What better way to end our food-themed week than with a special edition of #GlenbowFromHome with CBC Calgary’s Food Guide, Julie Van Rosendaal. 

We asked Julie to come into the museum to have a look at our collection of over 500 cookbooks which includes everything from a myriad of local and regional cookbooks put together by various groups to publications like Mrs. Beeton’s Guide to Household Management (1907) and a selection of White House Cookbooks.  The earliest cookbooks date from the 1800s’; the most recent from the 1990’s. 

For today’s #GlenbowFromHome, Julie is going to make a Spudnut recipe that she found in a cookbook put out by The American Women’s Club. The club was formed in 1912 and continued to exist until 2007.  The recipe was submitted by Mrs. R.H. Beavers.  The goal of the club was to enable the wives of American businessmen, often temporarily in Calgary, to meet.  They also cooperated with other organizations in philanthropic and civic improvement activities.  Members raised money to support local charities and cultural groups through the sale of cook books, dances and other events. During the First World War, members formed a Red Cross department to aid local war work.