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Most Embarrassing Cookbook in Your Collection

Morgan_Weber

By Morgan_Weber
in Cookbooks & References

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armchairchef

armchairchef

Posted
Posted

I'll throw my two cents in. It wasn't my cookbook, but my best friend's. She had some sort of Gourmet magazine cookbook she got as a wedding present, with her and her husband's names embossed on the cover! the photos looked absolutely disgusting, including one with a turkey covered in truffles, and it looked like the turkey had leprosy or something! :shock: She didn't want to give it away or throw it out because it had their names on it. They were divorced by that time, anyway.

millersus

millersus

Posted
Posted

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.

I have two (that I'll admit to). One, bought in Lubbock Tx in the 80's, has on the cover a Weathergirlesque woman loudly proclaiming "You've Had Worse Things in Your Mouth". It's a delightful collection of sure fire seduction, and hell-fire revenge (for the woman scorned).

The other is a Haskell Co cook book that has many ways to use road kill.

They're in a box...somewhere...

Pebs

Pebs

Posted
Posted

I have the Iowa Road Kill Cookbook. It's utterly disgusting. What's even worse is that I knew someone that would scrape whatever he hit off the pavement and his mother would cook it up. I think the only thing she wouldn't cook was cats.

lesfen

lesfen

Posted
Posted

I'm a little embarrassed that I'm NOT embarrassed about my Campbell's and RR cookbooks. :sad:

The only one that I'm truely embarrassed about is "InterCourses:an aphrodisiac cookbook". My well meaning husband bought it for me for Valentine's Day, long ago. I've never actually tried anything from it, but when my mom comes over and looks at my cookbooks, it sticks out like a sore thumb and I just want to die.

Dante

Dante

Posted
Posted
The only one that I'm truely embarrassed about is "InterCourses:an aphrodisiac cookbook".  My well meaning husband bought it for me for Valentine's Day, long ago.  I've never actually tried anything from it, but when my mom comes over and looks at my cookbooks, it sticks out like a sore thumb and I just want to die.

I've got that one- quite the coincidence- my wife got it for me for Valentine's Day some years ago. Some really good stuff in there (the french toast recipe especially). Granted, none of the recipes I've tried so far have had the advertised effect (at least nothing I could chalk up to inherent qualities of the ingredients in and of themselves), but they're still quite good as a whole.

to my knowledge, my mother's never noticed my copy, but I don't think she'd care if she did- she's been (unsuccessfully) lobbying for grandkids for years now... :wink:

Sincerely,

Dante

  • 2 weeks later...
Shannon_Elise

Shannon_Elise

Posted
Posted

I very narrowly missed being the un-proud owner of a Sandra Lee cookbook. Several years ago (as I was making the braised short ribs from the French Laundry Cookbook) my grandma calls to tell me she was watching QVC and wanted to order me a cookbook (my first hint) and that it was by some woman from the food network (the second hint). So I asked who it was and she said, "I think her name is Sandra Lee. And I..." I had to cut her off with a big "NO!" don't waste your money. I then proceeded to go on a 15 minute rant on Sandra Lee (SL used to make me angry, now I just laugh at her). This was around the time that she wrote something for Gourmet (or Bon App, I'm not sure) and wrote that chefs in four star restaurants were not making their own stock or something. What an idiot.

I do have to state that I am a proud owner of the Mickey Mouse Gourmet Cookbook. Got it on a childhood trip to Disney World. I've never cooked anything from it, but it reminds me of that trip.

Shannon

my new blog: http://uninvitedleftovers.blogspot.com

"...but I'm good at being uncomfortable, so I can't stop changing all the time...be kind to me, or treat me mean...I'll make the most of it I'm an extraordinary machine."

-Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine

  • 2 weeks later...
Tangelo

Tangelo

Posted
Posted
A church cookbook that has a Jello salad recipe that calls for canned cherry pie filling, lemon Jello, a can of canned pineapple bits and (yes, this is true), a can of drained, sliced green olives with pimento stuffing.

:blink:

Ew.

Like several others, I have a odd cookbook of old Euro recipes but mine is a bit more specific. It's a Transylvanian cookbook. I tell guests who stare that it is where I got my amazing recipe for blood sausage.

  • 2 weeks later...
Kim Shook

Kim Shook

Posted
Posted

I have a whole shelf-full of those supermarket check out line Pillsbury mini cookbooks. The ones that are next to the gum and mints? "A photo of every recipe!" "101 Things to do with Crescent Rolls!" I just can seem to resist them. Sometimes.....I even cook stuff out of them....and sometimes,........,......., we like it :blush::blush: . I am sooooooooo embarrassed.

Kim

Kim

Kim's Cookbook

What Fresh Hell is This?

Sherry B

Sherry B

Posted
Posted

"The Hot Dog Cookbook". It contains a recipe for a crown roast made with weiners.

"The Happy Cooker". Lot's of philosophy regarding the "woman's" duties as far as cooking, etc.

They're pretty fun to read, actually, and those are just off the top of my head. I have dozens of non-PC cookbooks.

SnorkelVik

SnorkelVik

Posted
Posted

My most embarrassing cookbook is one in the Williams-Sonoma line "Cooking for Yourself". I like the recipes, and the tone, but I'm a bit ashamed of it, even though I bought it at a time when I was trying to embrace my single lifestyle.

Sherry B

Sherry B

Posted
Posted

Too easy!

"The Hot Dog Cookbook" The cover photograph is of a crown roast of weiners. Filled with stuffing, garnished with duchesse potatoes, and (of course) peas. Yummeh!

"The Happy Cooker" Lots of canned soup-type recipes, written by a "traditional" wifey who obviously has a huge pantry. All that soup!

  • 2 weeks later...
adey73

adey73

Posted
Posted

I was bought a book once with Jamie Oliviers gurning face on it, I was offended, the book didn't last.

jayejo

jayejo

Posted
Posted (edited)

The catfish recipe from White Trash Cookbook is great too. I don't own this one, but my mom does.

I think my most embarrassing is one called The Ex-Boyfriend Cookbook. A writer friend of mine got it as a galley and gave it to me since she doesn't cook. It's recipes that these two girls collected from ex-boyfriends and it stinks.

Edited by jayejo (log)

There's nothing so bad in this life that pork fat can't make better.

My Blog

  • 2 months later...
racheld

racheld

Posted
Posted (edited)

It's a spiral-bound, hometown-compiled, committee-edited little number---can't remember if it's Our Delta Dining or Recipes from Shawmut Baptist Church or Cooking with the Stars or any of the other dozens of typewritten, everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-mushroom-soup-and-Kool-Whip social club/church group/Eastern Star/garden club novelettes which I've acquired over the years, but this one has a recipe I'll never forget.

In its entirety:

SQUIRREL DUMPLINGS

"Make like chicken, but use squirrel."

Guess I'm not REALLY embarrassed. I knew the man, and he was a nice old fellow.

Edited by racheld (log)

Fairy Tea

My Blog--Thanksgiving and Goodwill
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PAXTON PEOPLE

  • 3 weeks later...
Dieck

Dieck

Posted
Posted

The only one that I'm truely embarrassed about is "InterCourses:an aphrodisiac cookbook".  My well meaning husband bought it for me for Valentine's Day, long ago.  I've never actually tried anything from it, but when my mom comes over and looks at my cookbooks, it sticks out like a sore thumb and I just want to die.

If it makes you feel any better, I own the same cookbook! And my GRANDMA (who is now 92) got it for me! This was already after we gave her great grandkids!

My blog: Rah Cha Chow

  • 2 weeks later...
dianem

dianem

Posted
Posted
I am going to have to go with a sixties piece once owned by my parents entitled "It's Fun to Fondue." I am still unclear what a "Monkey" is exactly.........................

"It's Fun to Fondue" by M. N. Thaler? That's hilarious. I don't have a copy at hand, but my father wrote and published that book. I think my parents still have the copper fondue pot that's featured on the cover of the first edition... I know nothing about monkeys, though.

I still have my very first cookbook: Betty Crocker's New Boys and Girls Cook Book. Still my go-to reference for "bunny salad" (place canned pear halves on lettuce leaves; add raisins for eyes, cinnamon candy for a nose, blanched almond halves for ears, and cottage cheese for a tail). Classic!

d.

  • 2 weeks later...
DCP

DCP

Posted
Posted

The Can Opener Gourmet by Laura Karr. Yes, I have cooked a couple things from it.

They were actually good.

David aka "DCP"

Amateur protein denaturer, Maillard reaction experimenter, & gourmand-at-large

Daniel

Daniel

Posted
Posted

Some cookbook from a food network star someone probably gave me as a present.. Not that I am embrassed by it but, its pretty bad..

Peter Green

Peter Green

Posted
Posted

Following fast on the heals of the last post.....

In The Kitchen With Rosie Oprah's Favorite Recipes by Rosie Daley.

1. When I did the blog, someone spotted it on the shelf

2. You always have to explain it was a gift

3. Because it was a gift, I feel bad about tossing it

Honest, it was a gift! From people I like and who come over often! What can I do?

(it was a toss up before Daniel's post of this or Cleansing Food which just sounds like something you'd put in your body with a hose)

Peter Green

Peter Green

Posted
Posted
This is sad.  It was a gift, honest and it will be again.

Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook

Actually, could you give us a list of some of the recipes? That sounds interesting!

scottie

scottie

Posted
Posted

Babe's Country Cookbook

From the movie with the cute talking pig. Some of the recipes are fairly good, but the writing is abysmal. Each recipe is introduced in the voice of the farmwife from the movie.

Plus it just looks so cheesy on my shelf.

Why God, why?

amdellutri

amdellutri

Posted
Posted

Aunt Bee's Mayberry's Cookbook

The cookbook covers appetizers, beverages, soup, salad, grits, eggs and cheese, bread, entrees, vegetable, cakes, pies and desserts, cookies and candies, pickles, relishes and sauces.

There are a bunch of apple and banana recipes, a couple of Apple Pie recipes, apple bread, baked apples, banana bread, muffins, etc. Aunt Bee's Fried Chicken. It's loaded with comfort and southern food. It's probably not a bad cookbook. It justs looks a little out of place sitting on the shelf with Escoffier, Julia Chld and my other culinary cookbooks. I'm actually holding it for my son. Easy recipes his he can do.

The following recipes and others are on Amazon.com (search inside)

Aw Gee, Paw Cheese Ball

Myrtle's Melon Balls

Watermelon Wally

http://www.amazon.com/Aunt-Bees-Mayberry-C..._rdr_bb_product

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