297579 Wed Jun 23 15:35:37 -0700 2004 41 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1642717 Friends, I am working on an article about underappreciated or forgotten classic cookbooks and food writing for this magazine. If you have a favorite, please list it here. I will certainly thank the recomender in my article. Thanks in advance, -bg Wed Jun 23 15:35:37 -0700 2004 0 Ben Gillies 1 1642727 James Beard's Menus for Entertaining, I would not think of throwing a party without referring to this book. Wed Jun 23 16:22:40 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Sthitch 1 1642736 Marion Brown's Southern Cooking. It is my family's bible. I have 4 copies. It was a UNC Press publication, my copies range in date from 1951 to 1968. American Regional Cooking, Sheila Hibben, Little, Brown and Co. A fascinating and very sophisticated little book. Out of Kentucky Kitchens, Marion Flexner, Franklin Watts Inc. Preface by Duncan Hines! 1949. Brown used many of Flexner's recipes in Southern Cooking. All three of these are classics and should be reprinted! I also would not part with my James Beard's Menus for Entertaining or the classic old Gourmet cookbooks, James Beard's American Cookery and The New York Times Heritage Cookbook. On a more esoteric level I have a little book my mother bought when we lived in Japan. It is Recipes From The East by Irma Walker Ross, Charles Tuttle and Co., Rutland, Vt. and Tokyo. It is recipes she collected. Some are a bit odd or too Americanized but some are quite good. I have a companion to it also published by Tuttle, Hors D'Oueuvres, favorite recipes from embassy kitchens compiled by the Women's Club of the U.S. Embassy, Tokyo, 1959. It has recipes from all over the world, some classics and some that have faded away and need to be revived and some you might never want to see again. Hope that is a help. Wed Jun 23 18:04:51 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Candy 1 1642738 Jane Grigson's _English Food_ --a classic on the subject, very opinionated, with utterly delightful recipes. Wed Jun 23 18:14:54 -0700 2004 1642717 0 divstudent 1 1642740 I'm assuming you already have the greats, like MFK Fisher, Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, etc. One food writer who I loved was Laurie Colwin, who wrote a column for Gourmet up until a couple of years ago when she passed away suddenly. She was a quirky, thoughtful writer. I miss her column. Actually, not that long ago Gourmet did a 60th anniversary edition, when they featured many of the writers who had written for them over the years. It would be a good starting point. Although the articles themselves are not on epicurious, the list of contributors can be found here: http://eat.epicurious.com/gourmet/feature/index.ssf/?/gourmet/feature/contributors.html Linked below is the decade by decade summary of 60th anniversary edition. Link: http://eat.epicurious.com/gourmet/feature/index.ssf/?/gourmet/feature/the40s.html Wed Jun 23 18:34:34 -0700 2004 1642717 0 DanaB 2 1642755 There are two books by Laurie Colwin that are collections of her writing - Home Cooking and More Home Cooking. They are my absolute favourites. She writes about food with an utter lack of pretension which is rare in the field. Uh - I mean she wrote about food. I really miss her. Wed Jun 23 21:09:25 -0700 2004 1642740 0 Nyleve 3 1642760 Yes, I still miss seeing her in Gourmet...it brings a tear to my eye. She was the best. Wed Jun 23 21:49:44 -0700 2004 1642755 0 snackish 3 1642771 Ooooh, I second that recommendation--those books are wonderful! Wed Jun 23 23:06:52 -0700 2004 1642755 0 divstudent 3 1642890 Agree! I felt like I had been 'hit in the stomach' when I read that she had died. She will always hold a special place in my heart! Thu Jun 24 17:25:34 -0700 2004 1642755 0 Funwithfood 2 1642814 On the topic of Marcella, I really think it's critical to have the original copies of volume I and volume II. Some years back the recipes were 'updated' (new and improved!) and condensed into one volume (can't remember name). The condensed version lost much of the wonderful tone of the two originals (e.g. in volume 1, in the desserts section, she chides the reader for wanting to make a dessert, explaining that fancy desserts are the foods of bakeries and celebrations, that a typical dessert in Italy is simply a glass of dessert wine, and perhaps a perfectly ripened piece of fruit. She grudgingly proceeds to give the reader recipes. It's perfect and wonderful and part of what I love about Marcella. In the condensed, updated version, all of that wonderful text is edited out, and it's simply a collection of recipes with some text that doesn't have much soul.). I guess the moral here (at least to this book, and I think some of the other responders are picking up on this with the authors they are recommending) is that it's delightful to feel you get to know the author, that their tone shines through (in addition to providing great recipes, of course). That said, there are times when I the author really shines through their text, and it drives you nuts. For example, although I've been using the Cake Bible a great deal recently as I prepare a couple of cakes I've never made before, Beranbaum's tone drives me nuts. She's TOO personal and seems self-promoting (I never want to hear again about the cakes she made for her brother/mother/niece's weddings!). Thu Jun 24 11:52:46 -0700 2004 1642740 0 Smokey 3 1643143 Marcella Hazan explains in the introduction (preface?) to the combined version (I think it's Classics of Italian Cuisine) that the updating you refer to was done largely to reflect the increased availability of "authentic" Italian ingredients since the individual volumes were published. Sun Jun 27 16:27:31 -0700 2004 1642814 0 Timowitz 1 1642741 All the old Time/Life Foods of the World series. House and Gardens New Cook Book, published in the 60's has lots of great contributors and a fine section on techniques and tools. The Gold Cook Book by Louis P. De Gouy from the 50's. Wed Jun 23 18:59:27 -0700 2004 1642717 0 suzannapilaf 2 1642742 Oh, and Raymond Sokolov, particularly his columns on food and culture for Natural History Magazine. Wed Jun 23 19:01:14 -0700 2004 1642741 0 suzannapilaf 1 1642748 Popular in the 60's but long out-of-print are Morrison Wood's "Jug of Wine" books: Cooking With a Jug of Wine, More Cooking With a Jug of Wine, Through Europe With a Jug of Wine. Wed Jun 23 20:21:11 -0700 2004 1642717 0 TomSwift 1 1642757 I inherited two cookbooks from my mother-in-law. One is the Household Searchlight cookbook published in 1939 and Good Housekeeping's Book of Meals published in 1930. I'm sure she inherited them from her mother or mother-in-law also. They are VERY basic cookbooks, but I do refer to them for recipes for rhubarb pie or chicken fricassee, etc. They mean a lot to me for sentimental reasons, and I'm sure one day they will be passed on to my daughters. As an added bonus, there are many recipes tucked in them in their own handwriting. I also have have some of their mixing bowls and kitchen tools. There is no better way to remember someone than to have one of their recipes, cookbooks or kitchen tools. It keeps their spirit alive in the food you prepare.D. Wed Jun 23 21:25:26 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Donna - MI 1 1642759 Sadly, I only have Volume II, but it's from Bull Cook and Authentic Historical Recipes and Practices by George Leonard Herter and Berthe E. Herter from Herter's, Waseca, Minnesota - it's from the late 60's. It's as much of a travelogue as a recipe book - just rambling on and on from French cuisine to Japan. They reprint menus of that period from all over the world - Maxim's, the Shelbourne in Dublin. They provide recipes in text as part of the explanation of the menu items and traditions of the restaurant or region/country. Not something that necessarily made an impact - but lots of fun to read. My copy is a 4th printing, so somebody read it. Anybody have a copy of Volume I? Wed Jun 23 21:45:21 -0700 2004 1642717 0 applehome 2 1642768 Check out the link below and you can find a copy of this book. They have several available and priced according to quality. You can pick-up a tattered one for $6. Link: http://www.alibris.com Wed Jun 23 22:52:18 -0700 2004 1642759 0 Sthitch 3 1642779 Thanks! Thu Jun 24 07:26:01 -0700 2004 1642768 0 applehome 1 1642761 Ooh!I forgot, Saucepans and The Single Girl also I found at a used book sale the sequel, What To Do with Him After You Have Caught Him. Very 60's but some recipes I still use today Wed Jun 23 21:56:54 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Candy 1 1642780 "I am working on an article about underappreciated or forgotten classic cookbooks and food writing for this magazine." For which magazine? Thu Jun 24 07:37:30 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Sharuf 1 1642788 Food books, or cookbooks? For Food books, A Bowl of Red, and Calvin Trillin's The Tummy Trilogy. Both of those were formative for me. I'm not sure how underappreciated they are among Chowhounds, but I don't think the rest of the world knows anything about them at all. Tom Thu Jun 24 09:09:31 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Mosca 2 1642794 Ben, If you loved the Tummy Triologies, don't miss Jeffrey Steingarten's "The Man Who Ate Everything". Absolutely marvelous. Thu Jun 24 10:36:42 -0700 2004 1642788 0 Leper 3 1642799 The sequel to The Man Who Ate Everything was pretty good, too. I forget the title. Thu Jun 24 10:56:57 -0700 2004 1642794 0 shortorder 4 1642889 It Must Have Been Something I Ate. Good also! Thu Jun 24 17:23:10 -0700 2004 1642799 0 ciaogina 1 1642796 When I was a kid I adored two books in the classic 1960's Betty Crocker series--the kids' cookbook and the Cooky Book (which was recently reissued in its exact original form). They're dated, perhaps, but they're such fun, the recipes are decent (and still good), and both books are loaded with color photos. I love 'em! Thu Jun 24 10:51:42 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Cakegirl 1 1642798 A number of years ago I was given a book that forever changed the way I looked at food and cooking as well as other aspects of life. The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth by Roy Andries de Groot describes his visit to an inn operated by two women in a remote valley in France. He relates how their approach to food and wine, and the use of local and natural ingredients, was not just an important part of their life, but the essence of it. I've since had the opportunity to twice travel to the Valley of the Grand Chartreuse, stay at the inn, and get to know Bruno and Veronique, the current owners. Although the lavish menus and grand wines are now impossible to duplicate, theirs is still a simple life, lived well and in harmony with their environment. I found both the book and the inn, which was and is nothing more than an old French farmhouse, inspirational, and I recommend the book highly for consideration for your article. Thu Jun 24 10:55:33 -0700 2004 1642717 0 FlyFish 1 1642804 Thanks for all of your responses so far! Two clarifications have been requested in posts; so here they are. The article is for the Ruminator Review, a quarterly magazine out of St. Paul, MN. I've listed their URL below. One person asked if I was looking for cookbooks or volumes of food writing. Either one would be great. -bg Link: http://www.ruminator.com/hmr/index.php?id=10005 Thu Jun 24 11:29:17 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Ben Gillies 1 1642806 Jane Grigson's The Art of Charcuterie. It's fascinating. Has how-to on everything from curing to sausages to pates. She pretty much starts with the pig. The Esquire Handbook for Hosts has wonderful punch recipes. The party food is very 1950s, but there are some fun things in there. It was reprinted in its original form in the 1990s, I think. I also like an old book my mom has called Wilderness Cookery (author?). Good place to find cooking times/methods for various odd game. Paula Wolfert's Cooking from the Southwest of France. So helpful and good it's amazing. Fashionable Food by Sylvia Lovegren. It goes through the trends in foods--casseroles, using mushroom soup for everything, jello molds, etc. It is very strange and a fascinating read. I would not make most of the things in it. There's a wonderful book I have at home called Southern Cooking. It has recipes submitted from the old hotels, and leading ladies of the time (1950s, I think). Recipes for things like planked shad submitted by women with names like Mrs. Jefferson Boudreau and peanut soup from The Hotel Roanoke. I will check on that. But some of the best are those plastic-ring-bound church/garden club/alumnae club cookbooks. They are legion, and full of the bad (tomato aspic molds with pineapple) and the wonderful (rosemary champagne cocktails). Thu Jun 24 11:33:50 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Sallie 2 1642928 rosemary champagne cocktails?!? Recipe, please? I'm not sure I can even imagine it. Fri Jun 25 00:19:19 -0700 2004 1642806 0 Pssst 3 1643213 I looked in the book this weekend and it's actually a rosemary rum punch. I will post that tomorrow. However, I think I've seen a rosemary champagne cocktail in the Sept. 2002 Gourmet. I can't find it on epicurious, but will check for that at home. Mon Jun 28 12:28:08 -0700 2004 1642928 0 Sallie 2 1643211 Southern Cooking I have is by Marion Brown. Mon Jun 28 12:23:32 -0700 2004 1642806 0 Sallie 1 1642809 For three years in college the first and only cookbook I had was "The Fine Art of Italian Cooking" by Giuliano Bugialli. I probably made every recipe in the book and read every page many times over. Thu Jun 24 11:43:01 -0700 2004 1642717 0 cornflower 1 1642829 I have some favourites... "French Provincial Cooking" by Tony Schmaeling. Not a book for beginners, but the recipes aren't really difficult, either. I learned a lot about the regional cooking of France from this book. "The Cook's Garden" by Sheridan Rogers (1992, Australian). Beautiful illustrations (not photographs) of food, fruits, and vegetables. Brief histories of various fruits and vegetables and their cultivation as well as creative and interesting recipes. I haven't tried them all, but the recipes I've tried I've been pleased with. I also love flipping through it for inspiration. "The Watkins Cookbook, 7th Edition," by Elaine Allen (The J. R. Watkins Company, 1948). Bought this at a garage sale many years ago for $0.50. Again, not for the inexperienced cook--typical of old recipe books. But a great place for inspiration and to find old favourites that have fallen out of fashion. I've used this book a lot over the years. "Out of Old Ontario Kitchens" by Christina Bates (1978). If you're interested in cooking history, a great read about Canadian cooking and eating habits in the 19th century as well as a great reference. Some of the recipes are not modern tastes, but some are doable, and the ones I've tried have worked well. "The Golden Lemon" by Doris Tobias and Mary Merris (1978). I love lemons, so when I saw this in a pile a a book sale I picked it up for $1. A well-written book, with interesting and very doable recipes. Instructive, a great read, and a celebration of the lemon's versatility. My best recipes for hollandaise sauce and blanquette de veau (for which I substitute pork) come from this book. Thu Jun 24 12:49:40 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Colleen 1 1642833 John Thorne's website has a section on favorite cookbooks that might be helpful. www.outlawcook.com Of course, John Thorne's writing is itself terrific, but I don't think he's underappreciated. Thu Jun 24 13:09:06 -0700 2004 1642717 0 curiousbaker 1 1642834 An absolute "must have" is Leone's Italian Kitchen. It was written by Gene Leone the son of "The infamous Mama" of restaurant fame. Every recipe I have tried is excellent and a revelation. It is NOT healthy cooking mind you, as the use of salt pork/pancetta and butter is profuse. But when good tasting Italian food is a priority, this book is "Da Bomb" !!! Thu Jun 24 13:10:59 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Chas 1 1642848 My grandmother gave me some of my grandfather's old cookbooks and among them was an Amy Vanderbilt Cookbook with original drawings by Andy Warhol. He illustrated place settings and some other things, kinda cool. Thu Jun 24 14:10:53 -0700 2004 1642717 0 joypirate 2 1642856 My mother had that book years ago, but it's disappeared somehow. It was a really good book. Thu Jun 24 14:56:27 -0700 2004 1642848 0 Colleen 1 1642866 My favorite oldie is "Feasts for All Seasons" by Roy Andres De Groot published by Knopf in 1966. It's full of great recipes, tips and witty reportage. I wore out one copy and thankfully found another at a used book store. Thu Jun 24 15:44:04 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Scottso 1 1642930 The Gentleman's Companion, The Esquire Culinary Companion and the South American Gentleman's Companion by Charles H. Baker Jr. are classics. Baker is a scream - His recipes are among the most amsuing ever written and those I've tried have been terrific. Here's the title of a recipe from The South American Gentleman's Companion (my favorite of the three books): FIRST MARCHES a MOST NOURISHING & REJUVENATING SPICY BAIT of CONCH FRITTERS, A Tasty Specialty Snupped from a Waterfront Rat-Hole in Catagena, Columbia& Which the Displaced Cubano Proprietor Called Bolluelos de Fotutas Fri Jun 25 03:16:18 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Cathleen 2 1643217 I have his cocktail book, which is excellent and in the same vein. Never realized he did cookbooks too! I'll have to keep a lookout. Mon Jun 28 13:08:36 -0700 2004 1642930 0 Aromatherapy 1 1642932 Last year, I was absolutely thrilled to find, online and in it's entirity, Fannie Farmer's "Boston Cooking-School Cook Book", published in 1918. From the Bartleby website: "This classic American cooking reference includes 1,849 recipes, including everything from “after-dinner coffee”—which Farmer notes is beneficial for a stomach “overtaxed by a hearty meal”—to “Zigaras à la Russe,” an elegant puff-pastry dish. Bartleby.com chose the 1918 edition because it was the last edition of the cookbook authored completely by Farmer." Growing up, we had this very cookbook in our kitchen cookbook cupboard, held together with rubberbands that more resembled bicycle innertubes. A couple of the first recipes I ever cooked from came from this book. A true treasure! Yoroshiku, Andy Link: http://www.bartleby.com/87/ Fri Jun 25 06:25:55 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Andy P. 1 1643088 I have a wonderful link to recommend to you. Michigan State University's library has made available online a large group (76) of old American cookbooks. Here's how they describe the collection, called "Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project:" "The Michigan State University Library and the MSU Museum are partnering to create an online collection of the most important and influential 19th and early 20th century American cookbooks. The site will also include a glossary of cookery terms, essays by culinary historian Jan Longone, biographies of the cookbook authors, and multidimensional images of antique cooking implements from the collections of the MSU Museum. Selections from these supplementary materials are available now. The digital archive currently includes page images of 76 cookbooks from the Special Collections Division of the MSU Library. The text-search function includes page images, full-text transcriptions, and indexed text searching for 76 cookbooks published between 1798 and 1922." Here's the link: Link: http://digital.lib.msu.edu/cookbooks/ Sat Jun 26 11:36:10 -0700 2004 1642717 0 Nancy Berry