death of a copywriter.

barring my ruthless love affair with doing laundry, i was likened to peg bracken by an ex today. he points me by way of her obits andd i had to admit to a degree of overlap. besides being bitter as widows and judgmental to boot, we're both ad copywriters. the difference? she's an ad writer who also wrote several books including THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK and an etiquette book, I TRY TO BEHAVE MYSELF.

Start cooking those noodles, first dropping a bouillon cube into the noodle water. Brown the garlic, onion and crumbled beef in the oil. Add the flour, salt, paprika and mushrooms, stir, and let it cook five minutes while you light a cigarette and stare sullenly at the sink.

— Recipe for “Skid Road Stroganoff"

The I HATE TO COOK BOOK has about 200 recipes, divided into chapters with headings like Potluck Suppers, or How to Bring the Water for the Lemonade and Desserts, or People are Too Fat Anyway.

of course her books are all out of print, but if you would happen across one, let me know. even though she uses some pretty hideous ingredients like crushed frosted flakes and embraces anything tinned, there's some charming reading to be had. so don't be a stranger to the cookbook section next time you're in a secondhand shop–you may just find my christmas present.