Jen was once described as a "culinary anthropologist". She liked that. When she is not making questionable foods, Jen enjoys reading, sassing, and lurking all over the internet. Jen has a blog called Maybe We Shouldn't Be Eating This, and she is a contributor to the Geekquality podcast and blog.
I loved Morbid Curiosity. This one does not have any bizarre foods to try, instead Jen L. Disarray gave us her interpretation of the Better Homes and Gardens’ advice on “Being a Good Hostess.” If you can get as far as “If that bitch Helen tries to start something with me, I’m going to fill her […]
I love the pictures in cookbooks. Great pictures of good food make me hungry. Great pictures of bad food intrigue me. In Betty Crocker’s “New Good and Easy Cook Book” (1962) ,there is a full colour photo of a hearty-looking, meaty ring filled with a lumpy white sauce. Intriguing! And next to the picture is […]
Rum Tum Ditty is a ridiculous name for a food-thing. It is so ridiculous, that I keep trying to say it alternately as “Rum Tum Tugger” and as “Rum Tum Titty.” Why would you anyone even name a food something this silly? It’s practically begging for a Freudian tit. I mean, Freudian slip.
Dear Readers, are you plagued with an excess of friends and admirers? Do people constantly hang around your house in order to bask in the light of your reflected glory? Are your parties too entertaining and now you regret setting the bar so high? What you need are some less-appetizing appetizers! Luckily, I’ve got just the […]
One of my favourite things about older cookbooks (besides the bizarre recipes) is the artwork. And by “one of my favourite things,” I mean “one of my favourite things to make fun of.” Same difference. And what better target for this week’s good-natured mockery and speculation than my very first cookbook?
In case you haven’t turned on a television or computer or stepped out of your house for the past couple of weeks, I have a timely public service announcement for you: tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. That’s right… the holiday with all the chocolate and hearts and little naked babies shooting people with arrows. Oh no! […]
Last week, the sky opened up and released buckets of snow that it had apparently been holding on to since sometime in November. In short, it was freakin’ cold outside. But I know how to conquer the cold weather when it hits: with stew! I make stew (and most other things) using a very imprecise cooking […]
I went shopping for a couple of the ingredients I needed before starting this recipe. When I came home, my husband looked into my shopping bag: sliced ham and a package of Jell-O. “Nothing good can come of this,” he said, shaking his head. He was right. If only I had listened… In this recipe, […]
People always say the simplest foods are the best. I’m sure that rule is true in the majority of cases, but good grief, have I ever found some exceptions this week! These 1959 recipes for semi-homemade protein drinks are hardly more complicated than combining a liquid with a powder. But take my word for it: […]
I’ve got a theory. I’ve mentioned it in a few Morbid Curiosity posts before, and on my own blog. My theory is that people who write cookbooks and recipe pamphlets are often bored out of their freaking skulls, and they entertain themselves by seeing how many strange foods and private jokes they can slip past […]
I was feeling particularly wintery this weekend and winter is a good time for casseroles. Cold, damp westcoast winters make me want to bundle up in my warmest, wooliest sweater, wrap myself in two more blankets, and eat piping hot foods until February.
“A relaxed, confident hostess is the key to a successful party. If you show signs of uneasiness or act unsure of yourself, the guests will sense your discomfort and may not have a good time. The best way to avoid entertaining catastrophes is to plan well.”
It’s the Monday after American Thanksgiving, and that means red and green on everything everywhere. And why should this gelatin salad creation be any different? Besides, everyone loves cranberries and I’m certain that no one is sick of them yet. Right?
I was a twelve-year-old social pariah and I had probably read every Arthurian book in our (admittedly limited) middle school library. At school, my favorite lunchtime activity was sitting in the classroom of a sympathetic teacher and discussing books with her.
Upon seeing the title of this post, a person (at least, a person identifying as a Doctor Who fan) might ask me, “Jen, did you choose this recipe simply because it reminded you of Doctor Who, and you miss your favorite show?” And I would glance around guiltily, shuffle my feet, and mumble, “Yes.”