Wolf in Chef's Clothing

There are several problems with most cookbooks. First, they are written primarily for those already knowledgeable about cooking- neophytes or casual chefs need not apply. Second, they require absurd fractions of ingredients- once one adds one half a can of cream of mushroom soup to a dish, what is one supposed to do with the other half? Third, the recipies are written in densely packed text and with often vague and confusing instructions. A person who goes to a cookbook with the best will in the world will all too often be turned away to flee back into the arms of Swanson TV Dinners, frozen pizzas, and Hamburger Helper. Wolf in Chef's Clothing is a cookbook for idiots. No, worse than idiots: bachelors. Using simple diagrams and amusing cartoons, supplemented with a bit of humorous writing, the cookbook presents dozens of recipes ranging from breakfast to after-dinner cocktails. The recipes have been greatly simplified- no 1/3 teaspoons or 3/4 cups, no 1/2 cans or 1/4 onions. The resulting dishes, while perhaps not up to the exacting standards of a three-star restaurant, definitely delight the senses. Even the simple hamburger evolves beyond a mere meat patty into a taste delight! The only flaw in this book is that it's a reprint- it was first published in 1950. Certain social attitudes, especially towards the fair sex (this book was written for single men on the make by a writer for Esquire, remember), are extremely dated. So are a few of the dishes- I for one don't know of ANYONE who puts grape jelly in an "American" omlet! Despite this, the book rises head, shoulders, and bushy tail above the standard run of cookbooks. It's only a shame there aren't more modern cookbooks with the charm and simplicity of this book. No bachelor pad should be without a copy!

I recently acquired an original version of "Wolf in Chef's Clothing" and had to pick myself up off the floor, where I happened to be rolling around in laughter. It's a great concept, and what fun to use!

First published in 1950, Robert H. Loeb, Jr.'s Wolf In Chef's Clothing is a unique "picturebook" approach for educating men on how to prepare basic recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight snacks, and barbecues. From omelets to Shrimps Cobra, from canapes to Martini's, the step-by-step picture-based instructions are fool proof and will instruct even the most basic male novice to the mysteries of food and drink preparation. Whether a married man seeking to give his spouse a break in the kitchen, or a bachelor seeking to impress friends and family, Wolf In Chef's Clothing is sure to enhance any meal time or special celebration event.

Yes, this book is a throw-back to the height of the original "lounge culture" era (all the way back in [gasp!] 1950!), but it still holds its own today. The main premise of the book is very simple... You're a suave man-about-town, you know the difference between a Manhattan and a Martini, and will be entertaining friends, guests, or (especially) that "special someone" you want to be intimate with. Sparkling conversation and chilled beer will only go so far. They have to be fed, and delivered pizza isn't going to cut it! If all you know about the refrigerator is that it keeps beer cold and it's where you stick the leftover Chinese take-out, this book comes to the rescue. The recipes are so simplified, as a female co-worker friend of mine likes to say, "even a man can do it!" But there are no quarter-teaspoon or third-ounce measurements here. Everything is either full cup, half cup, full tablespoon or half tablespoon. All the ingredients are drawn in easy to understand pictures, and the instructions are in comic strip format. If you can count, you can cook a meal. Guys, this cook book is for us! If all you've ever made in the kitchen was macaroni and cheese or the occasional sandwich, you're in for a shock as to what you can do! There are ultra-simplified recipes for such dishes as Eggs Demi-Benedict, Sea Food Dorothea, Mignon et Bearnaise, Shrimps Cobra, Lamb Steak Figaro, Welsh Rarebit (spelled here as "Rabbit"), Spaghetti da Vinci, even Duck Vincent. There are suggestions for breakfast, and even instructions on how to use something called a "vaculator" to make coffee (just in case you have one kicking around the bungalow, or find one at the thrift store). If breakfast or the main course isn't enough, there's recipes for picnic lunches, cocktail canapes, salads and salad dressings, even four whole chapters dealing with drinks (Before, During and After-Dinner Drinks, and there's even a chapter entitled "Drinks That Have Nothing To Do With Meals"). On the Politically Incorrect side, there are suggested recipies for four different "types" of ladies; the athletic type ("who prefers a game a tennis to a shot of 3-star Henness[ey]"), the indoor type ("soft round and fluffy, who thinks Alexander the Great the best cocktail ever made"), the intellectual type ("more an I.Q. than a Q.T."), and the 3-B type ("brains, bonds and beauty"). The author of this tome was Robert H. Loeb, Jr., food and drink editor for Esquire magazine in the 1950's. The illustrations were by Jim Newhall, an ad agency director from Chicago. The men knew what they were doing. The fact that this book has been brought back in print after 50 years, and without a word or picture changed, holds testament to that! Some of the illustrations are a bit dated (the fashions & quasi-McCarthyesque references to Russia), but that just adds to the book's charm. It was even given a glowing review in the January 2001 edition of Playboy magazine! After you've tackled this book, you'll be rea