Generations of Cookery Books!

It is dull, wet and grey and definitely not gardening weather. So, after a spot of ironing, accompanied by Radio 4, naturally, I decided to do some baking.

These are Be-Ro cookery books, three generations of them! The oldest was my granny's, and it was published in 1956, and is the 19th edition. By then she'd been cooking and baking for about 35 years, and I wondered why she had got it, but it says it was handed out free by grocers. It is full of helpful advice, stating that "In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the woman has a happy home because good cooking means good food, and good food means good health". It also gives helpful hints about using an ordinary coal oven and points out that "with a little practice, correct heats can by judged by putting one's hand in the oven". Yikes!

It has lost its cover and is well used! You can tell the recipes she used most, as the pages are splattered and stained with ingredients! She had a set of scales but I never saw her use them. Everything was weighed and measured by eye and feel. Likewise I never remember her using a cloth to take scones and cakes out of the oven, she called herself "asbestos fingers"! My happiest times were spent in her kitchen, helping and learning to bake.

The next version of the book is from 1972, the 33rd edition. Still reassuring similar to Granny's so I used that for many years. I love the bright '70s illustrations, lots of bright red glace cherries on cakes, and multicoloured icing! All the ingredients are in pounds and ounces, and the temperatures are in Fahrenheit. Gone are the helpful hints and tips too!

The latest edition I have has no date of publication on it, but it is the 40th edition, and must be from the late 1980s. Now we have metric measurements, centigrade temperatures and dire warnings about using the flour before its sell by date! Gone are lots of the old recipes for Milk Fadge ( . . . take 2oz lard . . . ), Sly Cake and Pot Pie etc. We are now in the era of Quick and Easy Recipes and freezing!


Just noticed that the oldest edition gives the price of eggs at 5/6 per dozen!

Writing this has made me realise just how much I remember about my times spent with my granny, so I shall go and write it down before I forget it all!