Making Space and Finding Treasure

As spring is well upon us and summer is nearly here I am reorganizing my kitchen to accommodate the culinary delights from the summer garden. Part of this task has involved weeding through the many cookbooks that clutter my shelves. As a food lover I find it very difficult to part with these books, even if I have never used them for meal preparation.

I spent this morning reviewing the 1953 edition of Better Homes and Gardens new Cookbook. This book has graced my kitchen shelf for over ten years, and I have yet to make a single recipe from its depths. It should have been an obvious choice for the "get rid of" pile.... and yet, I find I cannot part with it. What tickles me about this book begins right in chapter one with meal planning. How can one part with a book that recommends Fried Brains with Glazed Pineapple as a main dish? If this doesn't give you pause then read on and consider serving your family Tongue with Gingersnap Sauce for a change.

Chapter two is loaded with tried and true kitchen tips from measuring to storage. If per chance you shopped for the Fried Brains dinner but won't be preparing it today you would need the know that "... brains are delicate. If to be refrigerated, simmer in salted water with dash lemon juice or vinegar for 15 minutes. Drain, refrigerate in covered container up to two days. "

Chapter twelve, entitled Jiffy Cooking is devoted to meal prep with short cuts. Most of the tips and recipes covered in this chapter would seem normal enough to the modern homemaker at a glance. The general idea is to use some pre-made ingredients to cut your prep time. Generally speaking, I do not believe in food short cuts, but with titles like "Pizza Hash" and "Hot Dogs Delicious" I wonder if I might reconsider. What I find lacking in this section are descriptions for these pernicious meal titles. Has anyone in the nearly sixty years since this book was published ever made pizza hash?

The rest of the book is JAM packed with interesting photographs, illustrations, tips and often unheard of foods. Truly the best chapter is saved for the end when it trains in the lost art of table setting for entertaining. "...there's no getting around it-an imaginative table setting does make food taste better." This section pays homage to the often under-acknowledged napkin and it's contributions to a balanced, colorful, and personalized table. Also to be found in this section are instructions for seating your guests and the proper way to serve after-dinner coffee. I feel like throwing a formal dinner party now that I know the respectable way to set places and what pieces to set them with.

After re-familiarizing myself with this long forgotten treasure I think I shall let it linger a while longer.