Junkshop Gem: Cook Now Dine Later by Catherine Althaus and Peter Ffrench-Hodges

They say you can't judge a book by its cover - but I think we know what we're getting from Cook Now Dine Later by Catherine Althaus and Peter Ffrench-Hodges.

Yes, this is 60s dinner party territory. But not only that, according to the preface, this is a book that will 'appeal to any bride who intends to go on working after her marriage.' And one with a strong stomach too. The food in here is pretty astounding - we've tried to find a recipe we might be able to keep down, but so far haven't dared go near one.

Looking for examples? Well, how about Turtle Eggs (egg, cheese and turtle soup) or Bonfire Melon (raw fruit with curry powder) for starters? Or maybe Bacon Mousse or Pooh Chops for main? Plenty of desserts too, with Graprefuit with Gin and Embalmed Macaroons certainly catching the eye.

To be fair, there's some good cooking advice in there too and if you want to offer your guests something 'different', you'll never be short of inspiration here. And this long out of print book should be fairly cheap to buy too (at somewhere like Abebooks), should you want to pick it up.

Find out more at the Abebooks website