Tuesday, May 3, 2011

It's been a helluva Pyrex dry spell! In fact, I still don't have any new finds to show off. I did, however, find some lovely vintage pieces that more than compensated.

A couple weeks ago, I found a red Dansk frying pan (there's probably a better name for it, but I'm new to Dansk) at a nearby SA. I remembered seeing similar ones on jenib's blog. It was in good shape, had its lid, and they wanted around $5 for it, but on the inside of the lid was a loonie sized chip or scratch where the enamel came off. I passed on it, and thought 'that's that' since I've never run into these before and thought I wouldn't find one again.

A few days later, the red frying pan was gone (I was kicking myself). But, this blue fella showed up!
 I recognized it as another Dansk, but would you believe that I passed on this one too? I honestly couldn't figure out what it was - the bottom doesn't have the typical dark/matte cooking surface - and the price sticker was hiding the maker's mark. Was this a lid? Was it a pot that was missing a lid??  Who knew...  Like I said, I left it there and went home to do some research. I found out that this is a paella pan, and that it's not missing anything. I was kicking myself again! On top of that, I had to go out of town for work for a couple of days, so I couldn't run back to SA to pick it up. ... Long story short, when I finally went back to the shop it was still there. It had been bugging me that I didn't see the Dansk mark on it on my first trip, but I noticed it this time. It is really faint but definitely there. I thanked my lucky stars and took it home for $3. And another obsession begins!

The same day, I popped into a small local charity shop. They seem to only carry Old Orchard (which I don't collect), if they have any Pyrex at all. No Pyrex that day, but in a glass case near the front I spotted a cute pink box with an elephant on it. I just had to check it out.
 "A Guide to Pink Elephants"...huh? I looked inside and saw the cute square spiral bound booklet with 200 mixed drink recipes. The copyright says 1957, and the beautiful pink colour confirms its vintage heritage. The box and booklet are in fantastic shape considering the age. I took it home for $1.50 and I just love it! And in case you're wondering, a 'pink elephant' is gin with a splash of grenadine. (They use a lot of grenadine in this book!).

Finally, I've wanted to tell you about this next find for a while but there never seemed to be the time. I love, love, love books, so I always check out the book section when I'm in a thrift store. I almost passed over this copy of "The New Joy of Cooking" because I associate the white covers (with red and blue) with this title. The dustjacket has an almost lime green background and the design definitely looks vintage. According to the copyright page it's from 1954.

It describes the electric blender as a "newcomer to the kitchen"











 Here's what it looks like without the dustjacket

















And it's full of these retro hand-drawn illustrations.
I can't remember how much I paid for it, but it was probably less than $5. It's in great shape.

So that's it that's all for this winding post. Cheers!

5 comments:

  1. Great deal on the Dansk and I'd love me some pink elephant! :)

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  2. I'm going to try making it soon. Cheers! :)

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  3. Nice finds!! I love old cookbooks!!

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  4. Paskiaq - sorry, I just noticed your question on Pyrex Collective about where the Horizon was. Someone else asked me over email and I told her (it was the VV at Lawrence & Markham) but it was already gone when she got there. They go so fast! I'll pick one up for you if you'd like if I see it again.

    SharonLou - thanks, I love old cookbooks too. The book aisle is always my second stop at thrift shops after housewares.

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  5. Hi, just saw your response now. Yes Pyrex sure goes fast in Toronto! :) Thanks for offering to pick one up for me...so sweet of you! Since we're near each other, maybe we can do some trading at some point :) I admired your designs casserole but I saw that you're keeping it. I'll keep checking your flickr trade folder though :)

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