There are some of us out there who cannot resist sifting through piles of old papers and documents when strolling through a flea market or attending an estate sale or garage sale.

These boxes of paper and cardboard are a treasure trove of unusual items waiting to be discovered so they can continue in a new life, having been a record of someone else’s life.  This is where cooking pamphlets can be found.

Most homemakers through the decades were the recipients and archivists of cooking pamphlets. 

You know, those little booklets that accompany kitchen appliances.  They came in the packaging of food products and ingredients such as Jell-O, cocoa, spices and flavorings.  Also, some were available by way of filling out a coupon on the back of a box or in a magazine, then sending it in with a dime or quarter.  Sometimes they were free with a box top.

Through the ages, recipe collections have been made available by food related associations to promote meats, dairy and produce. 

Also, grains such as oats, flour and cereal.  There is usually an agricultural extension agent at county and state fairs to educate the public on agricultural products.  They pass out samples and recipe cards, and booklets to help consumers use the farmers’ and manufacturers’ products.

Over the years, I have collected my share of cooking pamphlets by all of the above methods. 

It is an advertising tool still used today, so my collection grows by natural means.  But, I have developed an obsessive attraction to the cooking pamphlets of bygone days.  I have some that date back to the 19^th century, allowing me to peek into kitchens of the past.

My first vintage cooking pamphlet was nestled between pages of a copy of The Household Searchlight Cookbook. 

There were also recipes cut from magazines, newspapers and backs of boxes such as crackers or dessert mixes.  One booklet had beautiful colored illustrations of the dishes you could prepare with the recipes contained within.  There were recipes for “dainties”, things that qualified as finger food.  These were typical luncheon fare, as well as things found on side boards for high tea.  Most of the recipes were introductions and instruction for new ingredients and products coming out for general consumption by the family cook.  The recipes were nutritious first, maybe elegant second.  At a later date, thumbing through stuff at flea markets, I began acquiring more of these little culinary gems.  There doesn’t seem to be any end to what was published out there in the name of product promotion to help homemakers put a good meal on the table.

If you have fallen for these small tomes of kitchen creations, you will find them at flea markets, garage sales and estate sales. 

You may have to do a little digging.  They might be buried in a box of unrelated items at auctions.  Now and again, I spy a few cooking pamphlets at an antique shop.  When priced individually, they aren’t a bit costly, and provide nice moments in an armchair as you leaf through their delicate pages.

Some are in pristine condition, having been stored in a drawer, never having been used.  Most have signs of wear as well as bent or torn pages, and stains from splattered food.  While condition is a level of value, don’t let a well-loved pamphlet get away.  The true collector will appreciate these booklets for what they are; an artifact from another age.

If you think you might enjoy amassing your own collection of cooking pamphlets, here are some sources for information and purchase. 

Start looking through the cookbooks you inherited from a favorite friend or relative.  The pages may harbor the first in a collection of cooking pamphlets.  Happy hunting!