Publication Details: Walker and Company, 1968
This week we are looking a cute and quirky miniature cookbook released in 1968, The Red Letter Day Cookbook. This was part of series of miniature cookbooks written by Lillian Langseth-Christensen and Carol Sturm Smith in the late 60's with each one centred around a specific theme such as the "Canned Fish Cookbook" or the "One-Pot Cookbook" etc.
What makes this one so fun is that it is presented as a series of entire menus (as with some other cookbooks we looked at recently) to prepare for special occasions or parties. Hence there is the "First Dinner for New In-Laws" menu, a "Good News Dinner" menu, a "Child's Birthday Dinner" menu and a variety of other menus along similar lines.
These are presented with a full array of courses and options, the number of people the menu is for and an assortment of lovely little black-and-white illustrations.
The book also contains four seasonal menus -- and as it is summer right now we share the summer menu which includes a cold roast beef platter, a potato salad, garlic bread, a variety of salads, a guacamole dip, a torte and more. It is a menu which would, I think, be rather perfect for an afternoon in the backyard or on the porch with friends or family.
(Click on images to enlarge)
See Also: 1974's Classic Canadian Cooking with a Summer Porterhouse BBQ Menu -- Vintage Cookbook TBT
