I’m a columnist based in Brisbane trying to be brutally honest when sharing my parenting highs and lows to help all mums and dads feel less alone.

Cooking with Lily Wallace

Cooking with Lily Wallace

Cooking for a group is hard. Well it's more the "hostessing" part, juggling: tidying the house, with thinking through and pre-preparing meals, setting the table, cleaning glasses... I don't know how the women of the 50s did it all from scratch - and with child on hip!

I hosted a surprise dinner to celebrate a fabulous friend's impressive job promotion on Friday, it was the most amount of people we've had around our table in our tiny townhouse - 7 (and later 8) - and setting it all up was a fine art.

I cooked french onion soup (excellent with pre-toasted baguette), pork roast (a bit too dry but you live and learn - never leave the bone in despite your romantic ideas!) and a friend brought dessert (delicious Donna Hay mint slice).

But the enormity of hosting the evening reminded me of my Granny's first cookbook,  The Lily Wallace New American Cookbook

I came across it while visiting her last year and it's a fabulous recipe-filled, comprehensive guide of entertaining from recipes to setting the table.

I love old recipes and old "advice" books - even though I like to see myself as a strong, modern feminist. There's a place for these books that teach us how to have friends over, entertain them and leave them with delighted palates and satisfied tummies.

So what's your favourite "old-fashioned" cookbook? Raid your mum's or your grandma's stash - even a second hand bookstore - they're usually a funny, delightful read (like the "Setting the Table" page, above).

Side note: Ruth Reichl's blog is an amazing trove of old recipes. She scans them from decades-old Gourmet back issues and vintage books.

Here's one I'd forgotten I'd snapped, "Refrigerator Nut Cookies", it sounds unusual and I love how "fat" and "lard" was commonly used in place of butter back then. I'm determined to test them... with butter.

Feed the Beast

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What is Meant For You

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