Bonnie Slotnick & Vintage Cookbooks
Being a lover of all things vintage can transition a person into a dangerous hobby. What is that hobby, you may ask? Collecting. Yes, collecting. Antique teacups, atomic dish ware, Art Deco compact mirrors, Lucite purses, Pyrex bakeware, Bakelite jewelry--French poodle figurines for goodness sakes (my current weird collecting hobby)! But, I've discovered a new point of interest, vintage cookbooks! And the Queen of Vintage Cookbooks in New York City is Bonnie Slotnick owner of Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, which I must say is a real gem!
Bonnie Slotnick is a wonderful woman! She is super friendly and filled with so much knowledge. Bookstores are slowly (and sadly) becoming an endangered business. While I was browsing through the endless bookshelves, I couldn't help but think of that movie, You've Got Mail (1999) in which Meg Ryan's character has to close down her small bookshop.
In my world Kindle can never replace the glorious feeling of opening a hardcover book or a slim paperback. Little shops like Bonnie's are a rarity, so when you find a good one, support it!
Bonnie Slotnick's shop is so small and cozy. Not to mention it is STUFFED to the top of the ceiling (literally) with rare cookbooks, cocktail books, how-to guides, magazines, and antique volumes (dating up to 18th century!). She has cute vintage items such as, teacups, plates (even a stove), all around the shop for a cute and kitschy feel! There are comfy chairs and tables to sit and enjoy browsing through her collection. The Christmas lights draped around the store are such a nice touch to put one in a festive mood. The store decor is just too adorable for words--it's definitely a dreamy store to me!
You maybe asking yourselves, "What's so special about vintage cookbooks anyways?" Well vintage cookbooks tell A LOT about the era they were written in. 1940s cookbooks are very humbling to read because they showcased the way that people really valued food. World War II really changed families' eating and diets due to rationing. The 1950s are the beginning of interesting food arrangements (a lot of it looks pretty creepy!), but there are so many fabulous hosting books that worth reading.
Honestly Bonnie's shop is a good place to come and just spend a good 30+ minutes, flipping through her the various decades in her collection. She has everything from Julia Child to Betty Crocker.
Oh yeah, those books you see me carrying around are from Bonnie herself! She let me take a few books for free, which is just so sweet! (I've realized this whole post is basically me gushing over her wonderfulness.) This AnneMarie's Cookingschool Cookbook is a 1974 cookbook with interesting recipes such as Chaudfroid (recipes include gelatin and fish stock) and Artichoke Bottoms with Curried Egg Yolks.
Don't you just love a good storefront sign? Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is located in West Village, so I knew that I would spend the day down there for lunch and store browsing. The weather has reached Fall going on Winter so, I had to layer up a bit!
Vintage scarves are one of those items that I collect because, I find that they come in such great use and can serve so many different purposes. Because of the weather (and wanting to add a pop of color to my outfit), I decided to tie a yellow and orange square scarf around my neck. My vintage (1940s?) brown and gold beaded gloves are an absolute fave of mine. They were gifted to me by my dear friend and mentor, Heidi Korkosz. I am fortunate to have very little hands because, I can always fit into a pretty pair of vintage gloves!
I call this outfit (and variants of it) my uniform because, it is my every day go to outfit for school or days like this, when I'm on the go and need something comfortable to wear. This outfit always reminds me of Katharine Hepburn in her everyday life or Grace Kelly in Mogambo (1953). My white button down shirt is thrifted (and taken from my mother's closet). These fabulous pleated high waisted reseda green trousers are vintage (late 1950s) that I snagged back in my hometown, Cleveland Ohio, at Chelsea's Costumes (they have a wonderful selection of vintage clothing)! My 1950s double-breasted black wool swagger coat (I call it my "penguin coat") is another precious gift from Heidi, and is such a wonderful coat to wear for weather like this! I wore a dark grey sweater underneath my coat (the sleeves can be seen) for added warmth. And lastly my black tie up boots are from Amazon ($20) and are perfect for colder weather.
This was such a lovely day despite the extra chilly weather. Bonnie Slotnick has given me a newfound love and appreciation for vintage cookbooks! I definitely want to go back and do some REAL shopping. I think vintage cookbooks are so interesting because they're a great source for learning more about certain periods and honestly, some of the food (and especially the cocktails) can be very enjoyable to make (or laugh at)!
I'll see you next Friday darlings! xx
All photos were taken by Henrietta Audu.