The Joy of Cooking was a trauma narrative. 1/

That’s my opinion. The most-often quoted story — and factual — is that Rombauer compiled and self-published the book out of economic necessity following the tragic suicide of her husband. It was a matter of survival. https://www.history.com/news/the-personal-tragedy-behind-the-joy-of-cooking

Another take on this — also factual — unpacks the book’s relevance to the crumbling of class boundaries due to the Depression and the rise of DIY cooking among some of the former elite https://www.riverfronttimes.com/foodblog/2014/03/03/stl-250-honors-st-louisan-irma-rombauer-and-her-book-the-joy-of-cooking 3/

And anytime you have a look at cookery and recipes, you are also looking at appropriations and adaptations - credit due and credit never given — to generations. Women’s work for sure and BIPOC women’s work unacknowledged. In fact the notice of a written cookbook is pretty new 4/

A cookbook is a compilation of generations of unpaid labor. 5/

So. Many layers of trauma and of the deepest resistance to trauma there is: creating nourishment and joy with what you have at hand. 6/

Rombauer, pulling recipes together in a year’s time to keep her family going; what were her thought, standing there testing at night and in the morning, knocking doors, asking neighbors for tips in an economy that makes no room for collective wisdom, let alone equality. 6/

The Joy of Cooking is a collective answer to trauma. I wonder how the credits would read if we could name every contributor. 7/probable end

Note to self: compose your threads after your second cup of coffee.