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The Mystery Chef's Own Cook Book (1943)








 For my friends who like history and cooking, I have a nondescript thick gray cookbook from 1943 with a fascinating story behind it.

Can you imagine a time when it wasn't socially acceptable for a man to be known as a chef? Other than Escoffier, the only famous male cook during the first half of last century was the Mystery Chef. He was a Scottish immigrant named John MacPherson, who parlayed his enjoyment of cooking into hosting a national radio program for more than 20 years. He also wrote several cookbooks and had a TV show for a season. It's probably fair to say he helped pave the way for today's celebrity chefs.

His alias came about because he claimed his mother was embarrassed that her son liked the unmasculine activity of cooking. In his book, he actually advocates quite a bit for men to "find pleasure and relaxation in the art of excellent cooking."

This book is unusual in that it doesn't have a single drawing or photograph. But, the Mystery Chef's writing style is very conversational, almost as if he is hosting a dinner party in words. I've found it an enjoyable read.

The Library of Congress has a good blog post about him: https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2020/05/the-mystery-chef/.

If you'd like to hear him, I found a link to a recording from a 1944 show: https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/…/the-butter-recipe-1…

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