No comments about Cooking in Europe, 1250-1650 (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series).

2 comments about Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.

1. One of the best cookbooks of the time period. I use this cookbook to recreate 18th century receipts (recipes) for a living history museum. This book is not only informitive on 18th century cooking in general, many of the recipes can be cooked today. Try an onion pie and with the left over pie crust make kickshaws, a type of cookie with jam. This book will become your primary source for 18th century cooking and with its glossary it is better than many other editions.



2. This book is a must-have for collectors of antiquarian cookbooks, even if it is a facsimile of a posthumous edition published in America. Makes me wish I had the appropriate kitchen.

   To appreciate what Hannah Glasse's work did for cooking, it's necessary to understand what place it had in the market of the 18th century -- it was the book for English-speaking cooks, even in Revolutionary times as popular in the Colonies as it was back home in England. It's a bit more in scope than a typical modern cookbook as well, including things like beer/wine/mead recipes and preserves that are usually in separate books today, and even an occasional home remedy. The recipes cover much classic British Isles cooking, including Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding, meat pies, Scotch Broth, and a good number of seafood recipes.

   The recipes in question probably don't lend themselves much to modern kitchens, unless you've got a fireplace with pothooks and a beehive oven in the chimney. But it's still enough to make you imagine, and to realize that while the techniques have changed, food hasn't changed much in two hundred years and change. The recipes are done in a conversational style that seems strange in a cookbook but should feel familiar to anyone who's learned a recipe at someone's elbow. Don't expect precise measurements everywhere either; you're expected to be able to figure such things out on your own. (One bit of advice: unlike modern recipes, where you can pick out the ingredients and work as you read, it behooves the reader to study the recipe before hand and take notes if necessary.)

   As I said, it's a facsimile of a later edition from 1804 or so, and includes updates that aren't distinguished from Glasse's original text (thus my one-star deduction, which is a highly subjective decision). That said, it's likely a faithful rendition of how early America ate, and an invaluable reference to anyone who wishes to learn how it was done back in the day.

No comments about The New Orleans Italian Cookbook.

1 comments about Mediterranean Cooking (Williams Sonoma Kitchen Library).

1. This is a great cooking book. It uses mostly easy to find ingredients, it goes step by step and doesn't assume you know something you may not (as other cookbooks sometimes do). Mostly the dishes are healthy. I wish they would re print this series.
   Incredible must haves!

3 comments about Dandy Dutch Recipes.

1. My daughter moved a year ago to Holland and got me this book. It has great comments into the Dutch people and some of their cooking techniques. It offers a variety of recipes for thier Hotchpotch and Dutch oven cooking. Entertaining as well as some great recipes.



2. Dandy Dutch Recipes, in the popular recipe-card file size Stocking Stuffer format, is chock-full of the best recipes and notes about Dutch culture. This book was compiled by Mina Baker-Roelofs, distinguished home economist and Dutch heritage scholar, and Carol Van Klompenburg, author of our Delightfully Dutch and Dutch Treats. Traditional and popular recipes of foods enjoyed by families of Dutch extraction. Dandy Dutch Recipes also features the Hindeloopen drawings of Sallie Haugen DeReus. Her decorative floral designs are reminiscent of Norwegian rosemaling. The cover features tulips in full color.

   Dandy Dutch Recipes also contains an array of information on Dutch-American culture. language and sites. Notes on Dutch Sites and Events make this book a must for chefs and tourists alike.

   The Dutch specialties included are wonderful! Dutch Lettuce Salad is a popular traditional recipe. This goes well with Pea Soup and Hutspot (vegetables with chuck or rib roast). Cheese Sticks and Dutch Twists are great finger foods for any party. The Herring Salad makes for a deliciously healthy meal. The Dutch Birthday Cake will fill the Birthday boy or girl with delight!

   Dandy Dutch Recipes is excellent for personal collections and as a memento for those interested in Dutch-American traditions!




3. I don't know what I was expecting with Dutch cuisine when I tried some recipes from this book but it sure wasn't what came out in the final product! I was surprised to read about the Indian influence on Dutch food from Colonial times. I was also surprised to see the Dutch use meatballs in their stews.
   
   I made the Vegetable soup with meatballs, following the recipe to the letter, and it came out absolutely mouth watering! For the main dish I selected Traditional Hotchpotch with Chuck and the meat fell off the bone. It turned out to be a stew but it was very tasty nonetheless.
   
   The spiral-bound recipe books from many countries are loaded with authentic ethnic recipes along with historical notes that are worth the time to read. The history gives a great background to the excellent food you're about to prepare.
   
   Highly recommended.

1 comments about Kitchen Book: The Cookbook.

1. This volume consists of two works originally published by Freeling in the 1970s, "The Kitchen Book," and "The Cook Book." The two are presented here one after the other as separate entities, together with whimsical illustrations by John Lawrence. At the back of the book is an index covering material in "The Cook Book".
   
   "The Kitchen Book" describes Freeling's formative years as a cook in the 1950s and 60s. Freeling came of age in Britain at the close of World War II. He wanted to become a chef, and set off to the continent to find himself a job in a the restaurant of a fancy Parisian hotel. Determination and perseverance enabled him to withstand the rigors of an informal apprenticeship in the kitchen, where he learned the foundation of French cooking. Ambition and a desire for more pay led him to take a position in a provincial hotel, where he learned more, and not necessarily just about food. Much of the more interesting material in this volume covers this period in his life. The remainder covers his later cooking career, when he shifted from hotel to hotel in Britain, and presided as executive chef over a restaurant that was doomed from the start by fantastically poor management. Some of the material in the latter part of this volume can be slightly hard to follow for readers unfamiliar with the context of restaurant work in Britain or British dialects and slang.
   
   "The Cook Book" is a written in a very informal narrative style, quite different from the detailed didactic instructions of more typical cookbooks. Freeling enumerates the merits of a dish and how and when it may best be enjoyed, and then narrates entirely in prose how the dish can be prepared. He eschews exact measurements, temperature or timing guidelines, since he knows that ingredients are variable, and will cook differently depending on their age and treatment, and the humidity and temperature of the kitchen. He notes that it is far more important to observe, taste, smell, and touch the food as it cooks than to rely on measurements of volume, temperature, or time.
   
   Indeed, in the introduction to "The Kitchen Book," Freeling explains some of his philosophy on the subject, emphasizing that a good cook makes a dish well not through slavishly following a recipe, but through shear practice, and continuing to make the same dish repeatedly until it consistently comes out right. He tell us "In this book are no recipes, absolutely no useful hints, and above all no damned instructions; they do not give one an appetite." Actually, that's not quite true-a careful reader can pick up a number of great hints by reading the book, starting with the idea that good cooking comes through practice, not instructions. Nevertheless, Freeling's narrative style for giving recipes in "The Cook Book" is not for everyone. It works well for experienced cooks who are familiar with the ingredients mentioned. Such cooks won't have a problem with statements like "cook until done," but the rest of us may wistfully wish for a few more specific guidelines to help us along. But this doesn't detract from the delightful readability of the recipes.

1 comments about Icelandic Food and Cookery.

1. Nanna has shared with us the fruits of her cooking and research labors of many years - thank you so much! This book is stuffed full of good information about Icelandic culture, the recipes explained in context and detailed well, that even those who've not been to Iceland can get a "taste" of the land. Wonderful!

5 comments about June Meyer's Authentic Hungarian Heirloom Recipes.

1. The recipes in here are delicious thus far. They consist of simple ingredients and teh instructions also contain tips to ensure it comes out great. The binding is cheap and I am concerned the pages will not hold up in the kitchen.



2. I do not like cooking but I like food. Though I am not Hungarian, this cookbook offers recipes for the dishes I grew up with in the Balkans. I am proud of myself now :) I can actually make a delicious meal. June Meyer you're a blessing!!!!!!! My kids are getting good food now.



3. I admire the respect and curiosity for Hungarian cuisine because it is fantastic. It's a nice try to explore other nations' heritage, but when you write a book about it, make sure that the facts are right. I was born in Hungary, and I've lived there for 20 years, so I know how most of the dishes in this book taste like and what goes in them. Some ingredients are missing from the recipes and the recipes included are just scratching the surface of Hungarian cuisine. Sticking the "Authentic" in front of everything won't actually make it authentic! I had fun reading the Hungarian names of dishes. The spelling is way off! All in all my advice would be: if you are looking for a GOOD Hungarian cookbook, look for a Hungarian author...



4. The recipes in this cookbook take me back to the days of my grandmother's country kitchen, the smells & flavor's of her Hungarian cooking. She came to the USA from Hungary as a young bride. I can remember her dishes were full of flavor and prepared farm fresh. When we would ask for a recipe she would answer with a a few of those and a bit of that. Nothing was written down. This cookbook is a welcomed addition to my collection. The recipes are authentic and taste as I remember them as a young boy spending my summers on the farm.



5. A wonderful book....familiar recipes from my childhood written down. These "Germans in Hungary" have a wonderful history and culture which I have only lately come to fully understand and appreciate. This book is a special treasure from "the Old Country" and I am so happy June Meyer wrote it and shared it!

5 comments about Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook.

1. I love this cookbook! The recipes are wonderful as well as the cultural tidbits. I was an exchange student in Belgium and whenever I feel "homesick" for my home away from home, the recipes in this book are the cure!



2. As an American living in Flanders for many years I can vouch for the authenticity of the recipes and the quality of the results. There's a lot of good stuff in here, and it's well worth the purchase. I would only urge you not to read this book as a travel guide! The author must have been away from the country for quite a long time and her cultural information is pretty dated, or she is looking back with rose-colored glasses. For example, for all the romanticizing about Belgian home cooking I don't know anyone under retirement age who actually cooks much - the women are all working just like everywhere else in the world nowadays and most of this stuff gets bought in stores, not made at home. It's telling that she describes learning to cook at the shoulder of her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, but that she herself is a professional cook - about the only job where people have time to prepare time-consuming dishes anymore, including in Belgium.
   
   Also, much to my astonishment she describes Belgium's beautiful coastal villages - a month ago coastal development was voted by readers of 'De Morgen' newspaper as the worst blight of many blights on the Belgian landscape perpetrated by builders and a lack of city planning - a long wall of concrete apartment blocks overlooking the sea that is so ugly it has to be seen to be believed. The beaches are nice, but only with your back to the towns. Similarly she goes on about Belgians' love of vegetables...being from California I can only laugh at this one. Hardly anything interesting is grown in this climate - if you like green beans, cauliflower, endive and leeks you're in major luck, but once you've had them a million times you realize why people drink so much beer here - it puts you out of your misery.
   
   The reality of today's home cooking is that it's meat and potatoes, with some boiled winter vegetables. Belgian cooking has moved to traiteurs and restaurants, and with all those people working and not cooking, incomes have improved, and they eat out for both the classics and for upscale cuisine. Restaurants are amazing - the quality is incredible for the price. So this book may describe a bygone era, but still characterizes the culinary heritage very well. It's comfort food for all those dark, rainy days.



3. I purchased this book for a Belgian-themed party I was hosting, and was not disappointed. Although it was a bit sparse on quick, easy to put together party foods, it had enough recipes that I still had a tough time choosing which to make. Everything was delicious, and well-described in the book. My guests were impressed. Nothing I chose to make was any more difficult than Ms. Van Waerebeek led me to believe.
   My advice is to buy this book for adventurous, Belgian-themed dinners, or if you enjoy reading about a real person who had ethnic cooking techniques passed down through her family. It is just right its descriptions, the author gives great, brief backgrounds to help you decide if you're interested in making each recipe. It's clear she is very familiar with the cuisine.
   If you have an interest in this type of cooking, you can't go wrong with this book!



4. I am a Belgian living in the US and I bought this book in 1996. I vouched for it being authentic and still representative of how people cook today. Even busy families know that sitting together at the table at the end of the day is a great way to unwind and to strengthen the body and mind. They value the time to listen to each other while eating slowly (no tv or other distractions). My friends and family in Belgium may sometimes bring ready made food (excellent quality is available there) but all know how to cook, do it often, and enjoy the process as a way to relax and nurture the family.
   
   People can keep up because they know that every meal does not need to have many courses. For example, I went to a restaurant-brasserie recently in Brussels where one of the day's specials was a plate of asparagus: 6 big, flavorful white asparagus with a mousseline, chopped hardboiled eggs & parsley sauce, with bread and a glass of good wine it was a satisfying and delicious meal.
   
   So, some of the recipes in the book are for special occasions or for the weekend, the smaller dish can be used as weekday meals when time is scarce.
   
   I use this book often and all recipes work as described, are easy to follow, and include all the information that is needed for a successful outcome - unlike too many cookbooks with attractive pictures but missing information.
   
   I have two friends over for lunch tomorrow and I am going to serve the waterzooi of scallops with garlic bread - quick and easy to prepare ahead of time, always delicious.



5. I use this cookbook lots. The recipes are not complicated and very easy to follow instructions. The dishes we've made so far are all great. My grandfather was Belgian so it inspired me to try the cooking, so glad I did!

1 comments about Food in Russian History and Culture (Indiana-Michigan Series in Russian & East European Studies).

1. These essays -- by a roster of accomplished contemporary scholars of Russian Studies -- are wonderfully accesible and informative. Readers with interests in folk culture and history, Russian studies (history, literature, whatever) and/or culinary history will feel like they've struck gold. The thirteen scholarly pieces, some with a few illustrations, cover a wealth of topics (see table of contents above)-- consistently well. It's anything but dry; Pamela Chester's article on the relationship between (state-) tormented poets Marina Tsvetaeva and Osip Mandelstam (and their uses of food as symbol and, tragically, their deprivation of it, later) is heartbreaking. Peasantry, the gentry, and the Eastern Orthodox church; brilliant fussbudget Tolstoy's vegetarianism is in here; the uses of food in the writing of Dostoyevsky; fasting and food fashions; Catherine the Great (hardly any tastebuds; hearty interest in 'presentation'); the new Soviet state with its ambitious dreams for the citizenry, and the ultimate cynical mess that resulted. Food as power, class marker, moral symbol, and solace. The roots of asceticism (Orthodox church).Unfortunately, Jewish life and gulag life has been omitted, and a careful list of the prices of foodstuffs in St. Petersburg in Catherine's time is all rubles and kopeks... so I couldn't tell what I might have been able to afford.. What's here, though, is very good. I'll look for Volume 2.