Looking at old black and white photographs of your parents (and learning that they once sported major bell-bottomed pants and long, long hair) can be both enlightening and disturbing, same as perusing old cookbooks, particularly from the 40s, 50s and 60s. And just like you can't seem to look away from those photos -- even though you know you'll never look at your parents in the same light again -- the same is true with old cookbooks that feature salmon, egg and pickle casseroles on the cover. (Even if you feel like you're going to be sick, you just can't look away).
It's that paralyzation of our gaze that had us at Kitchen Daily addictively looking at old cookbooks, and gather a handful of them in a slideshow to share with you. Some of the cookbooks were so disturbing we just couldn't bring it to ourselves to include them. Others were so great that we actually wished we had them in our own personal collection.
One quality they all shared is that they represent a part of history, a part of the way our world worked, and the way people viewed it. And for that alone, these cookbooks are all valuable in their own right. Click through the slideshow below to see cookbooks from as far back as 1917, ones that feature a no-longer-available Jell-O product or, our favorite, how to keep your man happy through your cooking.
This collection is just the tip of the iceberg -- there are plenty of important/wacky/crazy cookbooks out there. Every family has held on to a cookbook or two and passed it down, generation to generation. We want to see what kind of vintage cookbooks you have in your collection. Submit a photo and share that culinary treasure with us!
