Texas Cookbook Collection
Bewley's Flour ad, undated
With more than 8,500 cookbooks spanning the nineteenth century to present, the Texas Cookbook Collection is filled with volumes primarily published by women for women, usually to raise funds for churches, schools, clubs, or organizations. In addition to recipes, cookbooks often offer advice to homemakers and new brides about running a household. They also document Texas foodways and culinary traditions and show how world and local events, such as the Great Depression, World War II, and the rise of women in the workforce, affect diets. These often-overlooked resources can provide a glimpse into the lives of those typically excluded from the historical narrative.
As part of the Texas Cookbook Collection, the Elizabeth Borst White Texas Culinary Collection contains more than 2,000 cookbooks donated by retired librarian and cookbook collector Elizabeth Borst White.
In addition to cookbooks, the collection contains hundreds of Texas restaurant menus.
The collection is open for research and is available for group and class meetings. For questions about cookbooks or menus or to see selections from the collection, please contact Amie Oliver, Interim Director and Librarian and Curator of Print Materials.