EXHIBITS
Crisis in the Kitchen : Feeding the Masses: Christ in the Kitchen
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[0] => HIST 3770 Spring 2017
[1] => no-show
[2] => student exhibit
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Feeding the Masses: Christ in the Kitchen
Religion often dictates how we live our lives; what we wear, what our family looks like, who our friends are [1] and of course what we eat. As consumerism became a sort of second religion for many Americans [2] and the dream of being a housewife was at an all-time high, cookbooks became all the rage.
Where the religion of consumerism and traditional religion met, religious themed cookbooks were created. Mama’s Meichulim[3]is a Jewish cookbook acts as a guide for how to celebrate holidays properly and set a table and make traditional food. This book promotes through religion, buying at kosher delis. Whether meaning to join the religion of Consumerism or not, the author, Sadie Rivkin promotes it by selling a book full of information a Jewish woman could get from her mother, and promotes the certain types of food. Mormons and Moravians did a similar thing, taking advantage of the Consumerism Craze, but adding in prayers and life advice.
Mormon Cookin’[4]included recipes for Brigham’s Buttermilk Doughnuts, the Moravian Women’s Cookbook[5]features traditional recipes such as Potato Pancakes and Moravian mints. Mormon Cookin’ even had a place for a stamp and an address on it so it could easily be mailed as a gift. These religious cookbooks show the national attitude of the "Christian America" versus the "Godless Communists" of Russia.
Religion may not be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to consumerism, however it seems even clergy joined the Church of Consumerism and sold cookbooks that their congregation would be encouraged to own.
[1] May Elaine Tyler. Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era. 20th ed. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2008.
[2] Cohen, Lizabeth. A Consumers’ Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America. New York: Distributed by Random House, 2003.
[3] Mama’s Meichulim. Utah State University Special Collections. FOLK COLL 17 a, no. 38.
[4] Mormon Cookin’. Utah State University Special Collections. 289.307
Created By: Madison Kelsey