The I Hate to Cook Book

This is a great book that I think every kitchen needs. Bracken is humorous and talented in the way she wrote and the recipes she devised. The recipes contain common ingredients that most will have in their kitchen and if not, they are easy to go to the local grocery and buy. The book contains recipes for all occassions and a good variety so that you will not get bored eating the same things over and over. I commute an hour to and from work each day and it seems that when I get home, I spend my time cooking dinner, I eat, and then it is time for bed. I can't wait to try all these recipes to make my day a little easier and so that I will have more time after work for things I enjoy. I would love to get your comments on what you thought about this book and the recipes you have tried from it.

Fun, cynical, charming. A precious reminder of an era and a witty woman, Peg Bracken's "I Hate to Cook Book" is a hoot. Memories of my mother and her cooking just permeated my read! That generation was just starting to feel the force of the onset of women's lib and they were ready to take it into that bastion of womanhood: the kitchen! With deft humor and insight, Peg Bracken helped define an era and you know, in this hustle, bustle world, some of those quick recipes and certainly the humor are still useful and relevant. Buy this for fun, a walk down memory lane and a tribute to a great lady.

Altho this was printed in the late 50's eairly 60', it still is great advise for today. Reciepe's are good too !

I am rapidly completing my Peg Bracken library. If you're my age (I'm in my 30s) or younger, you have probably never read -- and likely have never heard of -- Peg Bracken. She's pretty much lost to our generation. I'd heard of her but never read her stuff until I inherited the "I Hate to Cook Book" and "I Hate to Housekeep" from my grandmother (who probably didn't care for either of them).If you like humor writing and things retro, you should at least read those two. Peg harkens back to the days when you were supposed to have a martini and slippers waiting for your husband and meet him at the door in your negligee, but she was so not into it. I hear she got divorced shortly after the first book came out, and that her husband hated her writing. Loser! Peg is also a reminder of the days when girls got their MRS degree before becoming domestic engineers...her ability with a phrase is testament to a keen knowledge of things other than casseroles and dustcloths.You can't find a lot of info on Peg online. I hear she is still kicking, though. I like the fact that, in her author photos, she's sitting at her desk with a ciggie a la Fran Leibowitz. She was the original Cynthia Heimel. She was way ahead of her time.

My first (and favorite) mother-in-law gave this to me as a wedding present, twenty years ago. At the time I fancied myself quite the gourmet cook, and was mildly insulted. Finally, out of boredom one day, I read it cover to cover. I fell in love with it. There are several laugh-out-loud phrases in it, and Hilary Knight's illustrations are gems. Then, as I started working longer hours and no longer wanted to do something en croute for my husband for dinner, I turned to the recipes. They are simple, good and fast, and most of them can be crammed down a child's throat without too much fuss. They were written in the days before we knew about cholesterol, but hey, not everything's perfect. Are you tired of presenting Tuna Helper to your family? This will give the effect of a much more home-cooked meal. Good everyday family meals, relatively nutritious.You should also read Peg Bracken's other books. They're terrific, too.