Best thing for anyone to do is run out to a used bookstore or antiques store and buy up the old Betty Crocker cookbook with the red-white checkered cover, as well as Sunset Publications’ cookbooks, such as for baking bread or Italian cooking. Or any cookbook published before the ‘70s.
Escoffier is good. I also really like the old Joy of Cooking.
A good source for free e-books of older and out of print cook books as well as 18th century living tips for preppers.
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Cookery_%28Bookshelf%29
I have an old Joy of Cooking-early 70’s that I got when I got married-some of the ingredients in recipes are easier to find here in BFE than at a supermarket in the City...
I grow or buy fresh, cook it fresh-I do keep bullion cubes, sometimes canned tomatoes and frozen artichoke hearts-that are only obtainable in Cali or Mexico most of the year, but there are no other boxes, cans, bags of frozen veggies, etc in this house-well, other than dog and cat food...
I’ve always cooked that way for my family and myself-and when my husband and I were young, just out of college, had a little kid and were short on cash, cooking fresh stuff at home had the extra benefit of saving a bunch of money as well as being healthy, just like it does now.