good." I think it's the buttered cracker crumbs that does it.

Delicious! Also some confusion on the 3 Tablespoons of rice in the backed rice pudding.

Also good! Looks basic.

And here is your choice of frostings for the above "good" One-Egg Cake. Also... what makes this frosting Japanese? I have many questions about the names of these things.

One of the most important things you can learn in cooking are the various substitutions you can use in your cooking. However, you shouldn't listen to me because I know how to make three things. One of these things is tacos. I never substitute. 

Oh and I found this recipe for sweet and sour pork. Let me know how it turns out.

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine

Today's find brings you a small glimpse into the world of science fiction and fantasy (something I seriously know nothing about). After seeing the cover, I knew there would be fun things inside. Or at least some good ads in the back.

Novemeber/December 1978 $1.25

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine started in 1977 after some dude named Joel asked Asimov if he would lend his sideburns to the magazine. I mean seriously. Look at that man's facial hair. It's epic. 

Look they even won a spaceship vibrator award!

Excuse my crappy scans. I was just so mesmerized by the hair on this hand.

So many of my dumpster finds end up in my office because of the cover or the illustrations inside. 

This has "PEW! PEW! PEW!" written all over it!
PEW!

What truly fascinates me, however, are the ads in the back.
Publish your book! Make $1200 a month licking envelopes! Win a government Lottery!

Save money on CB accessories! Painted fantasy figures! 

I often think about writing some of these companies to see if they still exist. 

When I first found this, my thoughts went immediately to Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (started in 1956) and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (started in 1941). I read both of these growing up and would purchase them every so often from my local Publix. For whatever reason, I could only ever find them at Publix. These were basically short story compilations, that were easily digestible. I had never seen science fiction at Publix, but I was probably the only person shopping the magazine aisle under 65. 

This November 2013's editions of both magazines, also found in the trash.

Their ads suck.

If you are interested in your own copy of Vol. 2 No. 6 of Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, you can get your own copy for $2.50 or $11.11. Wonder at the glory of Asimov's sideburns!