A Baby Boomer Recalls Her First Cookbook

Friday, March 26th, 2010 at 5:12 am

1269580343 A Baby Boomer Recalls Her First Cookbook

I was a tomboy growing up in a small town in new Jersey. But for some reason I really wanted the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls. I just had to have it. it was 1960-something and it had just come out a few years before.

My mom had plenty of cookbooks around the house — she was a dietitian, after all — but I loved that the Betty Crocker book was meant just for kids.

I got it and loved perusing the recipes. After reading the book over and over, I chose a recipe and perfected it: Waldorf Salad.
Now, for those of you who don’t know what a Waldorf Salad is, it’s basically lettuce, celery, apples and mayonnaise. I didn’t know it at the time, but I am certain it was the easiest dish in the entire cookbook. And I was so proud every time I made it for my mom, dad, sisters and brother. this was REAL cooking!
Here’s a fancier version of the salad:

CLASSIC WALDORF SALAD
1 cup apples chopped, (Granny smith or a Sweet tart apple or a combination of different tart apples)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
Sprinkle apples with lemon juice after they are cut
Add all other ingredients. Toss to coat all pieces with mayonnaise.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 12th, 2007 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Baby Boomer, New Jersey. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

A Baby Boomer Recalls Her First Cookbook

Tagged with: betty crocker • betty crocker cookbook • Cookbook • cup • Jersey • New Jersey • real cooking • Salad • tomboy • Waldorf • waldorf salad