A Taste of Haldimand – August 7, 2025

Recipe road trip! Did you know that the University of Guelph’s McLaughlin Library houses one of North America’s largest collection of cookbooks? The Canadian Cookbook Collection alone has 12,600 items, including published books, manuscripts, and magazines dating back to 1521. It was Cathy Barker who brought this library collection to my attention. We were curious to have a look, so that’s what prompted the road trip! 

Cathy and I connected through our children. Her son Brian married my daughter April. Cathy and her husband Russ have a cash crop farm in Perth South, outside of St. Mary’s. She loves to experiment in the kitchen, trying new recipes or using different techniques for food preservation. She also has an extensive garden including flowers, fruits, and vegetables. I learned through conversation that her interest in plants goes back to her student days. She is an Ag Tech, having graduated from Ridgetown College, and worked in the field of plant breeding research. She is also an active volunteer with the Huron County Food Bank Distribution Centre.

Since this cookbook collection is part of the archives and special collections department, we needed to search the database and request titles to view. I discovered a few cookbooks from Haldimand County (shown at right): the West Haldimand General Hospital nursing department’s 1982 cookbook, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Ladies Aid book of 1971, and the tiny book by the Boy Scouts of Canada Troop 1 Dunnville, Favourite Cookie Recipes from 1953.

Early cookbooks were called receipt books and included not only recipes but instructions on menu selection, dinner etiquette, cleaning solutions, and medicinal remedies for a wide range of ailments. These books provided support for a new bride as she established her own household. For us, it was a window into daily life during the early days of Canada. 

We each chose a recipe we hoped would be interesting to the readers. Cathy chose the dry curry main dish. This came from the Military Chapter Cookbook compiled by the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire of Calgary, Alberta in 1927. I chose the cocoanut meringue cake from the Coronation Cook Book by the Victoria-Guelph Chapter Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire from 1937. This would have been in commemoration of the coronation of King George VI, the grandfather of King Charles. They are included exactly as they appeared in their original book. I made the cake recipe and have included my own notes. It was sweet and delicious. Enjoy!

Please note: The oatmeal cranberry cookie recipe in last week’s column was missing one ingredient measurement. Please add 1 cup of all-purpose flour to the recipe where noted.