The Best Way

I found, during one of the many great clear outs of my grandma’s house, two battered old recipe books, full of bits of slightly faded semi-illegible paper. One book is called The Best Way, and despite being somewhat ragged, remained full of tips, recipes, contributed for a princely half crown, by house wives to Cosy Corner and Woman’s World to the book.

So, hopefully tried and tested Edwardian wisdom. Alongside various hand written recipes, including approximately four different ones for gingerbread (still a family favorite).

The Blue Book

The other is a blue book, which had at some point past been my great Aunt Dorothy French book, no french survives in it mind, so I wonder quite how much was actually done! This blue book has more torn out pages of home hints, mainly dated from the 1930s, pre
war, with a few hand written recipes. Pages include “Favorites with The Menfolk”, a full page advert of a Rover (£189 “so easy  for a woman to drive”) and more recipes for gingerbread. I recall my grandma telling me at the time that this was Annie Halls (said Great Grandma) cook book so, I’m included to believe that both were hers with my own grandma’s additions later one.

In the interests of science, or social history, or curiosity, or all three, I
thought I’d test some of the recipes and household tips out on the following pages. New ones will appear intermittently, when I’m brave enough to try cooking them. And when my husband is brave enough to try them.