It was the early 1960s and some homemakers wanted to spend less time in the kitchen. They wanted convenience. This cookbook gave them easy-to-prepare recipes using simple, readily-available ingredients.
Peg Bracken’s witty cookbook offered relief to women who “hate to cook but have to.” It didn’t promise to turn reluctant cooks into gourmet chefs. Instead, this 1960s culinary icon was filled with down-to-earth, easy to make foods, kid friendly dishes and ideas for using leftovers.
Craig Claiborne, New York Times food editor and America's leading food critic, encouraged home cooks to broaden their culinary horizons. His 1961 New York Times Cook Book included both regional American dishes and recipes from 23 other countries that were published in the Times during the 1950s.
