The family dinner should be the clearing house for the best of the day's experiences of each member of the family. Dinner should be a relaxing meal, an end-of-the-day affair to which each person contributes his most cheerful and amusing "yarns." On no account must it be the place where the day's troubles and disappointments are unloaded. A pretty table is the first requirement for a pleasant dinner hour. (an excerpt from page 16) 

{HISTORY}

First published in 1926, The Art of Cooking and Serving was a modern take on meal planning, nutrition and cooking techniques for the modern 1920s woman who didn't want to slave away in the kitchen all day.

Containing just under 200 recipes, it was written by Sarah Field Splint (1883-1959), a popular women's magazine editor, suffragette, and domestic science expert, and produced in partnership with Crisco - a vegetable shortening product that Sarah endorsed as an alternative to butter. 

First introduced in 1911, most home cooks relied on Crisco for cooking and frying but by the 1920s, it started to be marketed for baking as well. Sarah's cookbook helped highlight the wide variety of recipes that could be achieved using Crisco. Everything from cakes to muffins, breads to breakfast foods, sauces to souffles could all be perfected with the help of this reliable vegetable shortening. By the time the 1931 edition of The Art of Cooking and Serving was published, over 540 recipes were included, which suggests not only the popularity of the book but the enthusiasm for Crisco as well.

Crisco aside, what's especially interesting about this cookbook which was published during the Great Depression, is the focus on getting the most value both physically and emotionally from each meal as possible.  Nourishing foods, reusing frying oil, and repurposing leftovers for additional meals signaled the sign of trying economic times. A chapter on servantless households details the changing roles of women when it came to food preparation. And emphasis was placed on good taste both in food and presentation with the mission to make both as hospitable and alluring as possible. A pretty china pattern added just as much fortitude for the spirit as did a steak dinner for the body. 

In addition to recipes and table-setting suggestions, photographs of how-to techniques, food illustrations, and cooking success secrets are included throughout. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1931 Edition
• 252 pages
• Color plates throughout along with black and white photographs highlighting tools and techniques
• Interesting recipes include Orange Biscuits, Wedding Cake, Molasses Mint Taffy, Mexican Kisses, Hot Chocolate Sauce, Steamed Chocolate Pudding, Deep Dish Huckleberry Pie, Danish Pastry, Butterscotch Tarts, Ginger Cake, Mother's Tea Cakes, Cheese Straws, Coffee Cake, Whole Wheat Griddle Cakes, Gree Corn Fritters, Potato Souffle, Sausage Turnovers, Jelly Omelet, Baked Spaghetti, Fried Hominey, Sweet Potato Croquettes, French Crullers, Raised Doughnuts, and Saratoga Chips 

{CONDITION}

In lovely almost-antique condition, this cookbook is claena nd bright throughout. There are few pages with foxing and/or very light cooking spots. A few random notations were left by a previous own in pencil on a handful of recipes. A previous owners name is handwritten on the front endpaper and dated 1932. The spine is tight and all pages are intact. 

{SIZE}

Measures 7.5" inches (length) x 5" inches (width) x 1" inch (thickness) and weighs 13 oz.