The NADEP JAX 50th Anniversary Cookbook compiled by Naval Aviation Depot of Jacksonville, FL 1991
This book opens with the history of the Naval Aviation Depot of Jacksonville from the voting to fund it in 1939 to the first overhauled aircraft in 1941. The book seems to have been made for the anniversary of that event.
There are a lot of dips in this book from Gouzine Saour’s Dill Weed Dip to Joene Roland’s Hot Mexican Dip (San Diego Style) and Egg and Walnut Dip from Linda Wheeler. I always find it interesting what recipes are overly represented. There are a lot of appetizers as well. Maybe this is a group that did a lot of potlucks? I’d think that they must be people from all over the country coming to work there so maybe this is how they socialized.
The recipes all identify the author by name and while there aren’t headnotes exactly, some recipes do give a little insight into their origins or if they can be doubled or halved. Some recipes seem to have regional roots.
There are two recipes for Milky Way Cake (made with Milky Way candy bars), one from Cherry Lightner that uses cake mix and one that is from scratch from Myra Evans. I like to imagine there is some competition here but all I really know is that they appeared on the same page.
There is a beverage, microwave, and miscellaneous chapter. It largely includes what you would expect but also some dishes like John Dinkins’ Grits and Bacon which was cooked on the stovetop but I guess they felt it didn’t fit in the other sections. I’m not sure how they decided the layout of the book, there are other recipes that are made in the microwave scattered throughout the book in other sections. This chapter also includes some novelty and craft recipes.
Custom illustrations on the section dividers.