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I have a number of old Canadian cookbooks given to me by family and friends or scooped up at flea markets. I have old church cookbooks, some community ones and a special treasure: The Home Cookbook, published in 1887 by the "Ladies of Toronto and chief cities and towns in Canada."

On June 7, I plan to take them into Liz Driver at The Cookbook Store (850 Yonge St.) in Toronto. From 1 to 3 p.m., she will be assessing the historical value of old cookbooks. Liz is the curator of Campbell House Museum in Toronto, the former president of the Culinary Historians of Ontario and the author of Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks, 1825-1949 (University of Toronto Press).

The canny housewives of the 19th and early 20th centuries were the forerunners of how we wish to eat today.

They purchased fresh seasonal ingredients, often organic and straight from the farm, and used simple, tasty cooking methods, as their surprisingly good original recipes reveal.

ICEBOX COOKIES

This is compliments of Liz Driver. Icebox cookies became popular with the introduction of electric refrigerators in the 1930s. For shredded almonds, simply grate whole almonds on a metal grater.

Lucy's test kitchen notes: We prefer unsalted butter for baking and compensated by adding 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the flour mixture.

What you need

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 beaten egg

2 tablespoons orange juice

Grated rind of 1 orange

2 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon soda

1/2 cup blanched almonds [whole, which one then grates]

What you do

With an electric mixer, cream together the sugars and butter until soft and fluffy. Beat in the egg, the orange juice and rind. Stir in the sifted flour and soda and then the shredded almonds.

Form dough into a roll and wrap in waxed paper. Chill in the refrigerator overnight, or until firm enough to slice thin.

Bake in a moderate oven of 375 F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on sheet for 10 minutes, then move to a rack. Makes 5 dozen or more.

ORANGE MARMALADE BREAD

This marvellous recipe is a quick bread with the texture of yeast bread. It is adapted from Home-Tested Recipes, a humble little recipe book compiled in 1941 by the Women's Association of Parkdale United Church in Ottawa. It belonged to Mrs. A. D. MacDougall, my husband's grandmother.

Test kitchen notes: This makes delicious toast slathered with butter and marmalade.

What you need

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1 egg, well beaten

1 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped pecans (add 2 tablespoons butter if other nuts than pecans used)

What you do

Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Combine marmalade, egg and milk. Quickly stir in the liquid. Fold in nuts. Allow to stand 10 minutes in a buttered loaf pan before baking.

Bake until crust is medium-brown and bread is cooked through, about 50 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

FRIED CHICKEN

The 1887 Home Cook Book includes this old-fashioned take on fried chicken. We were interested to note that they brined the chicken (supposedly a modern technique), resulting in a plump and moist result. The recipe comes from Mrs. Bauscher.

Test kitchen notes: Mrs. Bauscher would have deep-fried the chicken, but we chose to fry until crispy and then bake it. We also seasoned the flour with thyme for a more complex flavour.

What you need

Brine:

4 cups cold water

1/2 cup kosher salt

4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on

Dredge:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon tsp dried

Freshly ground pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Sauce:

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup cream (your choice, from light to heavy)

1/4 teaspoon mace or nutmeg

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

What you do

Combine water and salt in a large bowl. Add chicken breasts and allow to stand for 1 hour at room temperature. They should be covered with the brine; if they're not, add more water and salt.

Drain chicken, rinse well with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge chicken in flour combined with thyme and season with pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Pour oil into a large, deep skillet or wok to a depth of ¼ inch. Heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and fry for 4 minutes or until deeply golden. Turn heat down to medium if chicken is browning too quickly. Turn chicken, bone side down, and fry for 4 minutes more.

Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until juices are clear.

Make sauce while chicken is in the oven. Carefully drain oil from frying pan. Return 1 tablespoon of oil to pan, along with flour and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 4 minutes or until golden.

Add cream and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and add mace or nutmeg, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sauce with chicken. Serves 4.