The Red 1949 Cookbook is a Harrison County, Kentucky cookbook printed in 1949 featuring recipes from Harrison County Homemakers. Numerous requests were received to replicate copies of the cookbook due to a resurfaced interest in seeking the history found throughout its pages. After much research and digging, a copy was located and replicated. This new 2022 reprint consists of the original cookbook with zero changes made to the pages or ads included. The recipes belonged to homemakers that now make up today’s grandparents and great grandparents. With ads highlighting events from 1949, much of the fun with this cookbook includes reading about relevant marketing strategies from the past such as 3-digit phone numbers, businesses from 1949, and advertisements such as “Electricity does it better.” A couple companies advertised in the cookbook are still in business today, including the historic Rohs Opera House and Biankes. With 156 recipes of grandma cooking goodness and history that dates back 70 years, the popularity of this return has been quite impressive. A Facebook post had the starting supply of 25 cookbooks sold within the hour. This promotion was mentioned on the local radio and within 5 minutes of its discussion, 23 people called the Extension Office to reserve their cookbook and a total of 58 cookbooks were credited to the radio’s announcement. To date, nearly 320 copies have been sold and known states where this hidden Harrison County treasure has been shared include Maryland, Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, and North Dakota.

Family & Consumer Sciences agent, Shelley Meyer, held three cooking sessions preparing dishes from the 1949 Cookbook. This Cookin’ like its 1949 class gave one hundred percent of participants hands-on cooking and a complete meal at the conclusion of class. Participants received a red apron, fun facts about the cookbook, and a news publication detailing 1949 statistics. Promotions encouraged owners of the cookbook to prepare recipes from the book and post pictures to Facebook with the added hashtag 1949.