Leave the Cooking to Me

by Judie Angell

Shirley plans to run a catering business as a summer money-making enterprise, but her determination to keep it a secret from her mother causes some complicated situations.

Genres: Young Adult

185 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Best known for her books under the name Judie Angell, Judie Angell Gaberman (Also wrote under pseudonyms Fran Arrick and Maggie Twohill) writes novels which blend serious emotions with humorous circumstances to explore both common and unique issues that young people face--in their families, with their peers, and with authority figures. Most of Angell's protagonists are experiencing transitions, and they tend to be clever and creative in meeting the challenges involved in moving toward adulthood.

Reviews

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Year in, year out, every summer, this is a book to which I return - despite the fact that I have it memorised by now. The first time I ever picked it up was on a recommendation from my mother, who saw it at the local public library and checked it out (probably due to the fact that, as a chef, she was attracted to anything with the word "cooking" in it); we now have a well-worn copy of our own. And here is where the old adage, "don't judge a book by its cover," comes in handy: the illustration on the front cover shows an array of quite poorly-drawn dishes - from deviled eggs to a pasta salad, most of which looks like dog food (I'd say cat food, but I have a cat which I would not like to offend).

But lurking behind this unappetsising display is a carefree, intriguing tale of one girl's quest to keep her summer job a secret from her mother with the help of her supportive friends, headstrong younger sister, and a reluctant jock.

Shirley Merton is your typical teenager: she rolls her eyes at her mother; speaks in slang with her friends; blasts her music just a little too loud; writes her crush's initials in a heart on her notebook; and can't wait to get her permit to drive. The only thing is, she's also a tremendous cook. Not only good enough to be able to feed her family after her father's death and her mother's increased workload, but also good enough to pass for a professional caterer. And that's exactly what she does for the rest of the summer. After a successful last-minute dinner party thrown for her friend's parents' business associates, Shirley spontaneously forms the small business "Vanessa's Catering," and soon gets gig after gig, starting with the woman who attended the first dinner party. As her fame grows, so do her orders - and her bank account.

Layered in with this story is the complication that Shirley can't tell her mother, because she wants to prove she can do something on her own. This leads to many comical scenes, mostly when Mrs. Merton discovers vague phone messages asking "Vanessa" for certain poundage and for "quality," as well as dried oregano leaves and confectioner's sugar on the counter, leading her to assume the worst and investigate .

There are also romantic twists, with Shirley and the class jock, who provides her with a car and waiting services (described as a "Greek god"-type, he makes all the ladies at the parties swoon, allowing for smoother sailing at the luncheons), as well as with Shirley's mother and a client, the most dramatic moment of which corresponds with the climax and conclusion of Vanessa's Catering.

As mentioned above, I've read this book countless times. At least once a year annually since the summer after fourth grade. And what had never bothered me before, but bothered me this time around, was the '50s- or at least '70s-vibe I got from it. Although the book was published in 1990/1991, I got the distinct impression that the novel I was reading was set in any year between 1950 and 1975. At any time, I was expecting a reference to Vietnam. Or Watergate. (Except for the fact that there's a paradise kind of quality to the small-town life in the book.) For one, the names are as outdated as they are memorable: Shirley, Vanessa, Mary Kay, Evelyn, Frances, Marsha, Janet... For another, the chauvinistic and derogatory attitudes toward women, not just from the male protagonist but from the writer herself - all but two of the men are useless and full of snide remarks toward what they deem to be "the female professions." Now, I was born in 1991, so perhaps my perspective is a bit limited, but I'm fairly certain that such vast amounts of feminist progress have not been made in fewer than twenty years. And finally, the approach to teenager-hood in the book was almost foreign to me. It seemed that the parents in the novel expected their children to grow up too fast, and the expectations were different than what I experienced growing up. Oh, and "dinner parties"?? Really? And luncheons? Really?? Who has had a luncheon in the past twenty years?

But aside from those minor qualms, which do not detract from the enjoyment of reading this novel in the least, the writing is wonderful. There is a strong teenage voice, which is as refreshing as it is plausible, and each character is developed to the point where the reader can not only picture the character but can also pinpoint a similar personage in his/her life, and smile at the comparison. The relationships between the characters are equal parts real, identifiable, humourous, and touching. Story-wise, the author has hit it spot-on.

And the food, well, the descriptions - if not the visuals - will leave you salivating.

[Devorah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and sweet. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a cute, easy read that goes *almost* exactly how you expect it to go.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book from middle/high school and I found on thrift books.com for my kids. I still loved it! So cute.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's about a girl named Suise who starts her own catering business called Vanessa's. She was supposed to get a summer job but instead she starts this business as her job and works with her friends. She and her mom made a deal that Suise can do whatever job she wants and she doent have to tell her mom until the end of the summer. Her mom then gets curious because all calls asking for Vanessa is coming to her house and she is telling them that they have the wrong number. You will just have to read the book to se if her mom finds out about the business. I loved this book, but I really think she should of told her mother what she was doing because when her mom answered the phone and told people they had the wrong number she was losing business.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remembering reading this book in middle school, and I have no idea why the title stuck with me, but it deserves three stars if I can remember all the way back then!