Help for the Home Cook
Preparing food at home became easier—and more complicated—in postwar America. Manufacturers, advertisers, and the popular media bombarded home cooks with ever more advice about food and cooking. They introduced an array of “new and improved” appliances, kitchen gadgets, and convenience foods, promising “good as homemade” results and more free time for busy Americans. While many cooks embraced the latest shortcuts, others chose to maintain and enhance their “cooking from scratch” skills.
“The Pillsbury Busy Lady Bake-Off Recipes” booklet, 1966
Courtesy of Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Pillsbury sponsored an annual bake-off to promote the use of its products, publishing winning recipes, which often used prepared mixes and other short cuts. This edition, featuring Ella Helfrich’s Tunnel of Fudge Bundt cake, promised “homemade goodness with hurry-up timing.”