Peter Pauper Press Cookbooks

"If you have just gone out on the tundra and shot a reindeer, and are looking madly for a recipe by which to cook it, this little book is meant for you! "If you have just been down with an aqua-lung, spear-fishing in shark-infested waters, and have brought up some succulent shark fins under your spare arm, please turn to page 46! "If you have just been climbing teak trees, and need a recipe for brewing bird's nest soup, flip over these pages and you will be a happy gal!" Front and back covers of a 62-page cookbook, compiled by Edna Beilenson, illustrated by Ruth McCrea, and published by Peter Pauper Press, Mt. Vernon, New York.

Other recipes in this section: Beef Stroganoff, Bouillabaisse, Beignets, Beef Borscht, and (of course) Bird's Nest Chicken Soup.

Other recipes: Cantonese Pancakes, Cheese Soup, Coeur a la Creme, Cucumbers (Raw, Stuffed), and Cranberry Peasant Soup.

Other recipes: Eel en Matelot, and Fish en Gelee.

Is it a leek? A scallion? I don't know, but it looks cool, and that's what really matters. Other recipes: Hungarian Goulash, Hungarian Eggs w/Caviar, Indian Ocean Curry, Jambalaya, Javanese Bamie, Kasha Gurev, Lasagne, Minestrone, Moules Marinieres, and Nasi Goreng.

I know it's a chafing dish, but every time I see it, all I can hear in my head is the theme from Dr. Who. Other recipes: Oxtail Ragout, Paella, Parsley Deviled-Eggs, Pirozhki, and Quenelles.

I've got several of these books. Most of them only cost me a buck or two. It's just a coincidence that I posted the one with the flickr color scheme (almost) first.

"Next time you broil a steak, pour 1/2 cup of Burgundy over each side as it broils. Mixed with the juices, it makes a wonderful sauce! "For a quick gourmet dish, add 1/2 cup of Sauterne to frozen Chicken a la King while heating... "Baked apples flavored with Port Wine just before being removed from the oven have a special tang. Try wine in many of your old recipes! Cook dangerously!" -- The Editor (Probably Edna Beilenson again.) Front and back covers of a 62-page hardback published by Peter Pauper Press, Mount Vernon, NY.

"Prepare pastry and line 8-inch pie pan. Mix thoroughly ingredients in order given; turn into prepared pie pan and bake in 450 F oven 10 minutes; then reduce heat to 350 F and bake 25 to 35 minutes longer, or until knife inserted comes out clean." Other recipes included: Armenian Casserole, A-1 Lobster Newburg (doesn't contain any steak sauce), Broiled Grapefruit, Baked Alaska, Braised Beef, and British Mince Pies.

..."While fowl is cooking, make white sauce and stir in nutmeg. Combine white sauce, whipped cream, sherry and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside..." Other recipes: Cabbage In Wine, Chicken Valenciana, Crabmeat and Sherry Soup, Dundee Pea Soup, Egg Nog Pie, Echalote Chicken Saute, and English Sole "Bonne Femme."

If you doubt that the people at Pete's Press had a sense of humor, note that as the drinking progresses, the ingredient lists tend to get longer and recipes more complex. Other recipes included: Grandma's Syllabub, Hamburgers In Sherry, Hong Kong Chicken, Hot Cheese Soup, Holiday Stars, Individual Casseroles, Johnny's Chicken Hash, Jenny's Favorite Boeuf A La Mode, Jiffy Fruit Compote (Uh-huh. Good luck getting those grapes peeled when you're seeing double), Long Island Duckling In Wine, Lobster Mariner, and Lamb Rollettes.

I always keep my pin cushion in the kitchen, just in case a "fowl" needs to be sewn up in a hurry, don't you? Other recipes: Noodles and Beef Stroganoff, Neapolitan Pork Chops, Oysters Terrapin, Peaches Stuffed With Almonds, Pears In Wine, Potatoes In Wine, Pink Welsh Rarebit, Queen Marie's Macaroon Cream, Rolled Veal Marsala, Royal Calves' Liver, and Ragout of Oxtail.

This was the first of the Pauper cookbooks I ever bought, out of a one dollar slush pile in a now defunct warehouse-sized used book emporium. Fifteen or so years later, I'm still not sure if these recipes were really meant to be taken seriously. (For example, I feel bad for the at-home cook who had to figure out the specifics of a direction like "Bake in two layers...") On the other hand, I always wished for somebody to animate McCrea's fabulous drawings. And I still do. Other recipes: Stuffed Peppers "Ricci", Shrimp Creole, Saltimbocca Florentine, Squabs In Madeira, Shrimp Soup, Turkish Shish Kabob, Tetrazzini of Oysters, Tarragon Chicken, Veal Scaloppine, Veal Scaloppine With Mushrooms (?), Viennese Malakoff Pudding, White Mountain (candied chestnuts with brandy and heavy cream), and Zabaglione.

"You are welcome to the Islands Where the pace is calm and slow, Where they dance the hula hula And the balmy breezes blow. We know you'll like the flavor Of the dishes cooked with soy; But you've got to be a native To appreciate the poi! We hope you'll have a luau When next you entertain; Make believe you're in Hawaii With the palms and sugar cane! So quickly turn the pages-- The recipes are great; And we'll gaily sing the praises Of our lovely Fiftieth State!" -- The Editor Front and back covers of a 62-page hardback published by Peter Pauper Press, Mount Vernon, New York.

"...Start your party deliciously with a good seafood dip with crackers, or chilled shrimp served with a tangy cocktail sauce. End it with a Hula Sweet-- pineapple chunks sprinkled with brown sugar, dotted with butter and broiled lightly. Pineapple may be wrapped in a hula skirt (aluminum foil, cut into fringes) if desired..."

"...Put in casserole and add pineapple juice, mushrooms and strained soy. Cook until tender. Fry pineapple slices in butter and serve with the chicken or duck."

How can the soup be Hawaiian when there's no pineapple in it?!

Other recipes included: Hawaiian Fruit Punch, Assorted Rumaki, Oriental Peas, Hawaiian Sweet Potato, and Waikiki Cocoanut Cream Pie.