Holiday Flavors and Favors compiled by the Junior League of Greensboro, North Carolina 1975
My husband flipped through the first half of this book and didn’t think there would be much we’d be interested in making. Honestly, I wasn’t sure either. Junior League cookbooks, in my experience, focus pretty heavily on drinks and entertaining and the mains can be a little suspect. Desserts are generally solid, as they are in most community cookbooks. I always think that even if people don’t cook or bake a lot, most people have some go-to dessert recipes they are happy to share.
I think the real standout feature of this book was that it included menus from anything from Christmas for two to a caroling party to a New Year’s Day menu that is geared toward the hungover host. They include not only a menu but some have crafts and invitation suggestions.
The book in general is pretty witty–not only in the menus but the headnotes are unusually lively and helpful. Most community cookbooks don’t have headnotes at all so I’m always excited to see them.
Most of the contributors are named but not all.
There is a section of food gifts that gives you packaging and presentation ideas. Some mixes like dry cookie or iced tea mix. There are a few poems. It’s a really complete little book!
The recipes are a little on the old-fashioned side for the mid-1970s–lots of congealed salads–and some real convenience dishes–one has you heat up Stouffer’s spinach souffle and pop it in tomatoes.
