Metropolitan Cookbook

I think I need to start a vintage cookbook collection. Look at my latest find! It's the Metropolitan Cook Book, a pamphlet of sorts, published by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1957. And like my Art of Chinese Cooking, it's chock full of animated food illustrations.

You got your beverages,

your fish dishes,

your meats,

don't forget your vegetables,

desserts!!

And of course, your...,
er...,
um...,
phallic yeast breads?

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I keep forgetting to ask any Australian and New Zealand folk out there, but my parents are leaving on holiday to Australia and New Zealand this weekend, any good omiyage suggestions? I've already mentioned Tim Tams to them. Any other things not to miss?

Comments

[miss fae]

I don't know what else could make me laugh so hard at 6.50 in the morning. Oh my goodness. The cupcakes!

[meg]

oh, that's fun!

[lla]

OK - food was certainly much happier and cuter back in the 50's! Everyone's so smiley!
(well, almost everyone - poor Fish, riddled with guilt; poor MammaCake with all those wilding cupcake offspring!)

[geek+nerd]

Oh my goodness, I love all of the dancing foods! Maybe I have a major potty brain...but the yeast breads are looking a little, *cough* manly?!

[sally]

Oh, the illustrations are too funny!

[erin]

geek+nerd, you are so not alone!

[Anna]

That cookbook is fabulous! I like collecting them too.

[Jill]

Caramello Koalas are pretty yum - and very Australian (a bit like a freddo frog)
http://www.cadbury.com.au/sites/cadbury/index.php?pageId=81

[snowbear]

I have this booklet too! Isn't it a goodie?! I've been keeping a little collection of my own whenever I go thrifting.

[suzy]

Caramello Koalas are definitely good. There are also some biscuits called Iced Vovos and Honey Jumbles that are really good, and I think they're only available in Australia (hard to tell these days - you can get TimTams in Tokyo now!) Hope they have a great trip.

[justJENN]

Oh my freakin' lord. I want this book. Cause meat+eyes=good eats.

[hannah]

i have this book! and they are great things to collect because they are usually like 50 cents. easy money!

[Ann]

I have a copy of this one also. It is great fun to see the illustrations in the cooking pamphlets they used to put out. I have a small collection of my own, as well as some of a friend's collection that I scanned in for the incredible illustrations.
It's good to see that others enjoy them too!

[Passions & Distractions]

I love those illustrations!

[ruthie]

those illustrations are fantastic!! I can't stop smiling :-) I love to cook and I promised my sister I'd make her a handmade cook-notebook with my favorite recipes and I just got some inspiration looking at these fabulous drawings. thanks for posting them!

[Emily]

I have this book in a different version! Mine is a teal color but has amazing illustrations as well

[aoi]

I have the same book! I loved that Chinese cookbook you posted. I have a vintage cookbook obsession myself. They're so fun to collect!

[jenelle]

I just found one of those cookbooks 2 days ago! I found it while shopping with a friend. I saw it from afar, and said " Hey look! that's totally for you!", but then I opened it up first and saw the awesome illustrations!!! I'm such a mean friend, I couldn't bare to turn it over to her before I could have a chance to scan some of those great illustrations!

[moki]

Confession: I look at the pictures before I read the words in blog posts. And I thought, "oh this reminds me of my "Art of Chinese Cooking " book!" duh!