I loved Peg Bracken when I was a young homemaker myself, dealing with three kids and a (now ex) husband who came home and was a fourth kid that had to be taken care of, ha ha. I read the I Hate to Cook and the I Hate to Housekeep book more than once. She was older than my generation, but I certainly could identify with almost everything in those books! Laughing about the stress of trying to figure out what to cook each night, having to keep up with the cleaning and laundry of five people, plus work on a writing career, probably helped me do it all a little more cheerfully.
I LOVE the sound of Peg Bracken! She reminds me of those postwar women in the UK, who lived in attic digs and cooked bacon fat on the bars of their electric heaters, for their terriers.
Have you seen the Girl Dinner thing on TikTok? My daughters were telling me...there's a cookbook and everything - it sounds like it might be influenced by Peg. Here...
As a woman who has a love/hate relationship with cooking—and all things domestic—I think Peg could have easily been my friend. As a writer, it sounds like her voice was her strong suit.
I have a copy of her housekeep book that is literally falling apart and I adore it. Even as someone who became a wife and mother circa 2008-2010, by which time we really should have sorted all these ridiculous expectations out, it felt like radical permission not to perform or conform to domesticity, and was such a joy to read.
Erin--could this be correct? "The manuscript for Peg Bracken's iconic "The 'I Hate to Cook' Book" was famously brought to market by Margaret Anderson, an editor at Harcourt, Brace & World." via the LA Times and AI. 🤪
The Homer Simpson connection is truly worthy of a Netflix adaptation!
Terrific article - I never knew this book or Peg Bracken existed. What a great story!
Delightful post!
Stay-a-Bed stew! It was one of my favorite recipes of hers, back in the day. This was such a funny book!
It really is. The humor still holds up today.
I loved Peg Bracken when I was a young homemaker myself, dealing with three kids and a (now ex) husband who came home and was a fourth kid that had to be taken care of, ha ha. I read the I Hate to Cook and the I Hate to Housekeep book more than once. She was older than my generation, but I certainly could identify with almost everything in those books! Laughing about the stress of trying to figure out what to cook each night, having to keep up with the cleaning and laundry of five people, plus work on a writing career, probably helped me do it all a little more cheerfully.
I LOVE the sound of Peg Bracken! She reminds me of those postwar women in the UK, who lived in attic digs and cooked bacon fat on the bars of their electric heaters, for their terriers.
Have you seen the Girl Dinner thing on TikTok? My daughters were telling me...there's a cookbook and everything - it sounds like it might be influenced by Peg. Here...
https://www.retrofoodformoderntimes.com/2024/10/13/girl-dinner/
As a woman who has a love/hate relationship with cooking—and all things domestic—I think Peg could have easily been my friend. As a writer, it sounds like her voice was her strong suit.
I have a copy of her housekeep book that is literally falling apart and I adore it. Even as someone who became a wife and mother circa 2008-2010, by which time we really should have sorted all these ridiculous expectations out, it felt like radical permission not to perform or conform to domesticity, and was such a joy to read.
It is a joy. Glad you agree!
Thank you for the great article! Peg Bracken is an inspiration! And it sounds like The I Hate to Cook Cookbook is worth reading just for the writing!
Love this!!!
Erin--could this be correct? "The manuscript for Peg Bracken's iconic "The 'I Hate to Cook' Book" was famously brought to market by Margaret Anderson, an editor at Harcourt, Brace & World." via the LA Times and AI. 🤪
There will be an altar honoring Peg Bracken in my house from this moment on....I love these essays and can't wait to read YOUR book!
Oh I just love this!!