Peg Bracken's Appendix to the I Hate to Cook Book

by Peg Bracken

140 brand-new recipes and more of those hilarious tips on how to stay happy on the kitchen front.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food

Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

Reviews

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, slightly sarcastic book of cooking ideas from the late 60's, which actually is a nice change as it is simple and easy to follow. There are good solid recipes that won't cost too much to make, but a few also haven't aged well like aspic ... though Aspic might be due for a comeback, who knows?
Simple salad dressings and diet foods that actually seem palatable (and with more textures than a juice fast), along with ideas on how to feed four or more on a sensible budget are themes through this cookbook.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty hilarious, and actually helpful at the same time. She's got some wonderful cheats that still work great. The illustrations are delightful, the narrative voice is honest and charming, and it's one of my favourites (and the first book is every bit as good).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this health-conscious age one does not read this for recipes. One reads this for the entertainment value: witty writing, delicious vintage glimpses into the past, intriguing trips into the imagination to try to picture what these combos of canned cream-of soups and sour cream and mushrooms might taste like without actually making the recipes themselves.

[Farzana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old fashioned and fun

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This probably doesn't make much sense unless you've read Bracken's original I Hate to Cook Book. If you have, however, and you liked it, then this will be a definite must read! though in fairness, I suspect that the more recent "complete" I Hate to Cook Book includes a combination of this and the original. Today, both are a bit dated, but fifty years ago, the original was something of a revolution for admitting that women can enjoy being wives and even housewives for the most part without much liking cooking.

[Kristen Northrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

No idea yet whether the recipes are any good, but her commentary is certainly fun to read. And my favorite part of these old cookbooks is seeing how differently people ate back then. Lots of chutney! And I wouldn't make the blender coleslaw, with all the vitamins going down the sink like that. But quite a few quick-sounding things that I really do want to try. Adorable illustrations.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hilarious little cookbook my Mom just gave me. She used to make this amazing Chocolate Mousse for parties when my sister and I were kids. The recipe is in this book, called, "pots de chocolate." Peg Bracken is a really hilarious writer and her recipes are very dated and fun.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with some recipes I'd like to try. I didn't find nearly as many recipes as in her first book.