The New Settlement Cookbook

I thought some of you might like to read the preface to the 1954 edition of "The New Settlement Cook Book" which was originally compiled by Mrs. Simon Kander and published by Simon and Schuster-New York. Many copies of this edition no longer have this page and I think it is so interesting to read. I hope you also like it. I have to admit that this book that was given to me as a wedding gift almost 50 years ago is my favorite. In the front of the book they have instructions for setting the table, for washing dishes, for preparing food for babies and also for invalids. There are many menus given and the page number where you can find the recipes for preparing each item in the menu, a table of weights and measures, how to measure, terms used in cooking and many other helps that for a new cook like me, was just invaluable. I have never made a recipe from this book that we didn't like!

PREFACE TO THE 1954 EDITION OF "THE NEW SETTLEMENT COOK BOOK"

As we publish this thirty-first edition of "The Settlement Cook Book"-completely revised and in a new, up-to-date format-we look back at the first edition of 1901, how it came into being, and its growth over the years.

The latter part of the nineteenth century saw vast migrations from Europe of people seeking freedom and a better life. Milwaukee received its share of these newcomers. To provide for their welfare, a number of ladies, including Mrs. Simon Kander, worked as a committee among whose many activities were night classes in English, a Keep Kleen Mission, sewing instruction, and cooking classes. To the last of these Mrs. Kander directed most of her attention.

A large group of the students in the cooking classes had come from impoverished countries and knew little of this land of plenty. They were taught about American foods, proper nutrition, sanitation in cooking, and economy of meal preparation which was so important to them.

Most of the pupils were of high-school age; the time they could devote to cooking classes was limited to after-school hours. The youngsters particularly enjoyed eating the results of their labors. But there were difficulties: the children spent much valuable time copying the simple recipes devised for them, and when they brought home what they had learned, there was often opposition from their parents to the new ways.

The committee in charge felt that printed lessons would help solve these problems. Time spent in copying would be saved, and print might add dignity and importance to the endeavor in the eyes of the immigrant parents.

By this time all the activities we have described had been coordinated within an organization called The Settlement. To the Board of the organization, Mrs. Kander's committee directed a request for eighteen dollars to print the recipes. The gentlemen of the Board turned it down as an "unnecessary expense."

The good ladies were undaunted; perhaps they themselves could have the recipes printed. In order to defray expenses, advertisements were obtained. Treasured recipes of some of the committee members (many divulged for the first time!) were included, as well as foreign dishes contributed by families of the students. The manuscript was ready at last. What could be more fitting than to name it after the group it was helping: The Settlement.

And so, in 1901, a cook book was born. It consisted of 174 pages, including the advertisements, and was divided into two sections: one contained simple recipes for the classes, the other included the heirloom recipes which were generally more elaborate. The first printing was 1,000 copies. Some were given to the students, some were saved for future use, and a Milwaukee merchant volunteered to sell the rest at fifty cents each. To everyone's astonishment the supply was soon exhausted, and in 1903, after repeated requests, the ladies published a second and enlarged edition. This time 1,500 copies were printed. So began the growth of this book which has to date sold more than 1,200,000 copies.

No dish was included in that first edition of 1901 unless it had been successfully prepared by members of the committee in their own kitchens-on the principle that each recipe must be home-tested and , as far as possible, foolproof. This practice has continued to this day, and a word of praise should be included for the long-suffering families upon whom the recipes were tested time and time again. The little cooks who have paraded across the covers of the last million copies of "The Settlement Cook Book" are not the only ones who have found "The Way to a Man's Heart"; so, too, have the many cooks who have tested recipes through the years.

What of the money? When, in 1901, the gentlemen of the Board turned down the request for eighteen dollars to cover printing expenses, they did nevertheless give the project their blessing and, after suggesting that the ladies have the work done on their own, laughingly added that The Settlement would "be happy to share in any profits."

As it turned out, the benefits to The Settlement were immediate. For with the proceeds of the first two editions the committee purchased the site for the new Settlement House. Then the ladies, looking to the future, formed The Settlement Cook Book Company. This concern has, to this very day, carried out the plan of its founders; to help others. The company is completely non-profit; that is, non-profit for its own benefit. But many others have profited.

We have assisted in the establishment of the first nursery school in Milwaukee. We have contributed to day care for children. High-school students have benefited through our aid to scholarship funds and by specific gifts to certain Milwaukee schools. New arrivals from abroad have been assisted by English classes. The Settlement House and its successor have received financial help for over fifty years. And the general community has benefited from contributions to many undertakings. All beneficiaries have been non-profit ones, engaged in educational, recreational, or philanthropic activities.

For many years the form of the Cook Book was not altered. Recipes were added, revisions were made, but the dress and appearance remained the same. Now we have come out in the new form, new appearance, completely revised. Yet we have preserved the tried-and-true recipes of our grandmother' day, and at the same time included the newest methods of granddaughter. With this thirty-first edition we hope to continue to help the women of America find "The Way to a Man's Heart"

THE SETTLEMENT COOK BOOK COMPANY-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-March 1954

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