What would I do without Sue's mother, who apparently was not a culinary master, but who saved things like it was her job to do so? Published by the same people who brought you the Party Cookbook, Savory Seafood must have been a staple on the shelf of any 1950s home cook. I had to present the cover to you this way because it just doesn't make sense viewed in two parts. You really need to see the whole thing all at once.
Like the Party Cookbook, the recipes in this book aren't too bad, but the illustrations are. My favorite part of this is the mix of fish swimming with crab, shrimp, lobster, oysters, etc. At least they all appear to be salt water-dwelling creatures. I love the swordfish attacking the defenseless leader, too.
Side note: This scene brings back memories of my college aquacise class, which I took with several friends, including Leah. Our instructor was brought in from a local nursing home, I think, and she would stand on the side of the pool in her swim suit and special water shoes, showing us how to do the moves. She played music from The Pink Panther the whole time, every time we met. She never got in the water with us. Until one seemingly normal spring day.
She got in the water, made all of us wear our flotation belts, and instructed us to begin using our legs to move across the pool backward as she faced us going forward. I was in the front row with my friends and everything was fine while we moved backward. Then she yelled at us to switch and move forward while she moved backward. We were getting quite a workout with the drag of the water moving in the opposite direction when she suddenly became a crazed water demon, surging forward and screaming "I'm gonna get you!" She, of course, had the benefit of working with the drag created by 20+ people while we were fighting it and trying like hell to get away from her. We would have succeeded if we hadn't been wearing those belts, too--and if it weren't for those meddling kids, but that's another story. Anyway, I can't remember exactly what happened or who did this, but as she closed in, someone grabbed the back of my belt (maybe Leah?) and pulled me swiftly away from her. I kept moving my legs to look like I was powering backward on my own because I didn't want to be yelled at. Mercifully, I escaped unharmed. Others were not so lucky. Every time I look at this illustration, I hear "I'm gonna get you!" coming from the swordfish.
Anyway, back to the book. Based on these photographs alone, I think they should have stuck with the drawings. Poor quality black and white images just don't make food look enticing.
See? So much better to just use drawings...
Also, my favorite part of the chef drawing is that he is holding up the pinkie of his right hand while he stirs. Is this supposed to make him seem French or something?
Let's be careful out there--watch out for swordfish...and crazy aquacise instructors.
2 comments:
The Water Nazi! That's what we called her. She scared me too. Remember when she yelled at me for swimming away from her instead of aquajogging?
Oh, yes. That lady was scary and mean. Social dance was much better ;-)
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