In this seven-room house lives a family of specialists whose entire time is spent in working out the problems of homemaking common to every woman who finds herself responsible for the management of a home and the care of children. (from the Forward)

{HISTORY}

Compiled for readers of Household Magazine, The Household Searchlight Recipe Book was one of the bestselling cookbooks of the 20th century. Produced and published in Topeka, Kansas from 1931 to1954, it approached the subject of food with scientific accuracy and interest in mind.

While many cookbook authors fall in love with particular tastes, flavors, preparation styles, or cultural histories of certain types of food, the four women involved with this cookbook - Ida, Harriet, Zorada, and Irene -  fell in love with the research of why the recipes featured here were considered great ones. And then their cookbook was born from what they learned.

Home economics experts in their own right, each of these four authors were college-educated and spent their days writing, researching, traveling and lecturing on all things home-related. In order to prepare for this cookbook when it debuted in 1931, they polled, they scrutinized, they visited over 1000 kitchens. They studied the needs of real women in real homes. They tested recipes for nutritional value just as much as for flavor. And they addressed issues of food presentation in order to make mealtime as pleasant and attractive as possible.

Laid out in lovely tab style, with embossed covers, this cookbook has an array of interesting recipes that include all meals of the day. This edition was published in 1940, just before WWII started and it contains an incredible mix of vintage and antique baking recipes as well as more modern (1930s/1940s) fare that was in vogue at the time. The sandwich, pastries, cheese, canning, and cake sections are of particular interest with their unusual assortment of recipes. 

Included in the cookbook images are photos of two of the author, Zorada, and Ida, along with the Household Searchlight house in Topeka, Kansas where all recipes were tested.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- 1940 edition, Thirteenth Printing

- 320 pages including a detailed index

- Tab style organization

- Embossed cover

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. The interior is clean and bright and free of stains. The tabs have aged to a light tea color over time. The covers bear a little bit of edgewear at the corners. The spine is tight and all pages are intact. 

{SIZE}

Measures 10.5 inches (length) x 7" inches (width) x .75"inches (thickness)