This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Selling a do-it-yourself paperback cookbook that celebrates the U.S. Bicentennial may seem quirky and about 40 years too late.
But don't tell that to Patrick Hines, Salt Lake City, who is more than enthusiastic about "The State of American Cuisine — 1976," a cookbook that his mother, Lily Howard Hines, and the rest of his family began compiling in the early 1970s.
Years before email, Lily sent handwritten letters to dozens of politicians around the country requesting their favorite recipes, hoping to publish a cookbook in time for the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, said Patrick Hines.
Recipes came from President Gerald Ford, Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, President-elect Jimmy Carter, Vice President-elect Walter Mondale, U.S. Chief Justice Warren Earl Burger, House Speaker Carl Albert and all 50 governors. "Each politician gave their written permission to use their favorite recipe in the book," said Hines.
Utah Gov. Calvin Rampton submitted a turkey or chicken casserole made with roasted chicken and a white wine cream sauce. Alabama Gov. George Wallace shared Deep South baked custard, while Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis sent directions for clam chowder.
The project took longer than expected and no publisher could be found. The hand-typed recipes and paste-on graphics were shelved until the early 1990s, when Patrick Hines said he had 100 copies printed and spiral bound, in hopes of using it as a fundraiser. The family distributed some of the cookbooks, but ultimately the project was shelved a second time, he said.
Now in 2016 — for the 40th anniversary of the Bicentennial — the Hines family is attempting distribution once again. Family members have published more copies of the retro-looking cookbook, which features a red, white and blue Uncle Sam on the cover. "Our cookbook was created as a labor of love," said Hines. "Although lacking in today's slick graphics, the substance of this cookbook is beyond unique."
Anyone wishing to buy a copy can send a check or money order for $9.95, plus $3.50 shipping and handling, to "The State of American Cuisine —1976," P.O. Box 11192, Salt Lake City, UT 84147.