Never Trust A Hungry Cook: A Riverview Collection

The best thing about Never Trust A Hungry Cook is the front cover. Or is it the back cover? Or is it all the wry, detailed drawings that add spice and character to almost every page of this cookbook? Drawn by Laura Jean Evans when she was still in college, the quirky pictures each have a lively personality that always brings a smile. Much like Laura did. From the scowling woman in hair rollers serving breakfast to the maniacal knife-wielding butcher to the exquisite angel holding a three layer cake, they explode off the page. More of an art collection than a cookbook, the original Never Trust A Hungry Cook books now are held together with thick rubber bands, their worn pages splattered and torn and long since loose from their binding. But the point is, these poor fly-away pages are still stacked in kitchens and gathered together, and pulled out regularly from the crisp clean collection of attractive cookbooks. In other words, these pages are used. Again and again. The recipes are from some of the most renowned cooks in the South. Butterscotch Cream Pie. Standing Rib Roast. Angel Biscuits. All of them are mouth-watering good. This book was typed on a manual typewriter and originally published thirty-five years ago. My father and I tried to collate the books ourselves in the basement. There are plenty of typos in this book. 'Dillolve yeasy in water' being a favorite. It's still in the book. The print is light in places and splotched in others. Out of print for thirty years, a coveted copy of Never Trust A Hungry Cook was scanned but you can see splotches of cream on the pages, or an egg yolk stain every now and then. Please don't buy it if you want a perfect cookbook. But if you want to remember Laura Evans (she's doodling on something in heaven, I'm sure) and cook something fabulous while you do, then by all means, order!