Category: Cookbooks

Cookbooks written, illustrated & self-published by Gloria Pitzer, Secret Recipes™

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2018 – Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – Best of the Recipe Detective

2018 Jan – Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – The Best of the Recipe Detective

2018 – Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – Best of the Recipe Detective is a re-write of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook by her daughter, Laura Emerich (published by Balboa Press, Jan. 2018). This cookbook has 318 pages filled with over 500 of Gloria’s best recipes, Food-for-Thought, inspirational stories, household and cooking tips and tricks, witty jokes, illustrations and historical information on some of the companies whose dishes and products she mimicked at home!

*SPECIAL NOTE: This cookbook was Gloria’s personal favorite of all the ones she’s written. It was recently re-written by Gloria and her daughter, Laura (Pitzer) Emerich. It is currently (as of Jan 2018) published by Balboa Press and available for sale at $20.99 each (also, available as an eBook for $3.99 each)…see: https://www.balboapress.com/Bookstore/BookDetail.aspx?BookId=SKU-001062252

Fun Facts:

Comments (as seen on Amazon):

5 out of 5 stars from the Secret Recipe Detective – Lynne – July 20, 2018 – Format: Paperback

“Gloria Pitzer was famous for her copycat recipes and their clever sound-alike names. She experimented in her kitchen to recreate popular foods. The first was McDonald’s secret sauce, way back in 1968. At that time, it was an 80-mile round trip from her home to the nearest McDonald’s. Any of her cookbooks is worth owning. They can be hard to find, so buy them when you see them.

Gloria Pitzer died earlier this year. The best tribute I can include is her version of Open Pit BBQ sauce — which will give you the flavour (yep, pun intended) of her style and creativity. She called it (what else?) Open Pitzer BBQ Sauce – Combine 1 cup bottled apple butter, 1 cup ketchup, and 1 cup Catalina Dressing. Mix well. Store in covered container in the refrigerator.”

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2001 – Gloriously Simple! Recipes from Gloria Pitzer

2001 Oct – Gloriously Simple! Recipes from Gloria Pitzer

2001 – Gloriously Simple! Recipes from Gloria Pitzer was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, Marysville, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook is another fabulous collection of Gloria’s simplest recipes for everything from soup to nuts, using simple ingredients you probably already have handy!

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “The Recipe Detective” and “Private Investigator of Secret Recipes (Not for Hire)”
  • Printings: 1+
  • Years: Oct 2001+
  • Recipes: about 200
  • Pages: 30
  • Size: 8.5″ x 11″
  • Original Price: $6.75; it sold out in 2004 at $7 per copy
  • Used copies on eBay or Amazon: none found
  • ISBN: unknown
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT
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2000 – Gloria Pitzer’s My Personal Favorites

2000 Nov – Gloria Pitzer’s My Personal Favorites

2000 – Gloria Pitzer’s My Personal Favorites was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, Marysville, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this was a Limited Edition cookbook of Gloria’s own personal, go-to collection of her favorite “Secret Recipes” that she kept in a notebook on her kitchen counter. These are the reliable, perfect-every-time recipes that she depended on to be easily put together without a lot of time and effort requirements.

Fun Facts:

  • Printings: 4+
  • Years: Nov 2000 – May 2001+
  • Recipes: 199 listed
  • Pages: 30
  • Size: 8.5″ x 11″
  • Price: originally $6.00; it sold out in 2004 at $7 per copy
  • Used copies on eBay or Amazon: none found
  • ISBN: unknown
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT
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1999 – The Great Imitator’s Cookbook by Gloria Pitzer

1999 Oct – The Great Imitator’s Cookbook by Gloria Pitzer

1999 – The Great Imitator’s Cookbook was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook has a collection of 367 copycat recipes on 60 pages in an 8.5” x 11” format, which are complimented by Gloria’s signature style of “recipes” for being the best we can be in our daily relationships tucked in between!

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “Imitations”
  • Printings: 2
  • Years: October 1999 & May 2000
  • Recipes: 367 originally listed
  • Pages: 60
  • Size: 8.5″ x 11”
  • Original Price: $9.75
  • Used copies on eBay: none found
  • Used copies on Amazon: $35
  • ISBN: 1-886138-10-9
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT
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1997 – Gloria Pitzer Presents The Original 200 Plus Secret Recipes Book

1997 Jun – Gloria Pitzer Presents The Original 200 Plus Secret Recipes Book

1997 – Gloria Pitzer Presents The Original 200 Plus Secret Recipes Book was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook is a collection of the first 200 recipes developed and tested by Gloria Pitzer in the early 1970s for her monthly newsletter and original 4” x 6” recipe-card sales before she ever had cookbooks; now in one collection, plus almost 100 more! Many of products or dishes from places no longer available all in a 60-page, 8.5” x 11” format.

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “Imitations”
  • Printings: 1
  • Years: June 1997
  • Recipes: 293 listed
  • Pages: 60
  • Size: 8.5″ x 11”
  • Original Price: $8.75
  • Used copies on eBay: none found
  • Used copies on Amazon: none found
  • ISBN: 1-886138-11-7
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT
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1997 – Gloria Pitzer Presents Restaurant Recipe Secrets

1997 Jan – Gloria Pitzer Presents Restaurant Recipe Secrets

1997 – Gloria Pitzer Presents Restaurant Recipe Secrets was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook, having 60 pages and an 8.5” x 11” format, includes “Our Story” & information about our family, The Donahue Show phenomena (pgs. 16-17)… plus, imitations of products and dishes from Kraft, LA Choy, Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans and Ponderosa…ingredient substitutions as well.

In the old days, chefs were flattered when asked to share a recipe. But, now, they can’t afford to give out the secrets that make their dishes special and unique. That’s where Gloria comes in, as she attempts to figure it out, following her hunches on which ingredients will probably produce an identical flavor or similar texture to the famous product or dish.

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “And Other Classified Information for Imitating Famous Food at Home!” and “Recipes Inspired by Restaurant Specialties”
  • Printings: 7+
  • Years: Jun 1996 – May 2001+
  • Recipes: 268 listed in the 3rd printing (Jan 1997)
  • Pages: 60
  • Size: 8.5″ x 11″
  • Original Price: $8.75, sold for $9.75 in Nov 2000
  • Used copies on eBay: $11
  • Used copies on Amazon: $16.61
  • ISBN: 1-8861-38-09-5
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT

Comments:

4 out of 5 stars – Gloria Pitzer, The Recipe Detective – September 22, 2009 – By Dolores H Evans
I’ve collected many of Gloria Pitzer recipe books and bulletins since 1977. She is great and right on in duplicating many recipes. I loaned out “Sugar Free Recipes” (1987-88) book and am searching for a replacement as it is out of print. I was happy to find many of her books on the Internet. I’ll keep searching.

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1997 – Gloria Pitzer’s 3-in-1 Book

1997 Jan – Gloria Pitzer’s 3-in-1 Book

1997 – Gloria Pitzer’s 3-in-1 Book was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook, having 60 pages and an 8.5” x 11” format, is a culmination of 311 recipes that use less fat and sugar; as well as, recipes for the best breads you can’t make in a bread machine!

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “Of Less Fat and Sugar, & Best Bread Recipes”, “It’s not what you measure out to that counts, but what you measure up to!”
  • Printings: 1+
  • Years: Jan 1997+ (sold out before Nov 1999)
  • Recipes: 311 listed
  • Pages: 60
  • Size: 8.5”x11”
  • Price: $8.75
  • Used copies on eBay: none found
  • Used copies on Amazon: $28.94
  • ISBN: 1-886138-12-5
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT
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1995 – Gloria Pitzer Presents Secret Knock Off Recipes

1995 Nov – Gloria Pitzer Presents Secret Knock Off Recipes

1995 – Gloria Pitzer Presents Secret Knock Off Recipes was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook boasts a little of this & a little of that! You’ll find 352 copycat recipes of famous foods from even more famous places not included in her other books; amid Food-for-Thought, household tips, cooking tricks and humorous quips – all in a 60-page, 8.5” x 11” format.

In this book, Gloria Pitzer draws a parallel between most of the recipe secrets she shares with you here and those dishes we’ve all enjoyed while eating out or products we all buy at the supermarket. The food industry’s secrets are closely guarded by a very competitive market; but, Gloria’s recipe imitations unbreak the codes and unmask the mysteries of dining in as if we are eating out!

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “For On-the-Go Cooks”, “The I Don’t Cook Much Anymore Recipe Favorites”
  • Printings: 2
  • Years: Nov 1995 & Jun 1997
  • Recipes: 352
  • Pages: 60
  • Size: 8.5″ x 11″
  • Original Price: $8.75
  • Used copies on eBay: $20
  • Used copies on Amazon: none found
  • ISBN: 1-886138-11-7
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT
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1995 – Gloria Pitzer Presents The Mostly 4-Ingredient Cook Book of Secret Recipes

1995 Nov – Gloria Pitzer Presents The Mostly 4-Ingredient Cook Book of Secret Recipes

1995 – Gloria Pitzer Presents The Mostly 4-Ingredient Cook Book of Secret Recipes is an updated reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Mostly 4-Ingredient Recipes (Dec 1986, 2nd Printing) written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook has an 8.5” x 11” format with 60 pages, using the same 120 pages of the smaller, Dec 1986 format and laid out horizontally with 2 old pages per each new page. The new style boasted about 470 recipes in its index, covering dishes that Gloria developed and tested to perfection. This cookbook includes all of her favorite shortcuts to success that have been requested by her radio-listeners around the world, during her visits with over 150 radio stations.

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “A Potpourri of Recipes” and “An Updated Reprint”
  • Printings: 1
  • Years: Nov 1995
  • Recipes: 470 listed
  • Pages: 60
  • Size 8.5” x 11”
  • Price: $7.50
  • Used copies on eBay: not found
  • Used copies on Amazon: $35
  • ISBN: unknown
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT
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1994 – The Best of the First 20 Years by Gloria Pitzer

1994 Apr – The Best of the First 20 Years by Gloria Pitzer

1994 – The Best of the First 20 Years was written, illustrated and published by Gloria Pitzer (Secret Recipes, St. Clair, MI). NO LONGER IN PRINT – this cookbook is a special, limited edition, anniversary issue of select recipes from the first 20 years of Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter, 1974-1994; having a 60-page, 8.5” x 11” format full of 376 select recipes, family stories and pictures, editorials on The Newsletter’s history, food tips, tricks & techniques and information on Gloria’s regular radio visits. It sold for $10 per book.

“The Secret Recipe Detective” is the name or title given to Mom by her many radio talk show friends and fans, because she could sleuth out the secrets of the food and restaurant industries, determining how their dishes could be made at home with a minimum amount of effort and ingredients.

Fun Facts:

  • Sub-Titles: “Anniversary Issue”, “Gloria Pitzer’s Secret Recipes Newsletter”, “Special Limited Edition”, “First of a Series”
  • Printings: 1
  • Years: Apr 1994
  • Recipes: 376 listed
  • Pages: 60
  • Size: 8.5”x11”
  • Price: $10
  • Used copies on eBay: unknown
  • Used copies on Amazon: unknown
  • ISBN: unknown
  • NO LONGER IN PRINT