Duncan Hines, the man who existed long before any cake mix

An interesting article in the Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 9623.story

I called Louis Hatchett, the biographer mentioned in this article, to learn his book was published 11 years ago. This biography plus reprints of Duncan Hines cookbook and a dessert cookbook will be republished next year via University of Kentucky Press. I hope he will visit Chicago for a book tour.

Duncan Hines self-published his books printing in small batches to assure it was up to date. If a restaurant went downhill, it was removed from his preferred list and the book reprinted. He was in the novelty printing business, printing brochures and such, which explained why he easily updated and printed his book.

Restaurants on his list would receive signage conditionally. If the restaurant left his list, he would return to collect his signs. To assure they could not be reused, they were sent to a landfill.

Duncan Hines worked and lived in Chicago for several years during the 1930s. I inquired if the biographer ever heard mention of John Drury, because they could have crossed paths. If they did, it wasn't noted or recognized of interest.

I happen to have both his guide book and cook book, one is signed by Duncan Hines.

Louis Hatchett has a master's degree in history. His thesis was on Duncan Hines. He sent a copy of this 750-page effort to the Library of Congress. Half of the material in this thesis made it into his book, though he said some was not germane to food and travel.

One outtake piece of information: Duncan Hines home is now a funeral home. Hines buried a full sized railroad car in his backyard to use as a septic tank.

Regards,

Neat. Thanks for sharing, Cathy. I have had a real interest in 1930s through 1950s cookbooks and other food books recently and I think I may have passed up a Duncan Hines one last week at an estate sale. I'll certainly paying more attention.

Hi,

Yes, old books do offer an interesting peak to life before.

This evening, I sent an e-mail to Mr. Hatchett. I included information about John Drury. Knowing John Drury's book is now scanned and available online, I did a search. I was amused to not only find John Drury's book. A talk on John Drury by Rene G was fourth on the list on my google search.

If you come across the dessert cookbook by Duncan Hines, and you have one for yourself, let me know. Maybe I should consult eBay!

Regards,

Looks like the Amazon Marketplace sellers have some at reasonable prices...

Hi,

There are several on eBay, the one I liked most had Duncan Hines face on the cover. They were asking $25, while less nobel covers were less than $10.

Regards,

Working on a Social Studies textbook a couple of years ago for a big educational publishing house, I included Duncan Hines in the discussion on the rise of the modern age -- the mobile society, invention of the motel, and so on. So you may actually find some 8th graders who have heard of him.

Cathy2 wrote:
If you come across the dessert cookbook by Duncan Hines, and you have one for yourself, let me know. Maybe I should consult eBay!

Regards,

Absolutely, Cathy. I find tons of old cookbooks and I never pay more than a couple of bucks for them. I don't know why I passed up the Duncan Hines book last week. The week before I had bought some vintage Betty Crocker books and they were less than impressive. I think I assumed that Duncan Hines would be the same. Clearly, I was wrong.

I have a lot of interesting things I have picked up over the last several months. My favorite are the 40s-50s ones published by the culinary Arts Institute which was based here and The New Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Restaurants that is from the 50s.

Examples of the CIA stuff http://www.etsy.com/search?q=culinary+arts+institute&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US&spelling_corrected=culinary+arts+institue

Here's a story about Hines. It's from On the Shake Rag, a reminiscence by Edgar Hellum of the restoration he and Bob Neal made of Pendarvis House, an original 1830s Cornish stone house in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. They began making meals of Cornish specialties in the late 1930s. I've scanned the page.

KajmacJohnson wrote:I have a lot of interesting things I have picked up over the last several months. My favorite are the 40s-50s ones published by the culinary Arts Institute which was based here and The New Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Restaurants that is from the 50s.

Examples of the CIA stuff http://www.etsy.com/search?q=culinary+arts+institute&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US&spelling_corrected=culinary+arts+institue

I am planning for an upcoming meeting on Charity Cookbooks (April 20th) where we are asking people to prepare dishes from classic American cookbooks. Did you know the Culinary Arts Institute was located in Melrose Park, IL. Here is an article on it.

Cabbagehead, thanks for the scan!

Regards,

Cabbagehead wrote:Here's a story about Hines.

Duncan Hines method of keeping a little black book of places to eat on the road mirrors my history as well. Before there were online food chat sites (or even the internet), I used to have such a book. To get in it, a restaurant had to be really good/worth visiting, or really bad/worth avoiding. I never bothered with middle of the road places because anyone can find mediocre food without any help from me.

It's also interesting that Duncan Hines method of recommendations (and removing the ones that no longer lived up to their original "goodness") perfectly aligns with the spirit and practice of our own Great Neighborhood Restaurants & Resources program. I guess there's a lot we owe to Duncan Hines.

Cathy2 wrote:

KajmacJohnson wrote:I have a lot of interesting things I have picked up over the last several months. My favorite are the 40s-50s ones published by the culinary Arts Institute which was based here and The New Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Restaurants that is from the 50s.

Examples of the CIA stuff http://www.etsy.com/search?q=culinary+arts+institute&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US&spelling_corrected=culinary+arts+institue

I am planning for an upcoming meeting on Charity Cookbooks (April 20th) where we are asking people to prepare dishes from classic American cookbooks. Did you know the Culinary Arts Institute was located in Melrose Park, IL. Here is an article on it.

Cabbagehead, thanks for the scan!

Regards,

Thanks for linking me the Reader article. I had read the Friktech site before but not the Reader piece.

Hi,

You might just want to attend The Old Girl Network: Charity Cookbooks and the Empowerment of Women. I have a feeling it is a topic right up your alley.

Regards,

Duncan Hines: The Original Road Warrior Who Shaped Restaurant History

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/201 ... pad&f=1053