"Aunt Babette's" Cook Book
AUCTION 50 |
Thursday, February 24th,
2011 at 1:00
Fine Judaica: Hebrew Printed Books, Manuscripts, Graphic & Ceremonial Art Including: The Alfonso Cassuto Collection of Iberian Art
Lot 91
(COOK-BOOK)
"Aunt Babette's" Cook Book
Cincinnati: Bloch 1889
Est: $200 - $300
PRICE REALIZED $325
The recipes in this collection reflect little adherence to Jewish tradition (e.g. the Passover recipes--referred to as "Easter dishes"--on pp. 452-66), as well as accommodations to American lifestyle (e.g. "oysters on half shell" on p. 473). Most audacious is the entry in the Index, "Trefa," which leads the reader to this pithy remark on p. 492: "Nothing is 'Trefa' that is healthy and clean."
The Bloch Publishing Company was closely allied with the Reform movement. Reform ideologue Isaac Mayer Wise was married to the sister of Edward Bloch, with whom he established the firm of Bloch and Co. in 1885.
"Aunt Babette" was the pseudonym of Bertha F. Kramer. See B. Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, "Kitchen Judaism" in Braunstein and Weissman-Joselit, Getting Comfortable in New York: The American Jewish Home, 1880-1950 (New York: The Jewish Museum, 1990), pp. 75-105