Step back in time with Australian Women's Weekly Retro Cookbooks

The MoM team recently visited the famous Australian Women’s Weekly test kitchen to celebrate the launch of the Australian Women’s Weekly Retro Cookbook, a themed cookbook featuring hundreds of fifties’ recipes that our mums and grandmums used to make. Let us tell you, the food was absolutely to die for – it really took us back in time as we munched on devilled eggs, cocktail prawns, trifles, sipped on perhaps a few too many delicious cocktails – all retro style!

We met with Pamela Clarke at the test kitchen, and also saw beautiful Ms Pia Anderson, the driving force behind all things vintage (and owner of Vintage Allsorts). Check out the images below to see some of the lovely ladies at the launch…

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RetroCookbook_PiaAnderson

RetroCookbook_Team

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The Australian Women’s Weekly

The Retro Cookbook

ACP Books, RRP $49.95

Available at bookstores and online at www.acpbooks.com.au

Step back in time to the fabulous fifties when the kitchen was a woman’s domain and salmon mousse was the height of sophistication.

Featuring pages and recipes from original 1950s AWW cookbooks, The Retro Cookbook traces our culinary journey from then to now, contrasting recipes from an era when the dinner party reigned supreme to the wonderful contemporary recipes we all like to cook and share today.

Join The Australian Women’s Weekly Cookbooks Facebook Page

Want to WIN The Retro Cookbook for you and your friend?

Click below

Check out some of the classic retro recipes below…

Classic Retro Recipe – Guard of Honour

Click here to download recipe

Classic Retro Recipe – Devilled Eggs

Click here to download recipe

What are some recipes you used to cook with your mum and grandma when you were younger? What retro cooking recipes are your favourite? We’d love for you to share!

134 Comments

- - Frankiielot said
  - 18 Jun 2023
    9:16 pm
So cool!
I want to get my hot little hands on a copy for me and my friend as we’re both big retro fans.

- - GeoEllie said
  - 31 Jan 2015
    6:30 pm
OH devilled eggs, what a wonderful blast from the past!

- - mom93821 said
  - 15 Jan 2015
    6:21 am
Will be hunting for this cookbook!

- - mom93821 said
  - 14 Jan 2015
    8:44 pm
I love everything Retro; cooking; furniture, clothes and ……….

- - mom102977 said
  - 03 Nov 2014
    10:57 pm
Got this cookbook as a present and love it!!!

- - cherz said
  - 11 Sep 2014
    9:11 pm
Oh my, I would love this book. Will have to keep a check on prices.
My mum used to make mushrooms (the pastry base with jam at the bottom then cream, and topped with nutmeg and lastly a pastry strip in the middle type) my brother loved them and so did I. Never see these these days …and oldie but a goodie. soooo yumm.

- - rachaelchara said
  - 16 Jun 2014
    1:10 pm
I am always using my grandmothers old cookbooks. They have all our old fashioned family favourites.

- - no1ladydj said
  - 30 May 2014
    10:53 pm
I’ve got several old recipe books that belonged to my Mum and my Nanna. Some of them are over 50 years old, and the recipes are usually very hearty and satisfying. And thankfully, most don’t use ingredients that cost a fortune or are hard to find.

- - scottie said
  - 30 May 2014
    4:58 pm
I know a couple of people that this would be the perfect present for

- - mom57522 said
  - 29 May 2014
    3:33 pm
Just finished looking at the woman’s weekly cake book!

- - mom57522 said
  - 26 May 2014
    9:50 pm
Love the woman’s weekly cookbooks!

- - catgrrl3 said
  - 22 May 2014
    11:28 am
always been a fan of the Womans Weekly cookbooks and get them whenever they turn up at the op shops regardless of age

- - kazh said
  - 21 May 2014
    8:35 pm
I just adore that kitchen

- - Mrs Bucket (that's pronounced Bouquet) said
  - 17 May 2014
    1:41 pm
I just love retro and vintage. Can’t get enough of the stuff.

Picture: One of my Women’s Weekly tea towels that depicts a previous cover.

- - Happymum-2 said
  - 16 May 2014
    1:29 pm
I can still remember my mums womans weekly cook book

- - sarah_wardleworth said
  - 11 May 2014
    1:48 am
Good read thanks for the information

- - cheezel said
  - 28 Apr 2014
    9:04 am
I will have to hunt one of these down…what a great cookbook

- - autismmum said
  - 26 Mar 2014
    11:18 am
OMG how fabulous would this be? My cookbooks don’t go back quite this far, but how much fun would it be to use this cookbook

- - mle00 said
  - 24 Mar 2014
    9:23 pm
I think I may have to invest in this cook book! Although I still have many old woman’s weekly cookbooks, they are probably retro by now!

- - shazzbot said
  - 05 Mar 2014
    4:08 pm
I would love to have this recipe book.