Somehow, over the last few days, I got a little bit lax when it came to posting a Cookbook of the Day. I don't know what happened to me, maybe it was winter doldrums, but I had a hard time even looking at my cookbook shelves, let alone select anything from it for perusal and posting. However, I'm back and I have a terrific and helpful cookbook in tow to tell you about.
It's called Make it Now, Bake it Later by Barbara Goodfellow. Originally published in 1958, the copy I have is the seventh printing and is typeset in the author's handwriting, giving it an appeal similar to the Moosewood Cookbook or your mother's recipe box. My copy originally belonged to my grandmother. While she was not much of a cook, she did always lik the idea of efficient use of time, which is why I imagine she possessed this book (another possibility is that my grandfather may have given it to her, hoping that it would convince her to cook more and order out less. It was a losing battle). There are bookmarks tucked in next to Norfolk Noodles and Crab and Shrimp with Almonds, two dishes I could see appealing to her.
The copy I have isn't readily available anymore, but luckily the author's son and daughter-in-law recently took the original version and revised it for today's palates (as well as our desire for more fresh foods and less things out of the freezer and cans). It is a great resource for those of you who want to be able to put dinner together in the morning before you leave for work, so that whoever gets home first in your household can just turn on the oven and pop it in.
