Just in to the store today is this beautiful Deco waffle maker with its wing handles of bakelite. It heats up quickly and should work well – though, sadly, I have no batter here at the store to make you any.

It is pictured with this collector’s grouping of 24 volumes of the 1952 Encyclopedia of Cooking which includes such booklets as “Body Building Recipes for Children” (liver soup anyone?),  and “2000 Useful Facts about Food”!

Here is the recipe for Corn-meal waffles from the illustrated page of volume 19 : 250 Breads, Biscuits and Rolls.

2 cups cornmeal
3 cups water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp shortening
4 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sweet milk
1 and 1/4 cups of buttermilk.

Cook corn meal, water, salt and shortening in double boiler 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool. Beat eggs until very light and add to mush. Sift flour with soda and add alternately with sweet milk to mush. Add enough buttermilk to make a thin batter. Bake in hot waffle iron until brown. Makes 12 waffles.

Deco waffle maker with cord $80.
Encyclopedia of Cooking in 24 volumes. $90