The Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues to Good Cooking

A 1973 mystery-themed cookbook designed to capture the imaginations of younger fans who were avid readers of the Nancy Drew series of books. The recipes are standard for the time [fruit gelatin mold, frozen fruit salad], some hold up quite well [deviled eggs, corn pudding, cookout potatoes], and none are particularly difficult for a tween or teen to complete. With “mysterious” titles, or dishes named for characters in the series, the mystery fan chefs can create meals for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, picnics, backyard barbeques, and holidays. There are international dishes and recipes for give-away treats.

Nancy even adds her distinctive touch to the recipes, suggesting ideas for additions to the basic recipe. Although the show more recipes don’t significantly differ from those found in other cookbooks of the time, the charm is in the cookbook’s efforts to relate itself to the beloved series and there are sure to be some readers who fondly recall cooking with Nancy.

Along with the recipes, young chefs will find a guide to success with recipes, a list of cooking terms, and a table of weights and measures equivalencies. show less

This is a good starter cookbook for a child. There are several no bake recipes. Many of the recipes use the character's names from the Nancy Drew books such as Mrs. Fayne's Famous Rice. Some of the recipes also relate to the titles of the books such as Ringmaster's Secret Chicken.

Nancy Drew fans will find over 100 recipes with names evoking the sleuth's most famous cases. Old Clock Ice Cream Pie, Hidden Staircase Biscuits, and Bungalow Mystery Salad are some of the selections. First published in 1973, the 2005 edition is spiral-bound and does not include photographs.

I have not yet read this book.