Product Description

From the basic to the gourmet, from preparation to serving, it's all here, all presented in a clear, concise, simple manner. Includes 10,000 different rec ipes and countless food facts and ideas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #253174 in Books
• Published on: 1988-03-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1040 pages

Customer Reviews

Looking for a recipe for Moose?...
Or squirrel even...this is the cookbook that you need. Originally from the 1930's, this was the basic cookbook for every housewife. It covers every possible type of food, including game meats like moose and squirrel, as well as some lost cooking arts, like knowing how to use a pressure cooker.

My grandmother and mother each owned one of these books, and it was one of the earliest cookbooks that I learned to use. It is thoroughly entertaining, and a great addition to any cookbook library. However, its biggest drawback is that it was written at a time when there were no shortcuts to cooking, and most people learned how to cook at an early age. The book assumes that the reader already has the basics down, so sometimes the directions are vague. And the recipes are not meant for our harried lifestyles. There are no shortcuts, such as using frozen foods or the microwave. They were written for at a time when women worked in the home, and cooking was a big part of their job.

For a novice cook, there are other books that are better able to give the direction that is needed; either The Better Homes and Gardens (ring-bound, black and red plaid cover!) and the big red Betty Crocker cookbooks start off with the basics and are easy to use. But if you are comfortable with cooking, and are familiar with the basics, this is really a fun book to have. You will find the recipes for all of your favorite "comfort foods"; a good macaroni and cheese, great mashed potatoes, even several different ways to serve hamburger. There are some really great cookie recipes, and when I am looking for something that I remember from childhood, I can always find it here. There is even a section on using leftovers, leftover from the lean years of the Depression. (I never knew there were so many ways to use weenies.)

And if the occasion ever presents itself when you need a recipe for reindeer and elk, you will know just where to find it.

Great book for recipes that you may have grown up with
This book was originally penned in the 1930's, while it has been recently updated, it is not a book if you are looking for trendy foods. This book is extremely thick and packed with over 2000 recipes, yes that 2000. Many of the recipes are for things we don't normally cook everyday; sweetmeats, game, and a variety of desserts that haven't been made in years. The recipes are clear and concise. You will get tons of information on all sorts of vegtables, meats, breads, and baked goods.
In addition to all of the recipes there are sections on nutrition, meal planning, cooking ideas, and much more. Once again this book is packed with all sorts of recipes. More than you can possibly go through in a short amount of time. The recipes aren't trendy, but this book is filled with many classics you may have grown up with.

Excellent addition to the Cooking bookshelf
This is an EXCELLENT reference book, and was first published in 1940 - later editions come out in the 50's and again now.

It is really an easy to use and enormously useful book for everything from basic cooking to fancy stuff. The most wonderful part of it is that it has some great explanations for various things, over 2,000 items in the start are explained including what various processes are (including little used terms now such as devil or lard)

there are a sections for menus including what pages the recipes turn up on - but what I like most about this book, and others of this era is that you find a lot of recipes which we just don't use now - who has heard of Calf-liver dumplings, or Prune-nut bread?

But if you really want variety, well just check out the waffles, there is a basic waffle recipe with a dozen or so variations, but then there are another 10 or so different waffle recipes including corn meal, rice and southern Griddle cakes.

If you are struggling with leftovers, then turn to your pages here - what to do with leftover veges, or eggs - all have separate sections with stacks of great ideas

Under meat there is a simple and easy to reference section on how long to cook various items - and as with most good books of this time includes a chart with meant cuts - or what theyare and what they look like alogn with ideas on how to use them

at 1,000 or so pages there are recipes and ideas which will keep you inspired for years to come