Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book

by Betty Crocker

It's the book that started it all, the well-loved edition that first bought Betty Crocker cookbooks into American homes and hearts. Published in 1950, this ground-breaking title made cooking easy, it made cooking appealing, and best of all, it made cooking fun. Packed full of practical tips, useful hints, and lavish color photography, this was the book that shaped cooking for generations, the book that people remember. Every recipe you -- or your mother -- ever wanted is here, from pigs in blankets, to Emergency Steak to Chicken Tomato Aspic. Enjoy the clever ideas throughout -- twelve months of birthday cake ideas, showing how to decorate a cake to match each month's gem stone, pointers to make setting up a kitchen easy, or hints to make housework more pleasant. Feel a part of history when making Home Front Macaroni, developed during WW II rationing to stretch meat. Get into the spirit of fun with a Betty Crocker "Cookie Shine" or cookie baking party. People who grew up with this book will want it for the memories; those who are new to the book will want it for its charm and its intelligent approach to cooking. It's a perfect keepsake and a great gift.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, Classics, American History

416 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

Reviews

[Desiree Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting view into another time period. Lots (and lots) of pasta dishes and anything you can possibly think of is tossed in a jello mold. Even includes several recipes for rabbit!! 😯

Some great, practical, old-school basics in here, too, though! Such as: Frequently Used Herbs including what dishes to use them in, how to on Storing Foods, Food size Equivalents, How to Prepare some special ingredients like fresh coconut, Garnishes recommendations, Types of Cocoa definitions, how to clarify fat to use again, ideas for different and fun ways to cut and also frost cakes, really handy charts on cuts of meat, meat storage tips and roasting charts, meat spice charts, poultry charts, seafood cuts and cooking, carving tips, amazing tips on how to wash lettuce (I never thought of that!), sample menus, what vegetables to pair with which meat, vegetable cooking charts, along with a great index!

Some recipes that sound great: Minted Citrus Juice, a Lacey Sugar Topping for a cake, Baked Eggs, Fillet of Beef with Bacon, Fish a la Creme, several homemade salad dressings and sauces, Chicken Chow Mein, and Flemish Carrots.

Recommended for that homey, old-school spin at your dinner table. Just watch out for the carbs and the recommended asbestos pot holders!

[Allison TeVelde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm having a '50s moment, and I guess that is an excuse to read a cookbook all the way through! The fact butter (or fortified margarine) is one of the 7 main food groups should speak for itself. This was a classic spread of bread & butter, meat & potatoes goodness (right outta General Mills in Minneapolis!).
Some of the recipes are outdated, but adjustable. I still cook out of this book frequently (especially the breads) and reading the side notes was insightful into another generation:
"Good eating brings happiness in two ways. First, there is the joy and satisfaction of eating delicious, well-prepared food. Then there's the buoyant health, vitality, and joy of living that comes from a wise choice of foods. Both are important to good nutrition" (pg 31).
If you want some egg puns and are curious how to cut veggies to look like flowers, this is the cookbook for you!

[Edgar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been trying to make gluten free cakes and have had little success until recently when we came across these really old recipes online that seemed to work well with rice flour. The recipes were from the old Betty Crocker's 1950 edition cookbook before they changed all of the recipes to make them "healthy." I would suggest to anyone that likes to really cook to get this reproduction of the 1950 edition of the Betty Crocker's cookbook. Have you ever wondered why the current recipes in the newest edition don't taste anywhere near as good as the ones in the boxes at the store? It is likely a marketing ploy. Betty Crocker and other companies likely make more money off people buying their boxed cakes than off their recipe books. I would suggest going back to making the original cakes and recipes they taste like cake. Also if you like cooking from scratch instead of from canned food and are tired of using the microwave, then this cookbook is for you.

[etherealfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted a copy of this cookbook my entire adult life - ever since I left home and had to leave mom's treasured old book behind I've coveted it. One Christmas (a few years ago now - I don't remember when this came out) I was finally gifted this facsimile edition and as far as I can tell, this is the very same book. With the delicious Caramel (Burnt Sugar) Cake and Caramel Icing (on page 130). The only birthday cake I ever really want to have! This cookbook is one of my prized possessions, not only for the delicious old recipes but because of the priceless sentimental value it holds.

[Meltha · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you own no other cook book, get this one. My grandmother used it. Every single thing I have ever tried in it has turned out perfectly, and there's a thousand variations on the basic recipes. The cottage pudding, scones, and black midnight cake in particular are wonderful. Granted, there's some fun to be had with the section at the back on how housewives can combat fatigue and doldrums by fantasizing about going out on the town waltzing or lying prone for a while on the kitchen floor, but it's still and excellent book.

[Jan Priddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first cookbook I ever used.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving the classic recipes. The appetizer suggestions alone make me want to throw a 1950's cocktail party. On a different note, I was struck by the section at the end, about how a housewife ought to take care of herself, BECAUSE "If you're tired from overwork /Household chores you're bound to shirk." (!!!) Don't wear yourself out, ladies, because then who will clean and cook? And this helpful hint: "If you feel tired, lie down on the floor on your back, put your hands over your head, close your eyes, and relax for 3-5 minutes." Did you catch that? Lie ON THE FLOOR, and this is accompanied by a little drawing with an aproned woman in a dress stretched out on some tile or linoleum kitchen. I guess the couch might lead to disastrous napping. Still, it's an interesting piece of history. And several recipes call for 1/8tsp pepper. Careful there, Betty, you or you might end up tasting that!

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my all-time favorite cookbook! My copy is the original 1950 edition, not the reprint, and it is well worn and well loved! The recipes are wonderful and are timeless. I especially enjoy looking at all the vintage photos and illustrations! Of course, nobody worried so much about sodium and cholesterol back in 1950, they simply focused on really good food...those were truly the good old days! YUM!!!

[whimsicalmeerkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A re-publication of the original Betty Crocker cookbook. When I was growing up, this was one of two Betty Crocker cookbooks to which we always turned. Most of our recipes for pies and cakes are from here. I love the concept of key recipes followed by all of the variations. I definitely should pull this out more often to try new things.

[J. Boo · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have the second edition from 1956, which we got at our ninety-year-old neighbor's moving sale. She used it a lot (there's a little note in pencil on the frontispiece that says "I used this book to feed my family"), and so have we. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, results generally very good.

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful little time capsule into the kitchens of the 1950s. Granted some recipes are weird. Like salad in jello, rice rings, cream cheese & anchovy appetizers, sandwich cheese loafs, etc. However, a lot of them are basic American classics. The structuring of the recipes takes some getting used to if you are not familiar with cookbooks like these. The book is very charming with it's trivia, history, cartoons, rhymes, songs, tips and reminders. It's fun to flip through quickly or to just linger on some of the pages. I made two recipes with this: Cinnamon Rolls and Devil's Food Cake. Cinnamon Rolls came out wonderful (just not as puffy as I'd like) and the Devil's Food Cake was a disaster. If you are interested in getting this cookbook, make sure it's more for the nostalgia or the history of it than for the actual recipes.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every kitchen needs this book, it is a classic. My grandmother gave me a copy as a Christmas gift one year...she said she loved this book and wanted me to have a copy also. Oh grandmother you were so right - some of the best biscuits I have ever made came courtesy of this book!

I love the fact that it is so retro too, the pictures crack me up along with some of the content (oh the 50's you were so funny with your woman in the house & no where else attitude). The retro feel of it also will make you think "WHOA!!" when reading some of the recipes - because of the ingredients. I won't lie, I have used some of the recipes as a base and modified them to be a little healthier.

All in all I think it is a great reference for "old school" cooking and a go to for classic basic recipes.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more than a great retro cookbook. The 1950 edition is a treasure chest of recipes that even those of us who grew up in the 1970s will recognize from our mothers' kitchens. The desserts and breads are especially tasty. Some main dishes may need an extra bit of seasoning for today's tastes--but an equal number are classic comfort foods that will remind most of us of Mom.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed giving Holly a new copy of this classic - totally '50s with very few vegetable recipes and lots of CAKE! I taught myself to bake with this book as a teenager and still have my mother's original copy.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I have not actually READ this entire cookbook. I have the original from 1950. But I have looked through it. I love it! I love these old cookbooks. I received my copy from a friend of my mom's who presumably bought it new.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have my mom's copy. Every page brings back memories

[raccoon reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and the Betty crocker Cookbook are two of my go to books. They have a lot of useful info and a lot of good basic recipes you can adapt.

[Creolecat · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy is a first edition (ninth printing), copyright 1950 with a color photograph of fruit and miniature pies on the cover.

[Patrick Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite cookbooks. Come for the pre-microwave recipes, stay for the hilariously sexist anecdotes sprinkled throughout the text. The illustrations are charming 1950's style two tone affairs, showing exactly what to do with innocent clarity. Every once in awhile a wonderful pastel photo of delicious confections will pop up as you look for something.

I love the Swedish Tea Ring recipe, the "key recipe" potato salad (still my standard whenever I make it.) and the golden cake. I firmly believe that cooking and baking are important skills to learn, and reading from the past can help you see how easy it can be today.

Bonus: Look at the meal planning. It's like making thanksgiving dinner every day of the week!

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use this book all the time. I learned to cook from it when I was in college in the 1960s. I had three roommates and we took turns cooking. There was no microwave oven then; just an electric stove. My mother always said, "Anyone who can read can cook." I took that to heart. I read the cookbook from cover to cover and then started cooking. This cookbook provides well worded, detailed instructions along with pictures. It's an old-fashioned book but it gives one all of the basics. I recommend it for anyone who claims, "I can't cook!" But you can.

[Gale Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good cookbook with a great dose of nostalgia thrown in. You’ll discover that several of the recipes are quite dated…probably not many cooks would attempt them in the 21st century. But all the same, I really like this edition. It reminds me so much of the textbook my Home Ec class had when we were learning nutrition and cooking.

[Jean MacLeod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I owned a copy of this book in the '60s and gave it away when we moved across the country. When I came across a pristine copy at the Library sale, it was like contacting an old friend. Naturally, I had to buy it. It's now taken up residence with my other treasured cookbooks.

[Daylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. A lot of the recipes are still good, while others are a great glimpse at the time period. I also love a lot of the none recipe information about being a good house wife and hostess. Despite the obvious sexism I believe a lot of the advice is still pretty solid.

[Liselotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this is an interesting cookbook, there are quite a few recipes where I don't even want to be NEAR it, it looks so gross, but some are really fun and things I cook myself today! It's a cute addition if you love mid-century things!

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had so much fun with this book. I actually have the snap ring volume. So few cookbooks make a big splash right off the bat. Along with the B.C. pie cover edition that I've had since childhood, I highly recommend reading from cover to cover.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book cover to cover. The vintage homemaking tips, tidbits of history behind different dishes, and incredible assortment of recipes and ideas were all a delight to discover! This book is an especially treasured addition to my small collection of favorites!

[Lou Fillari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a ball. Lots and lots of food. Options galore.

And of course the misogynistic 50s. The last pages have some chores a woman can do while the meat is browning. P funny.

I also learned pressure cooking was around way back when. That just sounds like a newer thing, but it def is not.

[Penney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good love the recipes

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic cookbook your mother or grandmother had. A must for your collection.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hilarious distraction from the pandemic.