Synopses & Reviews
"There are two kinds of people in this world: the ones who don't cook out of and have NEVER cooked out of
The I Hate to Cook Book, and the other kind... The I HATE TO COOK people consist mainly of those who find other things more interesting and less fattening, and so they do it as seldom as possible. Today there is an Annual Culinary Olympics, with hundreds of cooks from many countries ardently competing. But we who hate to cook have had our own Olympics for years, seeing who can get out of the kitchen the fastest and stay out the longest." —Peg Bracken
Philosopher's Chowder. Skinny Meatloaf. Fat Man's Shrimp. Immediate Fudge Cake. These are just a few of the beloved recipes from Peg Bracken's classic I Hate to Cook Book. Written in a time when women were expected to have full, delicious meals on the table for their families every night, Peg Bracken offered women who didn't revel in this obligation an alternative: quick, simple meals that took minimal effort but would still satisfy.
50 years later, times have certainly changed — but the appeal of The I Hate to Cook Book hasn't.
This book is for everyone, men and women alike, who wants to get from cooking hour to cocktail hour in as little time as possible.
Review
"While much has changed since 1960, many people still hate to cook. This revised edition remains as delightful as ever, with its simplicity, easy-to-follow recipes, and whimsical illustrations. Fans of the original will enjoy the foreword by Bracken's daughter, Johanna Bracken. Small changes have been made — e.g., Sole Survivor, a baked fish dish, allows cooks to substitute celery soup for cans of cream sauce and to use fresh or frozen shrimp. Menus, an equivalents chart, and a list of substitutes are included. The original sold three million copies; this updated classic is highly recommended." Library Journal
Review
"Who says there isn't still an appetite for Hootenholler Whisky Cake?...Fifty years after the original publication of The I Hate to Cook Book, it has been updated, revised and re-released....The 184-recipe book, by Peg Bracken, was written with a premise that was then considered heretical: cooking is not joyful, and it should be done as quickly as possible, preferably with ingredients readily available in the cupboard....Tweaks to the recipes were made by Johanna Bracken, Ms. Bracken's daughter, who took out outdated ingredients (like cream of shrimp soup) but left her mother's words mostly intact." The New York Times
Synopsis
Written in a time when women were expected to have full, delicious meals on the table for their families every night, Peg Bracken offered women who didn't revel in this obligation an alternative: quick, simple meals that took minimal effort but would still satisfy.