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From the desk of Jane Galt:

What I'm reading this Week

What I'm reading this Week

Betty Crocker's Original 1950 Picture Cookbook Whenever I'm a little stressed, I take out my Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook and get lost in 50 years ago. It's the gift I give at every bridal shower, partly because it has some downright hilarious recipes (for hors d'oeuvres, have your guests roast Vienna Sausages over candles!) and passages like these helpful hints:

Harbor pleasant thoughts while working. It will make every task lighter and pleasanter. . .

Every morning before breakfast, comb hair, apply makeup, a dash of cologne, and perhaps some simple earrings. Does wonders for your morale. . .

Notice humorous and interesting incidents to relate at dinnertime, etc. . .

If after follwoing all these rules fro proper rest, excercise, diet, you are still tired and depressed, have a medical check-up and follow doctor's orders.

Helloooo, valium.

But that's not the only reason I love it. The best reason is that it is the single best guide I know to producing comfort food, even for beginniners. I wouldn't follow the instructions for preparing roasted meats (although I did pick up a good technique for stovetop barbeque chicken), but my mother, who's studied with Craig Claiborne and Julia Child, still uses this for most of her baking, from basic bread to airy, homemade cakes. It's perfect for beginners because while most of the recipes are simple, they were written before the advent of cooking oil, margarine, mixes, and other cooking evils that make all food taste like it came out of your high-school cafeteria. From four recipes for macaroni and cheese to our family's special Christmas bread, almost everything is awfully good. How can you not love a cookbook that has a supper dish called Pink Bunny? If you like comfort food, good basic dishes, or just retro stuff, highly recommend it.

Posted by Jane Galt at March 14, 2002 02:56 PM | TrackBack | Technorati inbound links