{The Joy of Cooking, first edition, currently on display at Missouri History Museum}
It’s as common a sight in the kitchen as a stove. For decades, The Joy of Cooking taught millions everything they needed to know about cooking. Less well known is that the author of this classic cookbook, Irma Rombauer, was a St. Louis native. Missouri History Museum is honoring Rombauer as part of its “250 in 250” exhibit, which celebrates St. Louis’ 250th birthday. The exhibit highlights 50 people, 50 places, 50 images, 50 moments and 50 objects in the city’s history.
On Wednesday, March 5, Rombauer’s great-grandson John Becker will speak about how the book revolutionized home cooking at “The Joy of Cooking: The Book That Changed American Kitchens.” “[The book] was really the first beginner-friendly cookbook that was also authoritative in scope,” said Becker, who frequently lectures about Rombauer and his family’s continued involvement with her work.
{Irma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker in 1950}
Rombauer wrote The Joy of Cooking in 1931, and her daughter Marion Rombauer Becker illustrated it. Since then, it has sold more than 18 million copies and published eight editions. Becker said Rombauer was a strong member of the St. Louis community, had a magnetic personality and was involved with many women’s organizations in the city. When she began to explore the idea of writing a cookbook, she turned to St. Louis for inspiration and help.
“The St. Louis community contributed so much to the first edition,” Becker said. “[Rombauer] started collecting recipes from everyone she knew – family members and friends.” The result was that the cookbook’s first edition directly reflected how St. Louisans cooked in the 1920s.
Becker said Rombauer’s voice and the book’s evolving continue to make it a staple in kitchens across America. “One of the reasons why Joy is so amazing as a reference tool … is because we’ve been adding to it for over 70 years,” Becker said.
Becker said he looks forward to speaking in St. Louis about his family’s culinary history. “I’m very proud,” he said. “I’m proud that my grandmother and great-grandmother had an influence on how St. Louis is perceived. I’m always interested in learning new ways of how St. Louis influenced what’s become my life’s work.
The free event takes place at 7 p.m. in the AT&T Foundation Multipurpose Room at the Missouri History Museum. For more information, click here.
This article appears in February 2014.