A Salty Cookbook

Our Kenneth Roberts Library collection consists of Roberts' personal library, including a well-thumbed and annotated cookbook. After Robert's article about New England food in the Saturday Evening Post went viral (or whatever the pre-digital phrase would be), he worked with Majorie Mosser to write a book on Good Maine Food. 

This copy is Roberts' personal copy, presented to him by Mosser in 1947. It contains his notes for the 1959 update (Foods of Old New England), but it seems to have served as a repository for any kind of recipe from couscous to avocado salad -- neither of which are from Maine or New England.

Today, some of the recipes seem quite dated. Who wants to eat corn and deviled ham salad? It also shows Roberts' more ... acidic side. "Fanny Farmer, the dope, says to cook the bones about an hour ...."

Roberts must have used the book often, as he re-backed the paper dust jacket with what looks like a napkin or handkerchief.

To see these salty annotations and retro recipes, Ask for Roberts Library TX715 .M915 1947.