Cookbookaholic

Original Cabbage Patch Cookbook

Throughout the years, I’ve seen the Cabbage Patch cookbook in eBay suggestions. If you’ve seen it you’ll recognize the white cover with the farming images within a green cabbage. Very iconic.

It’s from the Cabbage Patch Circle in Louisville, Kentucky and it’s actually called “Famous Kentucky Recipes.” I would consider this group a Junior League on steroids. Their organization is the faith-based Cabbage Patch Settlement and they formed in late 1910. A small group within became known as The Cabbage Patch Circle who seemed to be the core in making sure the Settlement’s mission of helping to meet the needs of their neighbors stayed on track.

The building they used, Cabbage Patch Settlement House, became a destination for those who needed help. And by the time they first published their cookbook, their organization had a well-earned reputation for helping the community. 

Their work is very impressive. In their first 50 years, here’s what they’ve been able to do:

• During the Depression, they remodeled a building into apartments and housed families in need
• Organized a commissary with wholesale prices to be paid by work
• Clothing League Project
• Large Garden Project: Enough crops for summer and canning for winter
• WWII: Overnight accommodations for soldiers
• Nursery School
• Cooking School
• Sewing School

Impressive, right?

Well, anyways, I spotted a version with a green cover and it got me curious about their cookbook. The green cover was the reverse of the familiar white one. But, as it turns out, wasn’t the first edition, first printing.

I did a search on eBay and found most are from a 1956 printing and after. Then, in the related searches, I found it. A first edition from 1952.

It looks absolutely nothing like the white cover with farm and giant green cabbage! And the price wasn’t too bad, either.

Who knows when another one will show up, so I decided to snag it.

And here’s what it looks like:

I love the dark green and the simple circle patch up in the upper left corner. And you’ll notice that the “Famous Kentucky Recipes” pops more.

Super excited to have found this one! The mark on the cover is actually the remnants of a price tag, but I’m sure I’d cause more damage if I tried to remove it.

Welcome to the collection!

Trip to Boone

So, I’ve now been up to Boone, NC, several times now to help get our oldest, Duncan, moved into his room up at App State. These were all very quick trips, up and down stairs….in and out. Not much in the way of exploring or hanging out.

This last trip was completely different: a social trip to meet up with Dunc and meet his new lady.

Thankfully, it was not a gameday but it was during the peak leaf-viewing weekend so there was definitely a large crowd walking around. And it seemed like we all wanted to eat at the same time at the same place: Lost Province Brewing Co.

After lunch we all jumped in my car and visited the nearest thrift store: Ram’s Rack. And, of course, you know what I did….

There were a ton of cookbooks! I took my time and wanted to concentrate on quality, not necessarily quantity.

I settled on only two:

Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies (Clarissa Dickson Wright and Jennifer Paterson) and Cooking with Too Hot Tamales (Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger with Helene Siegel). Hmmm….it’s just now hitting me that both had “Cooking with” and were by a team of two cooks. Interesting…..and the Too Hot Tamales cookbook was wrapped in a thick plastic cover like you’d find in a library.

Dunc and Claire walked over and joked that I had found the cookbook section. And then I showed this this….

Too Hot Tamale Autographs!!!

Nice finds! Plus, I found three serving pieces from my wedding china and two Tom Clark Christmas gnomes. This thrift store is magical!

Yet Another Copy of the Pat Conroy Cookbook

I don’t know why, but I always feel like I need to snap up copies of The Pat Conroy Cookbook (Pat Conroy with Suzanne Williamson Pollak) when I see them at yard sales, online, etc., for a dollar or two.

Maybe because he’s a native South Carolinian, like myself? Or, maybe I think he was such a famous celebrity writer that chefs would hand over their secret recipes to him. Hmmm…that might be possible.

He lived a good portion of his life in Charleston and traveled all over the world. A quick read through the dust cover flaps tells you that Conroy himself was determined to learn how to cook by jumping head-first into learning the basics of French cooking. So, maybe…just maybe this cookbook could be a collection of short stories written by a master storyteller capped off with his own recipes.

I found this particular copy on Facebook Marketplace. It was listed as signed by the author. Now, I’ve passed over inscribed copies just because those have had higher price tags. This was a reasonable $15 with shipping included.

And, it’s also a First Edition.

I know I need to sit down and actually read this cookbook!

Panthers Man Sale

During this Covid mess, I really didn’t go to yard sales. There was one at the very beginning of Covid (which I’ve already written about—because I bought so much!) and this one.

It was in a very nice neighborhood and they had advertised a Bob Timberlake print that I wanted. I did see that a small stack of cookbooks was listed, but to be honest, my main reason for going was to try and get the Timberlake piece.

And with all the Covid stuff really shutting things down, I was hoping this sale would be sparsely attended. That was not going to be the reality. The street was lined with cars! I didn’t get there early enough to be one of the first, but I was able to get inside once I arrived.

I spotted the cookbooks but chose to walk through looking for the Timberlake piece. After going through a few rooms, I noticed that there was a lot of football memorabilia. The man’s closet had golf shirts from Clemson. A downstairs room had Super Bowl tickets encased in glass. Someone who lived here enjoyed football.

I listen in on chatter from others in the room and this is apparently the house that belongs to Mark Richardson, son of former Carolina Panthers owner, Jerry Richardson. And he was head of the organization as well and is now an owner of several Bojangle's franchises (Respect). 

Now it makes sense…the football memorabilia. A quick check of his bio on Wikipedia solves the Clemson golf shirts question.

So empty-handed I head back to the kitchen to take a look at the cookbooks. I look through the small selection and settle on two of them:

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Always Cooking and Grilling America (Rick Browne).

Both are autographed!

I can’t believe the Paul Prudhomme cookbook was left behind?! But then I look more closely at the autograph page. It says, “Go Saints!”

I’d probably have left it behind, too. LOL!! Just kidding.

The other cookbook is inscribed, “Mark—to the head Que man of the Panthers—Rick Browne.” Now this is a man who knows his BBQ and his way around a grill. I may need to invest some time into learning more about him and his cookbooks.

So, I’m not coming home with any Bob Timberlake prints, but I do consider myself very fortunate to have found these two autographed cookbooks. The Paul Prudhomme cookbook is a treasure! How was that one not picked up earlier? 

My grand total was $4...the exact amount of cash I had on me. Great finds and now it’s time to head home!

 

Very Special Copy of The Savannah Cook Book

You know, I had just finished looking over my collection of Savannah-area cookbooks and thought to myself: You don’t need any more copies of The Savannah Cook Book by Harriet Ross Colquitt. I’ve got both hardback and plastic spiral spine copies. Plenty! Plenty of copies that I’ve picked up over the years.

And for some reason, the very next thing I did was a search on eBay….and what did I find? A true first edition, first printing hardback from 1933 that was signed by Harriet Ross Colquitt herself.

WHAAAAA??????

It took a while, but I finally managed to get the funds to purchase it…and it arrived today.

Can you imagine? A signed copy from almost 100 years ago! I mean, 87 years actually, but still!

Not only was it signed, but there was a wonderful inscription to the book’s owner, which I’m assuming is a cousin to Mrs. Colquitt. It reads:

“Don’t forget while you are hobnobbing with artists that your cousin is a cook.”

                                                               Harriet Ross Colquitt  July 1933

That one line hit a personal note with me. My grandmother was a cook…not a chef, but a cook. She grew up poor in a small town and cooked for families and churches, worked as a lunch lady at the local high school and then drove to the “big city” to work in the kitchen at a local BBQ restaurant. She learned to cook to survive and provide for her family. And as I was moving to briefly live in New York after college, she relayed a similar sentiment.

It was a light-hearted “don’t forget your roots” sentiment but also a knowing that her hard-lived and fought struggles were finally resulting in a world of opportunities for a grandchild.

This copy of The Savannah Cook Book is, without a doubt, a treasure by itself; but I’m appreciating this particular copy as a grateful granddaughter of a hard-working cook.

The White House Cook Book

Got a new addition to the collection: The White House Cook Book.

It was written/compiled by Mrs. F.L. Gillette and Hugo Ziemman. She was a seasoned cook and Ziemman served in the White House as a chef. It’s a very thick book with about 500 or so recipes, cooking techniques, household cleaning tips, etiquette as well as recipes from some First Ladies of the time. 

It’s very comprehensive and, even though it’s as thick as an encyclopedia, it became a hot seller. Which is why it’s interesting to me that these are considered so “rare” and hard to find. A lot of people had a copy of this one back in the day.

Having said that: online, these tend to be a bit pricey; but, the closer you get to an original printing, the better.

I’ve been at an estate sale when someone has asked if a White House cookbook was available. (It wasn’t.) 

So I’ve never really had an interest in getting one, unless it was a) Old and b) cheap.

Not too long ago, I came across on online auction that had one. It didn’t have a lot of info. The seller just had a picture of it in his hand and just a quick note that it was an interesting old cookbook. Oh, and that he’d be willing to ship it.

This seemed like an out-of-the-way auction so I registered for the sale, saved the info and went back to it as the lot went up for sale. The opening bid was $20 and I ended up getting some competition. But after a slight bidding war, I ended up winning it for a little over $30.

Now, getting it shipped was another story. The auctioneer dropped off about two tons of items at the shipping company and it took them a little over a week to get in touch with me. They shipped it to me via Media Mail (thank you USPS for an affordable shipping option!)

About a week later, it finally arrived!

It’s definitely old, nice to learn that this is a third printing from 1899.

And look at this page with names of the previous owners written on it. What lovely handwriting!

Elizabeth Irene Dollenger and Blanche T. Chaney? Charrey?

Two Years Since Hilton Head?

I can’t believe it’s been over 2 years since I’ve traveled to Hilton Head for some time off. With the expenses of the move into the new house, I didn’t feel that I could justify the cost. Also, the in-law’s condo has been on and off the market periodically and could’ve been sold if the right buyer came along.

But by mid-September of last year I was feeling the need to take some time and get away. My new boss was in place…and awesome. Work worries were fading fast and I could sense a break was needed.

I was very excited to revisit my favorite thrift stores and try my luck in their cookbook section. I’ve written about them before and how much I love going to Hospice Community Thrift. But this time was not to be. As Scott and I pulled into the parking lot, it was empty…as was the building. Gone was my very favorite thrift store in the entire world!

What in the world has happened? 

We moved on to another amazing thrift store a little further down the road, St. Francis Thrift. The parking lot was packed, but I found that they were having a buy one, get one sale on books. Gosh…I’ll just have to make sure I buy an even number of cookbooks!

Here’s what I ended up finding:

We backtrack up to The Bargain Box and I’m able to pick up these three:

Then we’re off for a quick afternoon trip to Savannah and my favorite spot, The Book Lady. 

I find a few great bargains this time around, including a selection by John T. Edge. Usually, I’m walking out of there with a sizable stack. But since I only have a few, I decide to look for something specific to Savannah. I find some that are near at the front of the store and decide on an autographed copy of Savannah Entertains by Martha Giddens Nesbit.

Nice visit! I’m hoping it won’t be so long before I come back again.

Next Chapter Sale

I’ve got to tell you about this sale from earlier this year. There was an estate sale company that, sadly, is no longer in business. But, they were really interesting in that you had to email them for your slot in line.

In some of their sales I’ve been third; I’ve been ninth. For today’s sale, I was thirteenth. But I’m okay with that because I looked at the pictures from this sale. They’ve got fancy ties, cool concert tees and a small selection of cookbooks.  

The pre-sale talk by the gentlemen running the sale involves a backstory of the family holding the sale. He asks for a moment of silence to uplift them during their time of need. It’s very nice but then it’s on to business.

He begins calling names on the list. I’m guessing about 7 people haven’t shown up because I’m called up and briskly walking down the driveway in no time flat. I quickly get into the garage and find the cookbooks up on a shelf. The prices are rather hefty for cookbooks. I’m used to $1 - $2 but these are $5?!

The load I’m carrying is pretty heavy and as I begin to walk around, I see the fancy ties. They’re really nice and I’m thinking my oldest son would appreciate a few of these.

Now, I’m worried about my bill. I’m not sure I’ll have enough cash to cover all of it. So I decide to do the unthinkable…I put back about half of the cookbooks. I’m thinking that the fancy ties for my son are a little more important than a few cookbooks.

I get in line for checkout and then see something marvelous….they’re taking credit cards. What?! That’s awesome, I turn around and head back to the garage and take back the cookbooks and spot another one or two to add to the pile.

When I get to checkout, I’m very lucky in that the gentleman running the sale gives me a bulk discount. And the tiny cookbook gets thrown in for free. Nice!

See the yellow one with the goose wearing the hat in the large cauldron? That’s an early cookbook from the Junior League of Charlotte (NC) from 1964.

Not sure what this cookbook with the Bob Timberlake prints is all about? It’s called “The Figure Eight Island Collection.” A quick search on the web tells me Figure Eight Island is a barrier island and an exclusive, private community located near Wilmington and only accessible by boat or a guarded,  private bridge. I wonder if this family owned a home on the island?

Hominy Grill…didn’t that recently close down in Charleston, SC? I may need to give this one a good long look and see what’s featured. It’s autographed by Chef Robert Stehling on the cover!

Big Red One

If you remember back to last year, I was so thrilled when I found a first edition/first printing of Charleston Receipts from the Junior League of Charleston. Had a slight hiccup, in getting the right one, but it did finally get here.

 

But did you know there was another cookbook that the Junior League published before that famous green one? I didn’t. At least, not until The Lee Bros. wrote about it in one of their amazing cookbooks.

 

It was ultra rare from 1949, and it was only printed once. First edition…only edition.

 

And it’s called Charleston Recipes…which feels more natural than Receipts.

 

As you can imagine, once I learned about this cookbook—I put it on my list. Don’t assume it went straight to obsession (hello, original Paula Deen Lady and Friends cookbook).

 

Not too long after, the Junior League of Charleston actually re-released a new printing of that original red cookbook. Here’s how they listed it on their website:

 

Virtually lost for decades, Charleston Recipes was recently rediscovered in an attic by Josephine Humphreys, a former JLC member and daughter of the original editor Martha Lynch Humphreys. “Only one year separates the two cookbooks (Recipes and Receipts), but they can almost be seen as representing different decades,” says Humphreys in her introduction. “The 1949 book seems spare and frugal, still in the shadow of the depression and wartime privations, while the 1950 book is exuberant, celebratory, even sometimes downright lavish. And yet there are tempting and delightful recipes to be found only in the red book.”

 

Amazing! And the proceeds for purchasing this reprint went to their charity work. And yes, I did buy one. So that scratched that itch….until.

 

I logged on to ebay and went through a search for Junior League cookbooks from the Carolinas. And deep in a “Buy It Now” section was an original. THE original….the Red One. It was part of a private collection of a professional chef who collected rare and antique cookbooks. He was choosing to sell off a few from his personal library and I knew I had to act fast. I couldn’t afford the Buy It Now price, but it did have a “make an offer” option. I submitted my best offer and waited.

 

The next morning, I got a notification that the offer was accepted. Woo-hoo!!!!

 

I thanked the seller and told him that Red was coming to a good home and she’d live right beside the first edition/first printing Receipts. And a few days later, she arrived:

 

 

So thrilled!

Patience and the Pie Safe

If you follow me on Instagram (cookbookaholic), then you’ll remember the image I took of a Bob Timberlake Pie Safe during Easter. It’s been a fixture at one of the hotels we visit and I have loved it from the first time I saw it. Ever since, I’ve always wanted to get my own.

The only thing stopping me?  The price. And probably the small square footage in my house. It’s pretty cramped in here.

It has the look of an antique pie safe but it’s built more as a bookshelf. I thought it would make a great home for some of my cookbooks.  But, it wasn’t cheap and funds have always been tight at my house. If I was going to get one on my budget, I’d have to find it at a yard sale, estate sale or on Craigslist.

Sure, a thought did cross my mind….I could’ve tried to lift it from the hotel, but I’m sure a security camera would’ve captured it all on tape. Plus, no one from my church would’ve helped me get it in the back of my car. (side eye to you, Brad)

Over the years, I’ve kept up the vigil by doing searches in the furniture section of Craigslist. I’ve seen some very expensive pie safes listed. But I’ve never been able to find that Bob Timberlake pie safe. It was an expensive piece of furniture—some may even consider it heirloom worthy. This search may turn out to be a lengthy, decades-long quest.

Almost every week, when I do a Craigslist search for garage sales, I also do a quick search for pie safes just to see if I could ever come across someone trying to unload one. It’s been a long dry spell. The search results show the short list of familiar descriptions—all showing up in purple, noting that I’ve already clicked on them.

During this latest search, a couple of new listings showed up. One had a description with “decorative tin inserts.” I clicked on it and saw a beautiful pie safe. Then, as I looked more closely at the punched tin decoration, it looked very familiar. But the listing doesn’t mention anything about Bob Timberlake. Checking back to my Instagram photo, I compared the front panel design. This could finally be the moment…

A closer look at the info shows that the listing is 45 days old. 45 days? I’ve done the pie safe search within the past month, so why didn’t I see it before now? There’s another note that says the listing has been updated more recently—so whatever adjustments were made helped it to pop up during my search. The price tag was also a bit out of my reach, but let’s see if it’s still for sale.

After 45 days, I’m running a good chance that it’s already been snapped up by someone else. I responded to the listing and asked if it was still for sale and if there was any manufacturer info on the safe.

Within a short while, I get a response. It’s still for sale and the piece was made by Lexington. Still no mention of Bob Timberlake. The description mentions that the pie safe comes “as is,” so I reply and ask if it’s in good shape. The response: it’s all good.

My last concern is the price. I reply that the asking price is outside of my budget and offer a lower number. Not an insulting lower number, but a fair one. The email comes back: “that’s fine…can you pick it up tomorrow?”

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyyyyyyyy gooooossshhhhhhhhhhhhh!

It’s almost mine.

I get the seller’s address and map it out. It’s less than 5 miles away.

Now to break the news to the guy that’s going to help me move it: the hubby.

I had already casually mentioned that I had a line on a really nice pie safe. Now I had to tell him that, not only had I committed to buy it—but that it needed to be moved. So, when I brought up the pie safe again, I said, “Remember the pie safe I’ve been looking at online? I think it’s the Bob Timberlake.”

“Oh, really? You’ve been looking for that a long time.”

The next day after church and lunch, we emailed that we were on our way. The neighborhood was very upscale. The driveway was very steep and the stairs were plenty, inside and out. The pie safe was up on the second floor in the hallway.

The lady selling the pie safe, June, was very nice. She and her partner had recently moved into the neighborhood and were looking to downsize. The pie safe was on the list of things that they were willing to let go. They had originally purchased it sixteen years ago in Atlanta and it had been a beloved part of their home together. They told me at Christmas, they would open up the pie safe’s door and display a collection of decorative bowls.

When I approached it, I opened up the top right drawer and saw the logo confirming it is the Bob Timberlake piece. It’s really here in front of me! I’m simultaneously shocked and relieved that I’ve finally found it. I think about it being listed and sitting there on craigslist for 45 days and then silently give a little prayer of thanks for keeping it there until I found it.

We check the rest of it out and it’s in almost pristine condition. There’s only a slight dent in the bottom shelf, but other than that, it looks showroom perfect.

I just need to pay for it and get it moved into the car.

Hubby and I get it down the stairs from the second to the ground floor. I guess I looked unhelpful or just plain sad because I was replaced in the moving process! The pie safe made it safely down the front steps to the car—which was probably the most crucial part of the journey. We got it into the car and off we went to the storage unit.

Ladies and Gentlemen, a quest that has been almost ten years long…the Bob Timberlake Pie Safe.

Now, to pay off a ton of credit card debt, find a house that can hold all the cookbooks and properly display this gorgeous pie safe. Talk about a quest—and it’ll probably take another ten years to get anywhere close to that!