What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Don't know how easy this one will be to track down but I've been longing to try more recipes from it and haven't found the exact one yet. I randomly found it at my great-grandmother's house back in 2009/2010 but it had to have been much older. Hardback, not a lot of pages probably only around sixty, cover was a very dark colour like red or brown that didn't give off cookbook vibes, I don't even think it had a picture on it.

What the actual book was, it was a cookbook about how to make basically any kind of food using your microwave. I think it was split into breakfast lunch dinner possibly dessert too. There were pictures in it of different food; the quality of them as well as the topic makes me heavily believe this was published in the 80's because microwaves were a new invention and everyone loved them. What I remember most is the gimmick; you could make literally anything you could think of in the microwave following the instructions, even a cake! That image has stuck with me to this day. I also strongly remember a recipe for scrambled eggs because I actually did that one and they tasted like they had been cooked on the stove, hence why I want to try more recipes out.

If it helps, my great-grandmother was living in Mississippi at the time. Here's to hoping it can be found!

Elizabeth, I added some details to the header/topic title. You can update it by clicking the small "edit" link after the header. This only works on the full Desktop website - not the Mobile website or app. (On the Mobile website, click the "Desktop version" link at the bottom of the page.)

Elizabeth, do you remember anything about the size and binding? Was it square or rectangular? A foot or so high or smaller than that? Spiral bound? Were the pages glossy or matte?

You mentioned that there were pictures inside of the dishes. Were the pictures in color or black and white? Photographs or drawings?

Given how short you remember it being, I wonder if it could've been a book that came with the microwave or was put out by a microwave company. Even if you don't remember a brand, do you remember if there was a brand name somewhere on that?

It was a medium-sized book, like not super big but I could hold it comfortably, and square-shaped. It didn't look anything like you'd expect a cookbook to look. The pages were matte but they also could've been a bit glossy.

The pictures were actual pictures, photographs of the dishes, and in colour. I don't recall it having to do with any brand but I wouldn't be surprised if it was used for promotion given the era

I see a few nondescript looking ones without pictures on their cover, but none of them match the color scheme or the size you list. Just in case:





https://www.ebay.com/itm/293919644779

https://www.ebay.com/i/224166414816

https://www.ebay.com/itm/THE-ULTIMATE...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Amana-Ra...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Microwave-De...

Do any of these have a similar tone to your cookbook? Was yours about making simple dishes for one or about cooking for a family?

Sorry that first one was supposed to show this cover https://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Encyclo... Which isn't exactly nondescript, but doesn't show a picture of either a microwave or a finished dish.

The first one has the vibe of what I'm looking for but it's not quite right. I think they were singular dishes but considering one was a cake it's possible they had some family meals in there too. The scrambled eggs dish I made was for one person though

Bump

Microwave Cooking for Today's Living?

That looks like it could possibly be it, the only review says it has desserts in it, but I would need to find a way to track down a copy or preview because I need to be sure

Google Books has only a snippet search of Microwave Cooking for Today's Living by Anonymous (Gold Star Kitchens) - Rainbowheart's suggestion. You might get lucky searching for keywords.

https://books.google.com/books?id=PPK...

Quotes (searched for "desserts"):
Page 3
10 Automatic Defrost . . . . . 11 Automatic Cooking . . . . Recipes . . . . . Appetizers .
. . . . . . . Sauces & Dessert Toppings . ... Cakes & Pies . . . , Puddings , Custards ,
& Fruit Desserts . Bar Cookies & Candies Beverages . . . . . . . . . . . Deverages .
Page 76
PUDDINGS , CUSTARDS , & FRUIT DESSERTS Rich Chocolate Mousse pays
image HAFETY PUDDINGS , CUSTARDS , & FRUIT DESSERTS. Puddings,
Custards, & Fruit Desserts.
Page 77
pays image HAFETY PUDDINGS , CUSTARDS , & FRUIT DESSERTS Puddings ,
custards , and sophisticated fruit desserts can be made in just a few minutes in
the microwave . On the range top you must stir custards and puddings constantly

The cake recipes I found didn't look super familiar to me, they're mainly for fruit cakes and I remember at least one was for a full-fledged chocolate cake you'd normally bake, but I did find a mention of a scrambled eggs recipe

Bumping just in case there's any other ideas....

Another bump

Step-By-Step Microwave Cook Book?

There are recipes for several different types of cake, including chocolate cake.

It's Not Really Magic?

It's more of a square shape and there's a recipe for scrambled eggs.

I know it's been quite a while since I came here, but I just wanted to say I'm like 99% sure it's the Step-by-Step Microwave Cook Book, I Googled it and found a version with a black cover and I looked through a few pages I could find and I'm pretty sure this is what I've been looking for, it has a recipe for scrambled eggs, and cake though i couldn't find an image of the cakes. The time period and everything match up.

Great! Glad you found your book, Elizabeth. Thanks for the update.

Step-By-Step Microwave Cook Book by Better Homes and Gardens - Rainbowheart's find