Never speak of repulsive things at the table

Amy Vanderbilt's Complete Cookbook
drawings by Andrew Warhol
Published 1961
Original price unknown
Found in a Las Vegas thrift store


Amy Vanderbilt is known for two things, her books on etiquette and her 2-story dive out of a window. Cooking was never her forte, as evidenced by this strange tome. In fact, the standout feature of this book is neither the recipes nor the off-putting social register interjections, it's the illustrations. And that in itself is a bit of a let-down because even though they're by Andrew Warhol - yup, that Andy Warhol - the line drawings are less than fantastic. However, they're still Warhols and I can indeed say, "yes, I own 23 Warhol prints." And I wonder how many mroe times I can namedrop... Warhol, Warhol, Warhol.

So anyway, the book - the recipes aren't really above average, in fact, they're pretty standard fare for a book of this era. Meaty, fatty, belchy. Belying Vanderbilt's upbringing, there are a lot of East Coast style recipes, heavy on the lobster and rich cuts of steak. There are also some phenomenally inane recipes, as evidenced by the following:

Cream of Chicken Soup with Sherry
1 10-oz can condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 soup can full of milk (or half milk, half consommé)
1 tablespoon sherry
few small croutons
Combine soup, milk, or mixture of milk and consommé in a saucepan over low heat. Stir to mix smoothly. Bring to boiling point. lower heat at once and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Add sherry. Serve immediately in warmed soup cups or bowls. Add a few croutons to top of each serving.

That's the type of recipe I'd expect to find in a Campbell's Tasty Souping Styles book, not a high-society cooking tome. Another fit of strangeness is that in true church-basement style Vanderbilt credits her friends in print and gives special notes on the whens and wheres of a recipes origin. Which is pretty cool. As long as you remember that "from the kitchen of Mrs. Edgar Thoroughbred" really means "created by the kitchen staff of..."

I've not actually made anything from this book yet; the above recipe notwithstanding, most of the recipes sit on the too-fancy side the fence. Even though the Lobster Thermidore recipe is only 2 paragraphs long, it's simply not my style, plus, lobsters are cuddly. However, here's another tidbit, because it's just too good not to share:

Sunday Night Wine Jelly
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water
1 quart boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 lemons, grated peel and juice
2 cups Madeira or sherry
1 cup cognac
Soak gelatin in cold water until softened. Stir into boiling water to dissolve. Add sugar, lemon juice, and peel. Mix. let cool. Add wine and cognac.
Pour into 2 1/2 quart mold. Chill until form, 2 to 3 hours. Serve with cream or whipped cream - and pound cake for those who aren't counting calories.

Vanderbilt notes at the bottom, "This is a jelly I like to serve with angel cake."

And the Dirtiest Recipe Name Award goes to... The Boys' Do-It-Yourself Lunch!