Reviewed by Jeanne
Back when the era of convenience food was just starting, Peg Bracken and some female co-workers began pooling ideas for quickly made meals, cutting down on prep time and using inexpensive ingredients. Bracken collected all the recipes, added a number of clever comments of her own and tried to find a publisher. She was turned down several times, including by her own writer husband, until a female editor picked it up. The result was the ground-breaking I Hate To Cook Book, which not only gave helpful recipes and tips but made it all right for women to admit that they didn’t like to cook and that meal planning was a chore. She followed it up with several other books, including The I Hate To Cook Almanack (641 BRA Main).
The Almanack is a fun-filled book with entries for each day of the year. Some dates have recipes, some have some rather suspicious sounding “facts,” and others have tips or quotations. It’s a very browsable sort of book, perfect for dipping in to while you’re waiting for the microwave to ding or while sitting in the car waiting for your fast food order to be handed out the window. Naturally I had to check out personal notable dates first (I tried not to take it personally that on my birthday the tips were on how to save money on food and the first tip was “Go on a diet.”) I now know the proper day of the week to clip my nails and in which zodiac sign to shear a sheep.
I’m not too sure about the fried cucumbers but the Dazzleberry Pie (a “dump cake” variation) sounds easy enough. I might actually try that recipe as a surprise for my next social obligation. Those who are familiar with my culinary skills tend to suggest I bring the napkins, ice or bottled soft drinks.
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