Don't Knock It Till You've Tried It (Score 1)

I love the Casserole Cookbook. Sure, the recipies are for an unsophisticated audience that favored butter-and-eggs farmhouse food, but you have to admire the spirit. These recipies were for housewives who had to cook from scratch every night. Many recipies I see in the New York Times today are equally preposterous, using scores of ingredients and requiring hours of prep time. You'll be amazed at how impressed your friends who are used to dining at chic Manhattan restaurants will be with a pasta casserole when the ingredients are actually fresh and the preparation wholesome.