The I Hate to Cook Cookbook has been reissued for its 50th anniversary. The USA Today reviewer noted: “The book’s premise, unheard of in June Cleaver’s day, was for women to get in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible.” I just ordered a copy.

The author, Peg Bracken, had a background in advertising and was a witty writer. This is from the original book: “Start cooking those noodles, first dropping a bouillon cube into the noodle water. Brown the garlic, onion and crumbled beef in the oil. Add the flour, salt, paprika and mushrooms, stir, and let it cook five minutes while you light a cigarette and stare sullenly at the sink.”

Her book was considered revolutionary at the time – a public rejection of something a woman was supposed to treasure: spending time in the kitchen. According to her New York Times obituary: “Long before the microwave became a fixture of every home, “The I Hate to Cook Book” was creating a quiet revolution in millions of kitchens in the United States and abroad. Three years before Betty Friedan touched off the modern women’s movement with “The Feminine Mystique,” Ms. Bracken offered at least a taste of liberation — from the oven, the broiler and the stove.”

Her book was reviewed in the women’s section of newspapers.

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The I Hate to Cook Cookbook has been reissued for its 50th anniversary. The USA Today reviewer noted: “The book’s premise, unheard of in June Cleaver’s day, was for women to get in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible.” I just ordered a copy.

The author, Peg Bracken, had a background in advertising and was a witty writer. This is from the original book: “Start cooking those noodles, first dropping a bouillon cube into the noodle water. Brown the garlic, onion and crumbled beef in the oil. Add the flour, salt, paprika and mushrooms, stir, and let it cook five minutes while you light a cigarette and stare sullenly at the sink.”

Her book was considered revolutionary at the time – a public rejection of something a woman was supposed to treasure: spending time in the kitchen. According to her New York Times obituary: “Long before the microwave became a fixture of every home, “The I Hate to Cook Book” was creating a quiet revolution in millions of kitchens in the United States and abroad. Three years before Betty Friedan touched off the modern women’s movement with “The Feminine Mystique,” Ms. Bracken offered at least a taste of liberation — from the oven, the broiler and the stove.”

Her book was reviewed in the women’s section of newspapers.

Please follow and like us: