I was preparing a post about celebrity cookbooks when I came across this one. And I found it so charming that I decided to write a separate post. I don't know much about painting, and this Warhol has never been my cup of tea, but the book seemed like an interesting project of its own, compared to so much of the "let's make a cookbook with your face and sell it like hot dogs" sentiment. It seems Andy Warhol did just that with paintings.
The title , which translates to wild raspberries, refers to Bergman Wild Strawberries , released some time earlier.
Andy Warhol, before giving birth to his torrent of Pop Art, was a commercial illustrator who worked for companies and magazines. Wild Raspberries belongs to this period (called the pre-Pop ). The idea arose from a joke between Warhol and Suzie Frankfurt, a publicist. Suzie wrote the texts, Andy did the drawings, and the calligraphy was done by Warhol's mother, Julia Warhola (yes, that was the lady's name).
The first printing of the book was hand-painted by Warhol and his friends at painting parties , which obviously included people, paper, and paints. There are about 35 colored copies, each costing around $17,000. The print edition is available on Amazon for $30. I wonder if poor Warhola also wrote book by book by hand.
The tone of the text is critical of high society , for whom, at the time, knowing how to serve an elegant dinner was a status symbol. The recipes are simple and hilarious. They have requirements like "send the chauffeur in the Cadillac to fetch the suckling pig from the Plaza Hotel restaurant" or begin with "while you're in the Caribbean this winter..."
Many recipes feature people , like the Greta Garbo Omelette (which should be eaten alone and by candlelight). In short, a nice little item to have and give as a gift. Especially for Paulina, my friends, whose birthday is in a month 😉
