The I Hate to Cook Book – Updated and Revised, by Peg Bracken

The 50th Anniversary edition of The I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken has been updated and revised. It includes a new forward by the author’s daughter, Jo Bracken. The cookbook is written for those who don’t love cooking, but even those who do can enjoy the good humor and good recipes included in this retro cookbook.


Book Description
"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. – The I Hate to Cook Book


My Thoughts
I always am on the lookout for fun new recipes and ways to cook things. If the cookbook has some good humor thrown in, that is added bonus of sweetness – with no extra calories even.

I have to honestly say that I never heard of this cookbook until recently. I was however pleasantly surprised by the unique humor that emerged from the pages – and to think this was written 50 years ago! That was an era where most women were stay at home moms and had dinner on the table at 5:30 when their husbands came home from work. It isn’t like that now, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look back to some of these recipes.

Among some of my favorites:
• “Sherryburger” it does have the same name as me, but I switched the hamburger out with ground turkey (I don’t eat beef).
• “Anthony’s Shrimp” this quick meal can be done in five minutes!
• “Parmesan Potatoes” this is a very yummy side dish, especially with some garlic chicken!
• “A-1 Chocolate Sundae” a chocolate sundae with sherry? I’m in!

Overall, I found The I Hate to Cook Book to be a nice retro addition to recipes that really aren’t that hard to achieve. It does use ingredients that aren’t so healthy though, so you can feel free to exchange some of the less healthy ones out with some of the newer healthier ingredients available now.


* Thank you to the publisher of The I Hate to Cook Book, Grand Central Publishing, part of the Hachette Book Group for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.