Most Embarrassing Cookbook in Your Collection

[Morgan_Weber]

I haven't seen a thread on this topic yet, but what is the most embarrasing cookbook in your collection?

We all have them...it sits there on the shelf, you can't bear to throw it away, but would never want anyone on eGullet to see it and know that you actually paid for it.

Mine is "The Lake House Cookbook" by Joseph Sponzo & Trudie Styler...yup Sting's wife. Sadly, I bought it because I'm a huge Sting fan. The recipes all have a ridiculously long list of ingredients. Only redeeming recipe IMHO, is the cobbler...but reallly, who can't find a good cobbler recipe?

Edited June 11, 2007 by Morgan_Weber (log)

[Jaymes]

Rachel Ray's original 30-Minute Meals.

And what's even worse than owning it is the fact that I actually USE it.

Often.

Edited June 11, 2007 by Jaymes (log)

[srhcb]

I have quite a few cookbooks most of you might be embarrassed to own, including a few touting specific brands, several by Food Net celebrities, (yes, including RR ), a couple Mr Food books, and, of course, one of my all-time favorites!

SB (never saw a cookbook without at least one interesting recipe or idea )

[sadie_siamesecat]

Marrying my husband meant combining book shelves including his two prize Star Wars cookbooks that live next to Mark Bittman, The Joy of Cooking, Martha Stewart and the rest of my tomes. Wookie Cookies anyone? I haven't made anything from them yet...

[SuzySushi]

Cooking with Soup, by The Campbell Soup Co.

I inherited it. Honestly.

[moosnsqrl]

Kill It And Grill It, by Ted Nugent. It was a gift. It made me gag. I guess you could call it a gag gift.

[CKatCook]

This cookbook called " a man a can a plan" its shaped like a can, and its all about how to make anything from a can.......gross......

I can honestly say I have never made anything from it...

[hjshorter]

Boy Gets Grill, by Bobby Flay, autographed by the man himself.

(I have many Campbell's, Gorton's, etc., cookbooks. My grandmother got them back in the 40's as a young housewife. Those have a place of pride in my collection.)

[srhcb]

Cooking with Soup, by The Campbell Soup Co.

I inherited it. Honestly.

←

[Carrot Top]

"Cooking the RealAge Way".

What can I say. I got excited in the bookstore.

Each recipe has this little detailed information box that says "if you eat this 12 times a year" how many days younger you will be.

( )

Like, if you eat the Roasted Pepper and Fresh Mozzarella Panini 12 times a year, the *RealAge effect* (yes, this is what they call it) is that "this easy-to-make-lunch makes you six days younger".

No, I haven't used it but sometimes do try to figure out how many days younger I am just from the food I make without the help of it. Which I never, ever, would have done without it.

It's a goofy book. Seems to me.

There's even a website on the program with a grey-haired guy with plastic surgery beaming from its home page, if one wants to be goofy without the book.

Edited June 12, 2007 by Carrot Top (log)

[grimod]

ah, I got you all beat... The Estrogen Cook Book. There was a period in my crack head method of collectiung cookbooks where I couldn't turn any down... even this one. I stole it from my sister.

[AzianBrewer]

The spiral bound version of White Trash Cooking by Ernest Matthew Mickler. The previous owner of my apartment left it there. Great coffee table book!

The Starving Students' Cookbook by Dede Hall, an all time best hand me down from my brother other than his old clothes.

Edited June 12, 2007 by AzianBrewer (log)

[hsm]

Hey, I have that Star Wars cookbook. It's right next to the personally autographed John Madden's Ultimate Tailgating. What? It was all work-related.

[malarkey]

Rachel Ray's original 30-Minute Meals.

And what's even worse than owning it is the fact that I actually USE it.

Often.

←

LOL! I read the title of this thread, and started thinking..."hmm I don't think I'm embarassed about any cookbook I own..." Then I read this post.

Yes, I would be embarassed to own a RR book. Or Sandra Lee.

but I do own many non-serious foodie type cookbooks. I have lots of church cookbooks, from communities around where I grew up in KS. To me, those are very interesting pieces of Americana.

[MissAmy]

Paula Deen's cookbook. Yes, I have used it. (Mainly for party desserts, though.)

[Jaymes]

Rachel Ray's original 30-Minute Meals.

And what's even worse than owning it is the fact that I actually USE it.

Often.

LOL! I read the title of this thread, and started thinking..."hmm I don't think I'm embarassed about any cookbook I own..." Then I read this post.

Yes, I would be embarassed to own a RR book. Or Sandra Lee.

Sandra Lee!? Hey, I do have my standards.

They may be low, but not that low!

Edited June 12, 2007 by Jaymes (log)

[moosnsqrl]

Cooking with Soup, by The Campbell Soup Co.

I inherited it. Honestly.

←

I have this book too! I believe it belonged to GF's Mom?

Try the Porcupine Meatballs.

←

Wow, that brought back memories. They used to serve those in the cafeteria at the student union when I was in college, only they omitted the word "meat" from the name on the posted menu, so everyone ordered "Porcupine Balls" and tried not to giggle. That really never got old, now that I think of it

[moosnsqrl]

The spiral bound version of White Trash Cooking by Ernest Matthew Mickler.  The previous owner of my apartment left it there.  Great coffee table book!

←

Hey, AB, that's a great cook book! Great Hoppin' John recipe.

[Live It Up]

It's not exactly a cookbook, but I'm embarrassed that I own the mr boston bartender's book (actually, I think it might be a different edition than the one I linked to). I bought it when I got my first bartending job, and it's still the only cocktail reference I own. Not that I ever really need to make serious cocktails, but I'd like to have recipes so that I could.

Other than that I'm not really embarrassed about any of my cookbooks, except maybe the little house on the prairie cookbook. I loved that book so much when I was a kid that I constantly had it checked out of the school library. I finally bought a copy a couple of years ago for nostalgia. Anyway, I don't think I would cook anything out of it since most of the recipes are for things like corn mush and crow pie.

[hsm]

Mmmmm...crow pie. That oughta be served more frequently in more places.

[srhcb]

Cooking with Soup, by The Campbell Soup Co.

I inherited it. Honestly.

←

I have this book too! I believe it belonged to GF's Mom?

Try the Porcupine Meatballs.

←

Wow, that brought back memories. They used to serve those in the cafeteria at the student union when I was in college, only they omitted the word "meat" from the name on the posted menu, so everyone ordered "Porcupine Balls" and tried not to giggle. That really never got old, now that I think of it

←

Here's the original Campbells Recipe, although my Mom used Tomato Soup!

You can actually make something pretty fancy by using a beef/pork/lamb meat mixture, adding some garlic and other spices of your choice, stuffing the mixture into hollowed out tomatos or green peppers, and using your favorite Italian-style tomato sauce.

[weinoo]

I've got some very interesting books in my collection - but I think one of the most embarrassing may well be Mary Meade's Magic Recipes for the Electric Blender, published in 1956 - with a smiley faced blender on the front cover! Author is one Ruth Ellen Church (who is actually Mary Meade - info I just gleaned from reading the coverpiece!).

[Carrot Top]

Last year I got pissed off at my kids for not wanting to eat the things I wanted to cook so when I was at the grocery store I saw this book. "Favorite Brand Name Simple 1-2-3 One Dish".

I decided they were going to have to eat from it for the rest of their lives, as long as I was cooking.

The recipes have three to five ingredients each. Most are canned or frozen. There are even little pictures of the ingredients in their little cans and packages, right below the recipes.

But really, this one is not embarrassing. It is more like "frightening".

I wish I had the discipline to use it. Tough love, you know. Supposed to do wonders with kids.

[laurelm]

The microwave cookbook, a very small paperback from the 80s. Bought a box of cookbooks at an estate sale and they threw a couple more in the box for free.

free may be too much, haha.

[Terrasanct]

I have thousands of cookbooks because I sell them, but I think the ones that embarrass me the most are the spiral-bound type that are called something like "Burnt Offerings" or "Heavenly Dishes" that have illustrations of cutesy cartoon characters. The recipes themselves are usually fine, but some of the books have a pretty high cringe factor.

I was looking at one the other day that showed a husband at the table reading the newpaper, in his suit, while the wife in apron, dress, and high heels, did the dishes. I know it was a product of its time, but I'm never sure if I find it quaint or irritating.

My own personal collection is better, for the most part. My most-used cookbooks are my family cookbook, the Joy of Cooking, and a few other classics.

Maybe I should be most embarrassed that even though I have thousands of cookbooks, I still look up most recipes online...