Thursday, February 17, 2011

Cookbook Porn

Someone gave me something really rad last weekend.

A first edition of the Fireside Cookbook, by the illustrious James Beard. You can get reprints that are probably less yellow than the copy I have, but let me show you why you should grab the original:
















HOW has someone on Etsy not ripped this off and printed it poster-sized yet? Or this:
















Feathers tomorrow. Yeesh. Another:
















I love how a coddled egg is a little baby egg with wispy hairs. So awesome.

The entire book is filled with tattoo/frame worthy pre-atomic art - no page goes unembellished. The recipes, while pretty odd, are interesting, in that "OMG people ate like that?!" way. Some, like the Cheese Croquettes recipe, or the Rarebit, or the several potato salad recipes (I II and III) are pretty unchanged, as are the homemade Mayo instructions (with variations - green, red, russian, tartar). But there are Molded Salad recipes. Multiple Pheasant recipes. And this little half-page:
















People used to do such odd/awesome things to cukes. Since putting them on a pizza last summer, I've seen the warm cucumber light - try them sauteed, or in a calzone - I swear, it's awesome.

But yeah, me, some tomatoes, this bag of agar agar I bought last week, and a funky-as-hell thrifted Jell-O mold have an appointment, and soon. Stay tuned.

2 comments:

  1. I'm not afraid to admit, I kinda want to order some reprints. Those are rad!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Seriously. I kind of want a coddled egg tattoo now. Or at least a poster of the seasonings tree!

    ReplyDelete