As I've mentioned here before, my wife is an ardent collector of cookbooks. She is generally up on new ones and is constantly ordering them but she also enjoys picking up old ones from garage sales and antique stores. She recently brought one home called The Office Cookbook. This one was written by Jody Cameron Malis, the Vice-President of Celebrity Kitchens, Inc. She was apparently an experienced writer as the back cover lists her as the author of The Supermarket Cookbook series and The Newlywed Game Cookbook (and oh what I'd give to find a copy of that).
The Office Cookbook was published in 1971 and its premise is that working girls could beat the high cost of eating lunch out by "cooking" at the office. There's information provided on budgeting, necessary equipment (don't forget your can opener!), and sources of heat. Interestingly, although the latter includes small "gas-heat devices" made for outdoor use, there's no warning regarding carbon monoxide emissions. Perhaps this is intentional; a sudden loss of co-workers just might get you that promotion you so richly deserve.
The real treasures, however, are the recipes. They are definitely stripped down for primitive office use. For instance, there's "Creole Franks, written as follows:
1 can spaghetti sauce
2 frankfurters, pre-cooked
2 frankfurter buns
1 teaspoon onion flakes
In a saucepan, heat the spaghetti sauce and franks 5 minutes. Add onion flakes. Place franks in buns and spoon sauce over all. (May also be served over rice or noodles.) Serves 2.
I guess it's the onion flakes that make it "Creole" rather than "Italian" franks.
Here's the recipe for "Chili con Carne" -
1 8-1/2 oz can Chili con Carne
1 7-oz. can whole kernel corn
Place ingredients in foil. Close foil tightly and place in a skillet. Cover and heat 10 minutes. Serve over bread or with crackers. Serves 2.
You get the picture. Few of the recipes have more than three ingredients and many of these ingredients are canned. Many of them appear to be almost-duplicates of the cooking instruction on the labels of the cans. Complete menus are also included for particular occasions. The best of these is the "I'm Out to Trap the Office Bachelor" menu, in which it is promised that "With a menu like this, I know I'll pass the taste test - that puts me on first base with him!" It includes onion soup, Spanish rice (made by adding a can of boned chicken, a little parmesan, and some olive slices to a can of Spanish rice), rye bread, apple rings with cinnamon, and "beverage". (This has me wondering, what wine goes best with canned Spanish rice-based seduction?) Actually, she even provides beverage recipes. There's one called Creamy Root Beer Drink which involves adding root beer mix (where do you get root beer mix?) to water and then adding a tablespoon of canned vanilla pudding. That would certainly top off a memorable lunch for the Office Bachelor!
Really, calling this a "cookbook" is a bit of a stretch. Still, it's a hoot to read and I can only imagine what The Newlywed Game Cookbook would be like!
