Some of my favorite cookbooks are so weird.
The Martha’s, the Nigella’s, the Jamie Oliver’s – those are all for public viewing – on eye-level bookcases and a kitchen shelf.
The weird ones are still easily accessible – on a bookshelf in the spare bedroom. Here are a few: Robin Leach’s “The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Cookbook,” “Cooking with Regis and Kathie Lee” and “Naomi’s Home Companion.” That one would be shelved under J – as in Judd, Naomi.
I know the page numbers of my favorites from “Lifestyles” by heart, and have flipped through that book so many times since it was given to me on my 14th birthday.
Where else could you find recipes for Marylou Vanderbilt Whitney’s pecan puffs or Ivana Trump’s beef goulash? There are even photos and recipes from Elizabeth Taylor’s wedding to Larry Fortensky. I think they were divorced before publication.
But among those novelty recipes are some greats. My favorites come from Isabel Goldsmith, who I believe is better known for being rich than famous. One of her recipes (which her cook is actually shown making in the photograph) is below. Another favorite is a buttermilk pie from Randy Travis. It’s so simple, and a good ending to a country dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy.
It’s hard to pick favorites from the Naomi Judd book. I love her chili, her lemon meringue pie, her macaroni and cheese, her marinara sauce and her potato pancakes. Actually I’ve never made anything from that book that I didn’t love. But then again I haven’t tried her cornmeal mush.
Someone who discovered the spine of “Cooking with Regis and Kathie Lee” on my bookshelf asked me if I actually paid full price for it. Kathie Lee’s green silk blouse with square shoulder pads may be offensive, but her sweet potato soufflé isn’t. I look at that recipe every Thanksgiving.
My celebrity cookbook collection does include more than 1990s has-beens. Some new ones are becoming favorites. Pat Conroy’s cookbook/memoir is a fun read, Jan Karon’s cookbook is one of the prettiest cookbooks I’ve ever seen, and Maya Angelou’s is perfection.
Potato Pancakes from “Naomi’s Home Companion”
2 heaping cups mashed potatoes
1 large egg, well beaten
1/3 cup chopped leeks
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon fat, for frying
1. Place the mashed potatoes in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg, leeks, flour, salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
3. Using a greased spoon, carefully drop heaping spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, about 6 at a time; avoid crowding. Fry until edges are browned, about 3 minutes. Turn over with a metal spatula. Fry 3 minutes or until golden. Remove with the spatula to paper towels to drain.
Salsa Mexicana from Isabel Goldsmith in the “Lifestyles” cookbook
4 medium tomatoes
1 small yellow onion
2 serrano chilies, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1. Finely chop the tomatoes, onion and chilies. In a small bowl, combine the chopped vegetables with the cilantro, salt and lime juice. Let the salsa sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Buttermilk Pie from Randy Travis in the “Lifestyles” cookbook
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9-inch) pie shell, blind baked
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs, flour, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into the pie shell. Bake until the tip of a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
