The introductory texts reproduced here were written by the original Feeding America team to contextualize the books that were selected for inclusion as part of the 2001 digitization project.
The Neighborhood Cook Book/Comp. Under The Auspices Of The Portland Section In 1912, Council Of Jewish Women.
Portland, Or. [Press Of Bushong & Co.] 1914.
This is another of the seven charity cookbooks we selected to represent the more than 3000 that were published in the United States between 1864 and 1922. As we indicated in our introduction, the charity cookbook is a legacy of the Civil War. They are a remarkable resource for the culinary historian.
For other charity cookbooks, please see:
These books all represent themselves as charities, but also are cross-referenced to other categories. In this case, this book also represents a Western perspective, Portland, Oregon. This volume is also another of our ethnic representations, in this case Jewish.
This is the second edition, revised and enlarged, of a work first published by the Council of Jewish Women in 1912. There was a third edition issued in 1932 which is further revised and enlarged. When the first edition was issued in 1912, it sold out within ten months. Thus, the second edition was published.
This is among the earliest of Jewish charity cookbooks. It is clearly non-kosher, with many recipes for the shellfish bounty of the Oregon coast. There are interesting ads, both local and national.
The recipes are mostly not specifically Jewish in origin, but there are some: Matzos Pancakes, Matzos Meal Pancakes, Matzos Klosesse, Gefulte Fish, two different Matzos Charlottes, Matzoh Almond Cake, and Matzoh Sponge Cake. The recipes are very sophisticated and include many of German origin as well as wine service suggestions. This book represents a well-integrated, middle-to-upper class constituency.
