My favorite cookbook when I was a little girl was my mom's "Joy of Cooking" (don't know which edition, but it had a blue cover). Not only did it go into a lot of detail and explanations, but it was the only basic cookbook that I can remember having a chapter (with illustrations) on how to skin a squirrel! And where else could you find a recipe for "knock-out drops" (buttercream fondants, so-called because of the consequences of over-indulgence by a family member). I made my first brownies and hot milk cake from that book.

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