Mother's Day

Well it’s Mother’s Day and here I am without my mother. She’s back in the Midwest and I am stuck in Brooklyn, thinking of newer and better ways to use the oddball collection of ideas floating around in my head. More on that later.

In Mom’s honor, let’s take a look at the retro cookbooks in my collection.

Betty Crocker's Cooky Book was a staple at our house—it was probably the first cookbook I leafed through on a regular basis. It had all our favorites: Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Crinkles, Peanut Butter Cookies, Lemon Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and the very best of all, Fudge Meltaways.

Betty's attempts at icing sugar cookies are comical by today’s standards—but they did inspire a whole generation of cookie-makers (Eleni's, Diane's Cakes and More, Rolling Pin Productions, and of course, my sister Jenny) to learn how to make gorgeous, special and edible cookies.

The Cooky Book had some of the grooviest photos ever. There was a scene that evoked all sorts of fantasies in my mind—one where a mom had enough time to prepare a snack for her cheerleading daughter and her cool friends who drink Nesbitt's Orange Soda and/or milk depending on how practice went. The hand-penned sign says "Have fun! Please clean up the Mess. Mom." I could hardly wait to get to high school to partake!

By the time I got to high school, Nesbitt's was nowhere to be found. It was the 80s for god's sake and we had better things to do than be cheerleaders! And to top it all off, I was yanked from Nebraska and brought along for a tour in Morocco... staying till graduation. No after school treats for me! Which leads me to my next book—Better Homes and Gardens' Meals with a Foreign Flair, which seems to lean quite heavy on Swedish cuisine. With 100 recipes from 18 countries! how can you go wrong?

Mom didn't actually own Meals with a Foreign Flair. I found it in a thrift shop in SoHo a few years back and the photos and garnishes are just killer. The best part of all is the handwritten slip tucked inside with notes on Sweet-Sour Pork: "Cut meat thicker—do not fry hard. Use catsup instead of soy sauce. 2 large peppers & 2 (illegible) ... med onions. Only 1 16oz. can pineapple chunks. May need more water."

First, the thought of substituting soy sauce with ketchup makes no sense. Apples and oranges. Second, pineapple and meat. It reminds me of Godfather's Super Hawaiian Pizza. Need I say more?

I'll have to take a stab at two classics from Scandinavia's favorite—sumptuous smörgåsbord! the penguins made from hard boiled eggs and fancy stuffed celery with pimientos stuck on top for effect. Photos TK.

Happy mother's day, mom. Hope you enjoyed the random post.