From Our Test Kitchen: Cupid's Book of Good Counsel

Cover of Cupid's Book of Good Counsel [1924?]. Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SFPL.

"THIS BOOK is presented free to the Bride and Groom with the compliments of the
ADVERTISERS therein, who make such presentation possible. We recommend them as the best in their respective lines and they will accord you the fairest kind of treatment. Your patronage will be highly appreciated by them. Please mention Cupid's Book."

Thus introduces Cupid's Book of Good Counsel, compiled and published by E.F. Kiessling & Son (Oakland, CA).

This book of recipes, household hints and lots of advertisements was city-specific and given to newly married couples. The San Francisco History Center has two copies of the San Francisco edition of Cupid's Book of Good Counsel, one circa 1924 and another from 1927. It is interesting to note that, while the 1924 version of Cupid's Book includes advertisements for somewhat manly things, such as paints and varnishes, it is fairly obvious that Cupid's Book was made for the brides rather than the grooms.

from Cupid's Book of Good Counsel [1924?].  Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, SFPL.

Case in point is an ad for stoves which reminds newly married ladies: "The Way to a Man's Heart is Through His Stomach." Another is a flour ad which notes: "From Wedding Cake to Biscuits -- does not have to be 'from the sublime to the ridiculous'."  The 1927 version replaces all the paint ads with a four-page ad dedicated to a ladies' personal hygiene product.

Both editions contain a wealth of household hints - from 'The Table as It Should Be Set" and "The Etiquette of Entertaining" to "Removal of Stains" and "Facts Worth Knowing." However, I was most interested in the recipes. They range from basic ("apple pie") to bizarre ("eggs and spaghetti"). I opted for basic.

On Valentine's Day morning I decided to rustle up an order of  "Griddle Cakes" from the 1927 edition of Cupid's Book:

1 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon syrup
1 egg
1 cup Del Monte Creamery milk
1 tablespoon melted fat (n.b. I used butter!)
Mix and sift dry ingredients, add beaten egg, syrup, milk, beat with a wire whisk till smooth. Add fat and beat well. Cook on a hot griddle.

Simple, basic, and yet very tasty! Your sweetheart will certainly appreciate all the work it takes to make breakfast from scratch! So, go ahead and try it out! Cupid's Book of Good Counsel certainly worked for me!

"Griddle Cakes" Photo by Lisa Weddle

The 1924 and 1927 editions of Cupid's Book of Good Counsel can be found at the San Francisco History Center on the 6th Floor of the SFPL Main Library. An earlier, Oakland edition (circa 1918) is available to view online at Internet Archives.