"The Joy of Cooking"

"The Joy of Cooking"
by Elaine Magarrell

I find this poem humorous and amusing.  The title is deceptively innocent, because cooking seems like suck a simple, enjoyable, and innocent activity.  But the speaker is talking about cooking some of her siblings body parts! That just sounds evil.  "Best with horseradish and economical- it probably will grow back. Next time perhaps a creole sauce or mold of aspic?" (Magarrell).  The speaker is talking calmly and matter-of-factly about eating her sister's tongue, and even ponders how she will cook it the next time if or when it grows back.
The fact that the poem is a little gross and quite wicked only adds to the humor. It is very exaggerated, obviously the speaker is not going to eat her sister's tongue and her brother's heart, but in describing these activities, the speaker expresses her negative feelings toward her siblings.  Now these feelings could range anywhere from pure hatred, to strong annoyance, to simple frustration.  I know I have felt at least two of these feelings toward my siblings before, and I might have considered cooking their tongue for dinner.  But the fact that the poem is quite unrealistic, but detailed, is what makes it so amusing.