The I Hate to Cook Book
- Year
- 1960
- Era
- 20th century
- Origin
- USA · Americas
- Language
- English
- Category
- Children's/Humour
The I Hate to Cook Book, first published in 1960, broke sharply with the earnest tone of mid-century American domestic cookery by addressing women who found daily meal preparation a chore rather than a vocation. Peg Bracken's wry, candid commentary accompanied quick recipes built around convenience ingredients, capturing a shift in postwar attitudes toward housework and helping establish humour as a legitimate register within the cookbook genre.
Cooking from this book
Skid Road Stroganoff
Signature dishThis tongue in cheek take on beef stroganoff became the unofficial mascot of Peg Bracken's irreverent kitchen manifesto. A pan of browned ground beef napped in a sour cream and mushroom soup sauce, served over noodles, it captured the book's whole philosophy: dinner should be quick, cheap, and require minimal enthusiasm from the reluctant cook. Its wry name and shameless reliance on the can opener made it an emblem of 1960s American convenience cooking with attitude.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
