Abaavo

When I first started this blog, I was going to every thrift store and used book store in the area in hopes of finding books. I was successful and left with a pile of them that I could not find the creative prose to make a post. I had all but written off some of these books. Cute, really. 

Even cookbooks deserve a second, sometimes third or fourth chance as indicated by the number of tags on the outside and inside cover of this book. It's been through the thrift store cycle a few times and it's probably destined to go back. Wow, I just checked the above link and I said pretty much the same thing about this book. Interesting. 

It is "Abaavo" because my daughter wanted to know what "abaavo" meant.

Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery, Volume 1, 1979.

Twenty two volumes? That doesn't sound very time efficient to have to go through 22 volumes of cookery to find a recipe. I wonder if these cost a thousand dollars like the door to door encyclopedias? Guilty, don't judge. I think those are thrift store fodder in Wisconsin. At least this is brimming with tempting recipes and mouthwatering photos. Note that it is a "browsing library". Not a cookbook collection.

These recipes that are brimming from this volume need a mouthwatering photo.

Beefsteak and oysters. No, it's not filed under "aphrodisiac". It's AMERICA food. It also looks pretty raw.

Anchovy and Potato Casserole. My mouth is trying to imagine what it tastes like but my tongue keeps rejecting that idea. My eyes see an alien octopus with a very red sucker for a head.

Salute! Antipasto party. Sausage stuffed onions, baked rice stuffed tomatoes and in the center we have a cold braised stuffed breast of veal. Brimming with pisatchios, peas, corn, twice ground meat and about 20 other ingredients. All of this stands to make someone have a stinky and nutty poop.

Appetizers, napkins, yeah yeah yeah. What I am impressed with is how the curvy couch has a curvy table to match it.

Cocktail Torte. A fine torte made with pie crusts, shrimps hidden on top. In the holes are sprigs of something snipped from a bush and caviar. This is where it gets real. The filling is a mix of mayonnaise and sour cream. Anybody care for a slice?

Jellied Waldorf Salad. Because a waldorf salad is not acceptable in its free form. It must be made into a mold with lemon jello, mayonnaise, whipping cream, apples, celery. This doesn't appear to be a trend that withstood the test of time. For that I am thankful. So should all of you.

Asparagi all'uovo. Because it would be unsophisticated to just say asparagus and eggs.

Tomato Aspic. This really looks harmless compared to the other aspics I have seen in these books and cards. It's just red and shiny. There's nothing appetizing about it. I just want to poke it and see if my finger sinks into it or bounces off of it.

Avocado Lime Pie. This one is a first for me. I don't think I have seen anything like it and what has been seen cannot be unseen.

Maybe the other 21 volumes have mouth watering photos.