Monday, January 12, 2009

Leisure reading

I've been reading the most delightful book. It's called "A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband." And, no, not one of them is one of the things that just came into your mind. Instead, this is a book from the 1920's (lets just say that women's suffrage is mentioned) that is the scintillating combination of novel and cookbook. How great is that combination? It has little snippets of the domestic life of one Bettina "Betty" and her husband, Bob, followed by the recipes she employs. It is fantastic. Bettina "escallops" and "creams" everything from carrots to oysters and always, ALWAYS has a dessert. Sometimes it is a date mousse, but be that as it may, I still commend her efforts. Reading it is like escaping to a wonderful alternate universe where women primarily concerned themselves with the planning of weekly dinner menus and frolicking with their friends for tea and Boston Cream pie. I don't know who the idiot was who came up with this whole women's liberation idea, because let me just tell you that Bettina's life is so cozy and well-organized and full of helpful household tips that I would gladly forfeit my master's degree to occupy it.

2 comments:

susanswenton said...

I love the book,too, despite the musty smell.

Crystal said...

I would love to read it as cozy is a must in this arctic winter! I hope you are staying warm and planning the meal of NACHOS you are making for Dean's supper tonight ; )