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Ashland Mystery Readers Group

PETER PAUPER PRESS, PETER AND EDNA BEILENSON, MOUNT VERNON, NY
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF EDNA BEILENSON AND RUTH MCCREA'S ILLUSTRATED COOK BOOKS
HISTORY OF PRINTING

Peter Pauper Press
Biography of Edna Beilenson

The Pleasures of the Used Text: Revealing Traces of Consumption by Janet Borgerson and Jonathan Schroeder. Being an essay on the delights of collecting books, using Peter Pauper Press' lovely cookbooks, printed 1950 and 1976. Compiled and illustrated by Edna Beilenson and Ruth McCrea, these small sized, hard bound books have bold, block printed illustrations. Issued with dust jackets having similar themes as the companion books. Autena's blog posts have wonderful photographs from the cook book series: A to Z, Simple, One Time, ABC, Holiday, Christmas, and Festive. The Rock Paper Sissors blog shows more.

ABC of Cheese Cookery, with decorations by Ruth McCrea, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1961 Cover image of Simple Hawaiian Cookery, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1964 Cover image of Abalone to Zabaglione, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1957 Cooking to Kill, the Poison Cookbook Cover
The ABC of Cheese Cookery, with decorations by Ruth McCrea, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1961. 61p. Delightful alphabet recipe book, each letter illustrated and with verse. Introduced with friendly, tantalizing doggerel on the virtues of cooking with cheese. Simple Hawaiian Cookery, compiled by Edna Beilenson and with decorations by Ruth McCrea, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1964. 62p. Organized by course, each chapter illustrated with full page, colored decorations to fit the theme. Introduced by the editor with doggerel on food ways of the Islands. Indexed. Abalone to Zabaglione: Unusual and Exotic Recipes compiled by Edna Beilenson and illustrated by Ruth McCrea, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1957. 60p. Recipes for exotic, international foods of the times (borscht, Cantonese pancakes, lasagna, sauerkraut soup)McCrea's lovely full page block prints throughout. Cooking to Kill: The Poison Cookbook recipes by Ebenezer Murgatroyd, comic drawings by Herb Roth, published by Peter Pauper Press in 1951. Recipes presumed to be by  Edna Beilenson. Title Page: Comic recipes for the ghoul, cannibal, witch & murderer. Stewing and potting mothers-in-law. Tested recipes for spoiled brats, business rivals, and strayed lovers. Cannibal picnic meat. Sure-fire salads. How to make your friends die laughing.
ABC of Barbecue, 1957.^
ABC of Canapés, 1953.^
ABC of Casseroles, 1954.^
ABC of Chafing Dish Cookery,1956.^
ABC of Cheese Cookery, 1961.^
ABC of Cocktails, 1957.^
ABC of Cookies, 1961.^
ABC of Desserts, 1958.^
ABC of Gourmet Cookery, 1956.*
ABC of Herb and Spice Cookery, 1959.^
ABC of Jiffy Cookery, 1961.^
ABC of Salads, 1958.^
ABC of Wine Cookery, 1957.^


^ With decorations by Ruth McCrea
' Illustrations by Maggie Jarvis
+ Illustrated by Josephine Irwin
# Illustrated by Ellen Witteborg and Sandra Baenen

 

 

 Simple American Cooking, 1987.*
Simple Chinese Cookery for the American Cook, 1972.
Simple Continental Cookery, 1963.^
Simple French Cookery, 1958.*
Simple German Cookery, 1965.*
Simple Hawaiian Cookery, 1964.*
Simple Italian Cookery, 1959.*
Simple Jewish Cookery, 1962.*
Simple New England Cookery, 1962.*
Simple Oriental Cookery, 1960.^
Simple Spanish Cookery, 1973
Simple Viennese Cookery, 1960.^		 Abalone to Zabaglione, 1957.*
Christmas Stocking Book, 1957*
Cooking to Kill!, 1951.
Crepes, Pancakes and Fritters, 1976*
Fabulous Fondues, 1970.'
Festive Buffet Cookery, 1965.
Festive Chocolate, 1986.
Festive Cookies,  1985.*
Festive Cookery, 1951*
Festive Desserts, 1967.'
Festive Salads and Molds,1966.'
Festive Seafood Cookery, 1969*
Festive Snacks & Canapes, 1967.'
Geisha Cookbook: Japanese Cookery for Americans. 1973*
Holiday Candies, 1954
Holiday Cookies, 1954*
Holiday Drink Book, 1951
Holiday Punches, Party Bowls and Soft Drinks, 1953*
Holiday Party Casseroles, 1956*
Holiday Party Desserts, 1956*
King of Hearts Drink Book, 1955.+
Melting Pot: A Cookbook of all Nations, 1958*
Merrie Christmas Cook Book, 1955.^
Microwave Party Cook Book, 1976.#
Peter Pauper's Press Festive Cookery, 1951*
Queen of Hearts Cookbook, 1955
Recipes Mother Used to Make, 1952*
Zodiac Cook Book, 1969.'
Published in at least two unnoted editions. At 5.12x7.12, the less common edition and probable first is larger than the standard Peter Pauper Press book, has non-standard cover art and dust jacket copy.

Cooking to Kill is cited in:

Trestrail, John Harris. Criminal Poisoning, Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, Toxicologists, Forensic Scientists and Attorneys, 2d Edition. Humana Press, 2007.

10 Weirdest Cook Books List compiled by ABE Books and reported in Deseret News in 2007 and the original ABE Books article, Weird Cookbooks

Mystery Readers Journal, Culinary Crime, Second Seating, Fall 2002.

background image from cover, The ABC of Chafing Dish Cookery, 1956

 

last updated 2011 Dec 16