The Cookbook That Wouldn’t Die
A friend of mine recently held a really fun party. She loves to cook, and because the classic Joy of Cooking recently marked its 75th anniversary, she invited 15 friends to each select a dish from the book, make it, and bring it to her house. What a great time we had!
In the English-speaking world, Joy of Cooking, written by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker, has long been a staple in the kitchen. My own mother had a much-used copy in the kitchen cabinet, and I bet most other baby boomers’ parents had one, too.
For the party, I made Indian Pudding, because I love it. Other people made Chicken with Fruit, Meatloaf, and a whole array of dishes. As someone at the party remarked, there weren’t a lot of greens on the table. And it was true. But Joy of Cooking was never necessarily about eating healthy food. It was about good-tasting, simple food.
At the party, some of us had brought copies of the book. I had the brand-new, updated edition, others had tattered hard covers or paperbacks from various years. (The photo above is a 1931 copy from the first year the book was published; the photo below shows the newest edition.)
January 17th, 2007 at 11:38 am
That sounds fun! I’ll bet you guys had a great time, and this is a wonderful idea!
January 17th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Happy Hump Day Rhea! BTW – thanks for the Johnathan Pond article
January 17th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
My mother has a copy of it, it was given to her as a gift from one of the patients she had when she worked as a nurses aide at a local mental hospital back in the 70’s.
January 17th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
I have my Mom’s copy!
Your friend’s party sounds like fun.
January 18th, 2007 at 8:35 am
So here’s my little bon mot about cookbooks. Since I don’t cook at all, my eye is caught by books with variations of the title: “Cooking for Dumbshits.” My standard line about such books is that you open up to the first recipe for the uninitiated, and it says, “First, make a roux.” [In short, the author assumes a level of knowledge he/she supposedly was proceeding on the assumption you didn't have].
Then there’s the recipe for bear stew: “First, get a bear . . .”
Sounds like a fun get-together.
January 18th, 2007 at 9:40 am
I think maybe my sister has my mom’s copy of the book. It was old!
Gerry: I started out with a cookbook for kids. No kidding. It was a great way to get basic info on cooking.
January 18th, 2007 at 11:04 am
This sounds like a great idea for a get-together – how clever! I’m going to have to remember it should I ever decide to have friends over for dinner as it’s got to be such a great stress-free way to host a party!
And who doesn’t love sampling different kinds of good food? I, personally, subscribe to the Joy of Eating!
January 18th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Hey. Thanks for the idea. I’m up for a neighborhood potluck and will do this. Everyone has a Joy of Cooking, after all.
January 18th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
I’m glad this party idea sounds good to many of you. Hattie, if you do this, please let me know how it goes. You’re right: just about everyone has a copy of the book. Even me (as of 3 weeks ago).
January 19th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I am sooo impressed that you made Indian Pudding. I have never been able to manage it.
January 19th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Mary, you know, I messed it up a few times myself, using other recipes. Somehow the Joy of Cooking one worked. I added more molasses to it, though, because I thought it called for too little.
January 20th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Joy of Cooking was my first cookbook, given as a gift from an uncle when I was heading off to college in 1963. Thanks for the fond memories.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:23 am
Sounds like a really fun party. ONly cookbook I’d probably keep around.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:08 pm
LeslieT: That thing is worth some bucks. Glad you enjoyed this.
Mother: It was a great party!
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