Author gave voice to homemaker angst (Peg Bracken, 89)

The Oregonian ^ | October 21, 2007 | JOAN HARVEY

[Eepsy]

I was surfing around for the recipe for "Sweep Steak", and found one of my favourite cook book authors has just died. I don't think anyone did more than her to get me through the difficult early years of housewifery. No one could write a recipe quite like her.

[IronJack]

Bracken threw down the oven mitt to a generation of women who had been taught that their destiny was to be Suzy Homemaker.

... challenging them instead to be Worthless Wandas, Polly Parasites, and Floozy Buckmakers.

[ozzymandus]

She wrote one successful joke cookbook. That’s about it.

[American Quilter]

Wasn't she wonderful? My mother bought "I Hate to Cook Book" when I was a child, and I still use a few of the recipes. I later read "I Try to Behave Myself", and I think it was in that book that I found the following gem (paraphrased) about drinking at a party:

"A friend of mine uses the following rule to determine how much to drink at a party. 'After the first drink, I realize what a nice party it is and what a nice time I'm having. After the second drink I begin to realize what a wonderful sense of humor all my friends have. After the third drink I start to realize what a wonderful sense of humor I have, and then I know it's time to go home.' "

Rest in Peace, Peg Bracken, and may no one ever ask you to cook again.

[MoralSense]

Wrong, Crisco breath! Her “A Window Over the Kitchen Sink” is a wonderful memoir, and scarcely mentions cooking at all.

[coop71]

Excuse me?

[IronJack]

Excuse me?

Consider it done.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

What a wonderful writer.

I love her “I Hate to Cook Book.” It is one of my favorite of all cookbooks.

[Gingersnap]

I’m guessing the author of this piece never actually read any of her books. She was extremely witty and had little interest in make-work housekeeping or Martha Stewart-style cooking but she appreciated good food and a well organized life.

Most of her recipes are still very workable today since most of us really aren’t any more interested in arugula than she was.

[coop71]

Many thanks. /s

[peggybac]

I don’t remember her but here’s an old commercial - it’s about 1/2-3/4 down the page. (this is a COOL website)

http://www.roadode.com/eat_1.shtml

[PennsylvaniaMom]

May she rest in peace. I got her I Hate to Cook Book at a used bookstore a few years back. I loved it...so witty, sarcastic and endearing. I didnt realize she other books...I will look for them :)

[Eepsy]

There were some better obituaries, but they all required excerpting, which I despise. You can find them on google news. Even the better ones were mainly quotes from her books. I suppose that’s a compliment to her witty writing style.

[Eepsy]

She wrote a number of enjoyable books, which is a darn sight more than many published authors can say. She was no Julia Child, but then Julia Child never made me laugh, or helped me clean house and put on a dinner party for six on two hours notice for that matter.

[Eepsy]

I once bought a first edition of “The I Hate to Housekeep Book” from a used bookstore. Inside was a note that said “From Martha, to Mary” LOL

[Eepsy]

Thanks for the link! I’d never seen that before. It’s amazing what you can find on the internet.

[JRochelle]

I have never heard of her.
She sounds funny.

But serving canned peas is yucky.

[peggybac]

It sure brings back memories, not that I would know. ;-)

[shhrubbery!]

... challenging them instead to be Worthless Wandas, Polly Parasites, and Floozy Buckmakers

Now that's a funny line!

I'm still trying to morph in the opposite direction (from Worthless Wanda to Suzy Homemaker) ... though hanging out on the FR instead of making dinner isn't helping matters much.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.