Trunk Kitchen

Sexy Books

The Lovers Cookbook

Good grief, another rude cookbook has been discovered, or rather sent in by Tom and Diane, who are quite obviously a sordid, filthy but dynamic couple. Thanks a million guys, a great find indeed. Basically this is "The Lovers Cookbook" - perviously published in 1952 as "Venus In The Kitchen". It`s a book of almost inedible aphrodisiacs and food that would quite frankly put you off loving even before you got to even thinking about it. Luckily there are no photos of brain, offal or sheep testicles, just a badly cut out photo of a nearly naked lovely on the front. Keep those dirty cook books a coming...

Recipes of Love

 

The "Lots of things..." cookbook

Steven Christie writes: ...my mum has a brilliant book from 1970 called "The Lots of Things Have Happened In The Kitchen Since You Last Bought A Cookbook Cookbook." - I've always thought how great it would be to do a 2006 revision and call it "The Lots of Things Have Happened In The Kitchen Since You Last Bought The Lots of Things Have Happened in the Kitchen Since You Last Bought A Cookbook Cookbook Cookbook". Hope that doesn't hurt the mind too much. cheers Steve.

Rude Food

Rude Food A gourmet guide to bananas, cream, peaches, cherries and everything else that's rude about food. Beautifully shot in a classic mid seventies (erm 1981) advertising fashion (I believe the book was an advertising idea anyway), this is an exceptional example of utterly useless publishing in every respect, but it sure has its horny moments. This is car boot fodder these days, and definitely worth investing in.

Fanny Hill

The Fanny Hill Cookbook Possibly my favourite cookbook of all time, this is just an excuse to write about tongue, meat, salad undressing etc etc. Everything is phallic and filthy, and all the illustrations are in a perverted Beardsley style. "Cock in Hand" is one of my faves, but this book is so full of utter culinary filth it's actually very hard to use in the kitchen and is much better served at bedtime.

Alice B Toklas Cookbook

The Alice B Toklas Cookbook The lover of Gertrude Stein was quite a cook. Alice and Gertrude used to entertain all the important artistic / landed people of their time, and many of the dishes are named after or in some cases donated by celebrities - Picasso's Fish, Cecil Beeton's Queen Elizabeth Apples etc. It's also a fascinating insight into the extraordinary diet of their time, most of the ingredients are impossible to find these days, or are just so extortionate you wouldn't want to risk buying them anyway. All the same this is a delicious book, and of course is famed for being the first book published with a recipe for hasch fudge inside. I think the instructions just may be available in the recipe cupboard.

First Slice Your Cookbook

First Slice Your Cookbook Arabella Boxer wrote this in the late sixties and she sounds dead posh. In fact she was dead posh, daughter of Lord Boxer or something like that. Anyway, she was a fine cook by all accounts, and an old hand at the dinner party and all the troubles it creates for one. When it was published it became quite a hit, and indeed a great concept was born. The cookbook is sliced into three, so all starters, mains and deserts are interchangeable which is just simply super if indeed one is having a dinner party. It's also got some quite lovely graphics and a some great soup recipes and it all comes in a big slip case which is nice. I tend to use it for the soups n that, as I don't have dinner parties, and if we do, I normally too pissed to follow important recipes.

Len Deighton Action Cookbook

The Len Deighton Action Cookbook Now this is essential. Len's recipes were originally weekly cookstrips in the Observer. If you look very carefully in the Ipcress file you will see one of them cut out and pinned on the wall in Harry Palmer's kitchen which I always thought was a nice touch. Anyway, this cookbook is the coolest and grooviest, very male / playboy orientated with killer graphics (drawn by the talented Len) and has some amazing names for recipes, including "The Profiterole Motive". This is a book where spies and cooks meet. Len also believes the Kitchen's secret weapon is the blender. He gives about 25 reasons for this including making sandwich spread which is something I never really considered until now.

Good Housekeeping Guide to Jams

The Good Housekeeping Guide to Jams I love this sticky book. It's covered in bits of fruit I've spilt or squashed on one of my jam making days. I say "day" cos it takes about a day to make jam. Actually longer because you've got to strain it occasionally (depending on if it's Jam or Jelly) which is always overnight. But you can't beat a good jam or jelly. My fave is this Chinese crab apple jelly I made, from a a Chinese crab apple tree in the garden. It comes out pink, which is quite sexy for apples and it went really well with cold meat. This book also includes countless recipes for home made sweets, like coconut cream, which is really sickly and horrid and which may also explain why I have very few teeth these days.

Summer Cooking

Summer Cooking Everyone must own an Elizabeth David cookbook. They are dead easy to find at boot fairs, charity shops and are a huge investment. I was lucky enough to get a couple from my mother who was a big fan back in the mid sixties. I won't go on about Elizabeth, but these books are essential, simple and always right. This is her Summer book because the sun is shining at the moment.

Cooking with the Stars

High Speed Superstar Recipes Produced by Thames Gas in about 1968, this is a superb cooking cassette. Martin Green gave it to me for Christmas. I shall say no more, but the occasional treat from it will be posted in the Recipe cupboard.

Blue Peter Annuals

Personally I would recommend the early ones - say books one through to about twelve, because they all have dreadful cooking tips and recipes. Real bad, but hugely nostalgic and quite tasty if you can be arsed with all the fiddling about.

My learn to cookbook

Possibly my favourite and most nostalgic book of all time, up there with Dougals cookbook. I love the drawings and they are an essential part of my early life in the kitchen. I made the apple snow once and it looked like snow does after two days of being on the street - brown and slushy. Never mind eh. There may well be an apple snow recipe (by Lady Boxer) in the recipe cupboard, so you can try it for yourself.

Larousse Gastronomie

Luckily this was a birthday pressie as I'd never be able to afford it otherwise. This is the world's encyclopaedia to food and cooking. If you want to know anything, it's in this monster - and I mean anything. It also includes a few simple and a few very complicated recipes along the way - I made this Broccoli Creme thing the other day and felt vaguely professional when I made it. And it was surprisingly good. The bloke on the front also looks just like my dead dad which I find strangely comforting.