The authors of The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste offer a nostalgic, funny, informative look at the culinary fads of the fifties and sixties, along with classic recipes from restaurants, television, and magazines. Reprint.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Respected arbiters of camp and kitsch, the prolific Sterns ( The Encyclopedia of Bad Taste ) currently focus their talent for connecting culture and food on an aspect of an era that, until now, has received little notice. While the lowbrow culinary cliches of the '50s and '60s were real enough, there also existed alongside them a very upper-middle-class appreciation of what the Sterns call "The Good Life," in which " coq au vinsic replaced dowdy casseroles on the women's pages of upwardly striving daily newspapers" and according to which "travelers could enjoy such delicacies as coquilles St. Jacques and creme brulee in the dining room of nearly any Holiday Inn." While many such recipes are easily found in volumes that serious cooks may have relegated to the dusty back shelves of their collections, a number of those included here are welcome revivals ("incredibly rich lobster Thermidor"). Others, like "1964 World's Fair Sangria," are amusing relics. And some--"Life-Affirming Moussaka" and "Aphrodisiacal Artichokes"--divulge a rarely seen '50s sensibility. In their inimitably witty, urbane and wonderfully entertaining style, the Sterns give the era its due. Photos not seen by PW. HomeStylesic alternate.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The Sterns, authors of Square Meals ( LJ 8/84), among other books about American culture and food, now move on to our "mid-century gourmets." They chronicle the beginnings of Gourmet magazine and an interest in sophisticated cuisine, the emerging popularity of foreign foods, the rise of TV cooking shows, and the growth of restaurant dining. The recipes they include are a real mix--it's sometimes hard to differentiate between the ones they have chosen as rediscovered classics and those that are examples of "gourmania" gone wrong--and at times there seems to be a confusing antigourmand undercurrent to their analysis. Nevertheless, this is sure to be in demand. HomeStyle Books alternate.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Lovers of Culinary History,
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This review is from: American Gourmet: Classic Recipes, Deluxe Delights, Flamboyant Favorites, and Swank Company Food from the 50s and 60s (Paperback)
The Sterns take big bites into a juicy part of American food history, the mid-20th century, post-WWII. Even if you never liked cocktail sausages, tuna noodle casserole or jello, you'll still enjoy reading about the various food trends of the 50's-80's, including new (to Americans) foreign foods, five-star restaurants and cooking from cans. The Sterns are refreshingly nonjudgmental about eating habits that would make many of us cringe today and even when critiquing a dish or eatery, they do it with gentle (never malicious) humor. Includes plenty of tidbits of cultural history as well.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Learn about Food Fads in the USA,
This review is from: American Gourmet: Classic Recipes, Deluxe Delights, Flamboyant Favorites, and Swank "Company" Food from the '50s and '60s (Hardcover)
This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of food. It's not one of those hoity-toity food-snob books -- its an irreverant look at the way Americans eat. Learn about food fads from TV dinners to the backyard luau. Includes some interesting recipes.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Learn about Food Fads in the USA,
This review is from: American Gourmet: Classic Recipes, Deluxe Delights, Flamboyant Favorites, and Swank "Company" Food from the '50s and '60s (Hardcover)
This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of food. It's not one of those hoity-toity food-snob books -- its an irreverant look at the way Americans eat. Learn about food fads from TV dinners to the backyard luau. Includes some interesting recipes.
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