whenever I have a cooking brain freeze and forget how to cook some basic American dish, like toast, or maybe a hamburger; or when I need a quick conversion/equivalents chart, I turn to my Fanny Farmer cookbook which was first published in 1896 and gets updated every 5 years or so. Those of you who have one know what I'm talking about, for those who don't have one on the shelf it's a big thick generic American-food cookbook, no pictures and 500 or so basic recipes for all the standards.

I always find it has the answers I need so it's really useful, but some of the recipes are hysterical just because someone actually bothered to write them down. Tonight I wanted to make up some fresh meatballs for spaghetti, and lacking any Italian DNA I double-checked the serviceable 6 ingredient recipe for Fanny Farmer Cookbook meatballs, which turned out perfect and were devoured by all. The chuckle came from the recipe below the meatballs for:

"Meatball Hero"
-split bread
-spoon tomato sauce on bottom half
-halve meatballs and put inside bread
-spinkle with cheese
-wrap in foil and heat

You just know the mac and cheese and the meatloaf recipes are killer.

J.

Hello perfumeo . . . I often depend, on my Fanny Farmer cookbook! Some of the best meals I serve, are Fanny Farmer recipes. Your meatballs are just what the 'doctor' ordered. Comfort food.

One of my favorite Fanny Farmer recipes, is for pork chops and apples, in mustard sauce. Absolutely delicious. My three cheese manicotti, is another crowd pleaser. Again, from Ms. Farmer's pages. The 'commentary' within the recipes, is what I love most: for pie crust: 'be firm with the crust, but don't fuss with it!'

Jeffery, that sort of recipe was written with me in mind, I swear. If we didn't own a microwave, most of the time we wouldn't eat hot food. ;-)

Fanny Farmer has a whole chapter on microwaving food, could be good. I read an article in the Times science or food section a couple of months ago that said researchers have correlated the introduction of the microwave in American homes in the 1970's with the beginning of the overweight trend in the USA [not implying this in your home, of course]. I'm sure there's other factors but found it interesting and sensable.

J.

That's about all my Mom used! Her big ol Fanny Farmer cookbook. I think I have one.

I'm not surprised. The advantage of a microwave is convenience and if convenience is what you value then you're most likely not the type to actually cook a meal from scratch which is so much healthier than anything available from the freezer case.