Gelatine Home Cooking Secrets ~ Jean Saunders (Davis Consolidated Industries Ltd)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the bookcase along comes a truly scary cookbook. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, however unless you were born prior to about 1940 you'd probably look in horror at many of the offerings contained within should they ever appear on your table. Even if you are a little older you'd likely think twice before sitting down to some of the more interesting offerings within the book.

Perhaps I'm not really being fair. There are a number of recipes within this book that I would happily sit down to, such as the Champagne Jelly, the Pine lime tingle or the Lemon sponge. The book is full of very useful hints and techniques for utilising gelatine - with details on decorating with gelatine, using it for weight control (a glass of fruit juice thickened with gelatine half an hour before a meal to fill you up) and on that most tricky part - unmoulding. But then, given that the book was published by a major gelatine manufacturer you'd expect them to pull out all stops to help sell their product.

Some of the recipes that are less to my personal taste include things like Whole fish in aspic or the equally interesting Rice and salmon mould which features a shaped rice base with the top an aspic jelly with large chunks of salmon set within it to reform the outline of the fish (set in a fish mould). Frankly I don't understand why anyone would serve Lunch-time savoury, a mixture of tomato juice, celery, worcestershire sauce, water and onion salt set into a jelly with and served in wedges with lean meat and salad. I think the only thing less impressive might be the Sweet and sour pork which is set into a jelly and results in "a sparkling apricot meat mould with an unusual sweet and sour flavour". I suspect the guests wouldn't ask for seconds.

I did thoroughly enjoy reading this cookbook though. It was lent by a friend and I suspect it may be more kitsch than any other cookbook I have read to date. I had a very good giggle at the recipes and they really do reflect the 1970's when the book was first published. This however doesn't mean I'd cook or eat much of the content. Just a feast for the eyes this one.

Recommended for those up for a giggle, or even a wobble.

- Kath