A hefty, photo-rich classic for your kitchen: The Family Home Cookbook from the Culinary Arts Institute (1973). Compiled by the Institute’s staff home economists under director Melanie De Proft, this vintage reference captures mid-century American home cooking in one generous volume.
Inside you’ll find straightforward recipes, helpful working drawings, 73 black-and-white photos, and 46 color illustrations. Photo-verified with its original dust jacket—ready to cook from or display.
Quick Specs
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Item Type: Vintage hardcover book (cookbook)
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Size: 10 × 8 × 2 inches
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Material: Hardcover with paper dust jacket
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Color: Gray boards with brown illustration; cream/multi-color jacket
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Origin or Maker: Lexicon Publications, Chicago
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Year or Era: 1973
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GENRE: Cookbook / Culinary Arts
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Language / Pages: English / 632 pages
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Identifiers: Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 73-67408
Edition & Features (books)
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Edition/Printing: Later printing (1973 issue of work first published 1953)
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Dust Jacket: Present; original printed price $15.00 on front flap
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Illustrations/Maps/Plates: 46 color illustrations; 73 B&W photographs; 3 pages of working drawings (as stated on jacket flap)
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Extras: Fun spot illustrations throughout; original title noted as The American Peoples Cookbook
Condition Grade: Good
Notes:
Jacket shows visible wear: edge chipping, short tears, creasing, and small losses at edges and spine ends; light surface soiling/toning. Boards are clean and sturdy with minor shelf wear to corners. Text block edges evenly toned from age; pages clean and legible; binding sound. See all photos for detail—sold as pictured.
Condition Grade Key
Near Fine: minimal wear; tight; clean.
Very Good: light wear; clean text; minor flaws.
Good: noticeable wear; sound reading copy; some marks.
Fair: heavy wear; complete but worn; priced accordingly.
About the Author / Maker: Culinary Arts Institute
Prepared by the Culinary Arts Institute—a long-running American publisher of trusted kitchen references—under the direction of Melanie De Proft with contributions from the Institute’s staff home economists (as credited on the title pages).
Add this generous, photo-packed classic to your kitchen shelf and start cooking your way through time.
Disclaimer
The vintage items I share with you have been previously owned and loved and may show some wear. Please use the pictures as a guide.
While I do my best to capture colors accurately, your monitor or device screen may display colors slightly differently from the actual item.
Care & Handling: Handle with clean, dry hands. Store upright, out of direct sunlight, at about 68°F and 40–50% relative humidity. Avoid damp areas and extreme temperature swings.
Please note: If you have any questions or need more photos, ask.
About Reading Vintage
At Reading Vintage, I curate one-of-a-kind treasures for book lovers, decorators, and collectors—including vintage books, retro bookends, and charming collectible pieces.
