Three Decades, in Order
The '50s, the '60s and the '70s, each in its own chapter, with a contents page that takes you straight to any recipe.
From Dottie Brooks' kitchen
The Suppers
You Grew Up On,
Back on Your Table
The Nostalgic Cookbook: 101 home recipes from American kitchens of the '50s, '60s and '70s. Glazed meatloaf, Sunday pot pie, stroganoff for company and the desserts that wobbled, each with a full-page photo, a little story from Dottie and big, clear type you can read from the stove.
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The Recipes Are Disappearing With the Kitchens That Made Them
Your mother's meatloaf was never written down. Grandma's recipe box went to a cousin, or nowhere. The cookbooks you grew up with fell apart years ago. And every recipe you find online has been "updated" until it tastes like nothing you remember. Sound familiar?
Making Mom's meatloaf from memory, and it never tastes quite the same
A stained recipe card with half the measurements faded away
Recipes online buried under ads, and "modernized" with ingredients nobody had in 1962
Squinting at tiny print on a phone while the onions burn
The dishes your family still talks about, and nobody left who knows how to make them
Wanting to cook the old favorites for the grandkids, with no idea where to start
Written down the way they were made
Every Supper You Remember, One Page at a Time
These are the real home recipes from three decades of American kitchens, written down plain: the ingredients you can buy at any supermarket, the measurements in cups and spoons, the oven in °F with °C beside it, and the safe cooking temperature for every piece of meat. No life stories before the recipe, no pop-ups, no guessing. Each recipe fits on one page in big, clear type, with a full-page photo of the dish on the facing page and a short memory from Dottie about the table it was served at.
A note from Dottie
"A recipe is never just a recipe."
In the 1950s I stood on a step stool in my mother's kitchen and watched. In the 1960s she and my grandmother finally let me hold the spoon. By the 1970s I had a kitchen and a family of my own to feed.
This book is the suppers, the Sunday dinners and the company dishes from those years. I wrote every recipe the way I cook it today, with measurements you can trust and type big enough to read from the stove. Pick one that makes you smile, and start there.
Dottie Brooks
Dottie is the character who presents The Nostalgic Cookbook and its YouTube channel. The recipes are real home recipes; the stories are written in her voice.
What's Inside the Book
101 recipes, 214 pages, grouped by decade
A Full-Page Photo for Every Dish
Every recipe faces a full-page photo in the style of the cookbooks of the day, so you know what you are making.
A Story From Dottie
A short memory with every recipe: the church supper, the boss coming to dinner, the TV tray on a Friday night.
Big, Clear Type
Every recipe fits on one page in large print, with numbered steps you can follow at a glance from the stove.
Measurements You Can Trust
US cups and spoons, the oven in °F with °C beside it, and the safe cooking temperature for every meat dish.
Dottie's Tip on Every Recipe
The small trick that makes the difference: how to keep the glaze from burning, or the gravy from going lumpy.
The Book, Decade by Decade
- '50s
The 1950s: Suppers and Sunday Dinners
34 recipes. Glazed meatloaf, Sunday chicken pot pie, chicken-fried steak, smothered pork chops, stuffed peppers, skillet fried chicken, shrimp Creole and baked macaroni and cheese.
- '60s
The 1960s: Dinner Parties and TV Nights
34 recipes. Beef stroganoff, Salisbury steak, Swedish meatballs, chicken Kiev, Beef Wellington, chicken cordon bleu, coq au vin and Polynesian pineapple chicken.
- '70s
The 1970s: Fondue Pots and Slow Cookers
33 recipes. Quiche Lorraine, cheese fondue, chicken Parmesan, stuffed manicotti, pepper steak, barbecued spareribs, slow-cooker beef stew and French dip sandwiches.
Real Pages From the Book
Dottie's welcome, the contents, and three of the recipes. Swipe →
Frequently Asked Questions
What's in the book?
101 American home recipes from the 1950s, 60s and 70s in a 214-page PDF, grouped by decade. Every recipe has a full-page photo, a short story from Dottie, the recipe on one page and Dottie's tip.
Is this a printed book?
No. It is a digital cookbook in PDF for instant download. No physical book is shipped. You can print any recipe you like at home.
Is the type easy to read?
Yes. Every recipe fits on one page in large, clear type, with numbered steps. Oven temperatures are given in °F and °C.
Do I need special ingredients?
No. These are home recipes made with ingredients from an ordinary supermarket. Measurements are in US cups and spoons.
I am not much of a cook. Is it too hard?
No. These are everyday family recipes, written in short, numbered steps, with the safe cooking temperature for every meat dish and a tip from Dottie on each one.
Who is Dottie Brooks?
Dottie is the character who presents The Nostalgic Cookbook and its YouTube channel. The recipes are real home recipes; the stories are written in her voice.
How do I get the book after paying?
Right after payment, your download link appears on screen and arrives by email. Download the PDF to your tablet, computer or phone and keep it.
Which currency will I pay in?
Buyers in the euro area, the UK, Canada and Australia pay in their own currency. Everyone else pays in US dollars, and many countries see a lower price. The checkout shows the exact amount before you pay.
What if the book is not for me?
Ask within 7 days for a full refund. Read our refund policy for the details.
Put the Old Favorites Back on the Table
You have two choices right now:
Option 1: Keep cooking from memory and faded recipe cards, and let the dishes your family grew up on slip away one Sunday at a time.
Option 2: Get all 101 recipes, written down plain in big, clear type, with a photo and a story for every one, for one small price that is yours to keep.
By clicking, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
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