Penguin Books Australia

The 21st Birthday Cookery Book of the Country Women's Association in Tasmania was first published in 1957, in recognition of a major milestone for the organisation. This facsimile edition, including all the original recipes, pays homage to the enduring appeal of the CWA and the legendary cooking skills of its members.

The first edition of The 21st Birthday Cookery Book sold 10 000 copies in the first five months after publication. Over the following years its popularity continued and it became the go-to book for many aspiring homemakers. More than 50 years later, the recipes and tips are as relevant as ever. The collection includes hundreds of tried-and-true recipes submitted by CWA members. Recipes that hark back to a time when cooking was about using simple, wholesome ingredients to create nourishing and satisfying food.

This book is a resource for a lifetime of cooking. There are recipes for absolutely everything: beverages and biscuits, soups and savouries, preserves and pastries, salads and sauces, fish, poultry and meat dishes, and cakes large and small. And along the way you'll find some entertaining old-fashioned tips on how to bottle fruit, make your own floor polish, remove stains and generally be a 'good housewife'. The kitsch advertisements will also bring a nostalgic smile to your face.

 Recipes include:

• Savoury Cheese Biscuits
• Crayfish pie
• Salmon Souffle
• Casserole of Mutton
• Aberdeen Sausage
• Boiled Silverside of Beef
• Baked Ham
• Pigeon Pie
• Baked Rabbit
• Baked Banana Pudding
• Golden Dumplings
• Paradise Apple Tart
• Lemon Shortcake
• Apple and Fig Jam