You'll need sunglasses to look at this book

Wake up!

I picked up The New McCall's Cook Book by Mary Eckley (copyright 1963, but mine is a 1973 printing) partly because the very bright cover grabbed my attention. (It didn't hurt that it was on clearance, too-- as you can tell.) I love the way the "O"s in "cook book" are plates, filled with everything from borscht to a Jell-O mold to pork chops with carrots and broccoli to a cherry pie. Even I am not immune to the book's sunny charm.

Although the cover looks welcoming, some of the recipes intimidate me a bit. I've railed against recipes that seem impossible to eat before, and this next is one of those:

Sure, Crusty Chicken Wrap-Ups might sound good. Chicken wrapped in seasoned crescent rolls? Yes, please! (Well, if you like barbecue sauce, anyway.) But the crescent rolls conceal not just a bit of chicken but the entire leg, bone and all! I'm not sure there is a better recipe to get crumbs, barbecue sauce, and bits of cartilage everywhere. (I like that the artist's rendition looks like a little plate full of Jawas! Messy, messy Jawas.)

The next recipe would probably be good for a small holiday gathering...

...as long as the cook has a steady hand, good depth perception, and the confidence to pour flaming brandy over candied sweet potatoes. My best-case scenario would be catching my own hair and/or clothing on fire. The worst-case scenario would of course require a call to the fire department but have the advantage of cutting family time much shorter than anticipated.

Not all the recipes are nerve-wracking, though. This one seemed surprisingly modern:

Avocado pureed with ginger and orange peel! This is billed as a cold soup, but if we called it a green smoothie, added some kale or spinach, and swapped the milk for almond milk and/or Greek yogurt, this would be right at home in a cookbook now.

Here's hoping your Cookbook Wednesday is as bright as The New McCall's Cook Book's cover! As always, thanks to Marjie of Modern Day Ozzie and Harriet for hosting.