I started with mid-century cookbooks, and moved on to depression & WWII rationing, from there to the 19th century (my oldest book is 1876), from there to the 17th century (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22790/22790-h/22790-h.htm) -Gutenberg has even older ones if you can handle the “English”- and now I’m onto the hyper regional fundraising books put out by local community groups etc, usually mimeographed or stapled with recipes like “Betty’s Buffet Meatballs; ingredients: ground meat, grape jelly, chilli sauce”. I have one Amish one that lists all the ladies names and addresses, I guess in case you want to drop them a line about how much you liked their creamscicle punch recipe?
