Over the Counter #166

What books caught my eye this week as they passed over the library counter and under the scanner? Retro this week!

First up was The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook: Subtitled More Than 100 Recipes for the Modern Cook by Heather MacLean and Rick Rodgers.

From the publisher Running Press:

"As Don Draper famously said, “Nostalgia: a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone.” Nostalgia, of course, also calls to one’s appetite. Thanks in part to the popular series Mad Men, fans are discovering the classic cuisine of the 1960’s; whether to revisit the favorite recipes of their childhoods or to celebrate the comforting, sometimes kitschy, always-satisfying dishes of the era, including:• Waldorf Salad• Sweet and Sour Meatballs• Beef Stroganoff• Steakhouse Creamed Spinach• Buttermilk Dinner Rolls• Cherries Jubilee• Daiquiri Lime and Gelatin Mold• Classic cocktails such as Blue Hawaiians, Brandy Alexanders, and Manhattans• And many more!Each recipe is adapted for the modern palate, with less fat and healthier ingredients than in the originals (no more bacon fat as a kitchen staple!). Full-color photographs showcase the food, proving that retro cuisine can be sophisticated and delicious. The Sensational Sixties Cookbook will also provide tips on hosting the ultimate sixties soiree, complete with menus, music playlists, and table decorations. So grab a swizzle stick, put Bobby Darin on the turntable, and get cooking—sixties style!"


Next up was '50's, '60's, & 70's Kitchen Collectibles by Douglas Congdon- Martin and Tina Skinner.

From Schiffer Publishing:

"Relive an era when the kitchen was kitsch -- melamine bowls were pink and purple, cocktail shakers and party glasses sported fun themes, iced tea was served in sweaty spun aluminum of futuristic metallic shades, and wall clocks kept time in bright plastic frames shaped to evoke the jet age. This wonderful collector's guide helps to date and value items manufactured for the kitchen in the mid-20th century. items range from ever popular cocktail accessories to serving ware, pitchers and glassware, canisters, spice racks, trivets, ashtrays, rotary wall phones, chalkware ornaments, and salt and pepper shakers. Here is a nostalgic trip back in time, to mom's eat-in kitchen where family and neighbors gathered for cards, gossip, and good eats."

(Over the Counter is a regular feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come to the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But...I can mention them and maybe one of them will catchy your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)