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September 08, 2006
Reading Room
In the comments for this post, Jo, from Counting Sheep, mentioned Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery (and Booke of Sweetmeats). She is correct that this is a wonderful book. I do have it and I love it. Not only for its historical content but also because the recipes are still valid and experienced cooks will be able to wade through it with mostly successes.
Another book of the same vein I have read recently is The Robert E. Lee Family Cooking and Housekeeping Book. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. American History. Southern History. Family History. Wonderful Recipes - some of which I know from my grandmother's hand. I have a link with this kind of cooking that I do not want to pass by my children without notice. Thanks to Colby's talent in the culinary arts I believe she will carry on the traditions.
Other things I have read in the last 2 weeks and Things I have re-read - All good things that you might like to read also:
Read:
Lafayette - excellent read. I have a love affair with the Marquis de La Fayette. Even more so since I know he camped on our lowly corner all those years ago. It gives me wicked shivers of delight.
Martha Washington - the mother of our country needs a lot more respect and attention than she is given. Teach your daughter's about their fore-mothers.
Founding Mothers - this is the book from which the History Channel did its program, written by ABC new correspondent Cokie Roberts.
Children of Pride - this is a book mostly of letters between the Jones family members some of which are from where I am from and makes for a 'hometown' feel when reading.
Re-read:
American Cookery, 1796 - This is literally America's first cookbook.
The Virginia Housewife - this is the book by Mary Randolph that is the first fully southern cookbook MUCH different than the earlier ones and not at all like those brought from England by our fore mothers.
Want to Read:
Early American Cookery: "The Good Housekeeper," 1841 - I LOVE that these old works are being reprinted so that I can enjoy them. The connection to the past delights me and I do cook from the recipes sometimes.
I believe this last one is the only book of this nature that we do not currently have in the house. Colby and I have always collected these old reprints and we have TONS of them on the shelves and put away. We have spent years building our little library of the past.
Which reminds me to go pull out these to re-read:
The American Frugal Housewife and The American Woman's Home .
Anyone out there have any recommendations of something to read? I spend a few minutes every night before I go to bed consuming a book. I have books in all stages of being read scattered about. I keep one in the bedroom, one in the bathroom (oh you know you read in there, too), one in the family room and often one in the car. I confess to multitasking and often read 3 or 4 books at once.
So what shall I read next?
I am going to try and get a photo of all the teeth Steven has cut since Judy has asked. It will be like walking into the lion's den. His teeth are sharp! Look for photos tomorrow.
Posted by Angie at September 8, 2006 07:20 AM
Comments
I look forward to the photos, Angie. That is some extensive booklist you have. I read 2 or 3 books at a time, and I always have one in the car. At present, I am reading travel books for my upcoming trip. I like reading them, even when I am not travelling, as they can enrich you a little even if you never go where the book tells about.
Posted by: kenju at September 8, 2006 09:05 AM
Oh! I have two copies of The American Frugal Housewife. I love old reprints like that, too. Do you have the Ladies' Indispensable Assistant? It was originally published in 1852. I have a reprint but I can't find an ISBN on it anywhere. And you need The Mother's Book, which was written by the same author as The American Frugal Housewife and originally published in 1831.
Another one I love, though I'm not sure whether reprints are available, is A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband (With Bettina's Best Recipes) by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron. It was originally published in 1917 but I have the "revised" 1941 edition. It's written like a little diary of a new bride's first year of marriage, and all the meals she served her husband during that year. There's a story that weaves the recipes together. It's AWESOME.
Of course, my VERY favorite is the cookbook that belonged to my great-great grandmother (then my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mom passed it along to me a few years ago). It's from 1887 and is just titled Breakfast, Dinner and Supper. It has color illustrations in it that are fabulous.
I love old cookbooks!
Posted by: Badger at September 8, 2006 10:46 AM
Reading is on hold in lieu of knitting. I'm just a bit over half-done with the monogrammed blanket, and then it's on to a striped sweater! But I can't wait to see the pictures of the teeth!
Posted by: InterstellarLass at September 8, 2006 01:27 PM
You must read this one my dear.
http://www.sterlingpub.com/book/CategoryBookDisplay.asp?BookKey=1332911
~K!
Posted by: Kismet at September 10, 2006 01:09 AM
I'm not settled enough to read much, although I going to sleep each night to Mystery Ride by Robert Boswell. A wonderful piece of fiction about a marriage transformed.
Mostly I unpack boxes and watch HGTV out of the corner of my eye- and marvel at the tackiness of some of those budget makeovers.
Posted by: vicki at September 10, 2006 03:46 PM
How do you keep all those books started all over the house STRAIGHT? I am easily confused, I guess. :)
Posted by: angela marie at September 11, 2006 09:17 AM
Love the new look, very nice Angie. I hope all is going well. looking forward to an update!
Posted by: kate at September 13, 2006 11:00 AM
Love the new look, very nice Angie. I hope all is going well. looking forward to an update!
Posted by: kate at September 13, 2006 11:01 AM
Yeah, what Kate said! It looks great.
Posted by: kenju at September 13, 2006 04:04 PM
If you like to read old books on cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the household tasks, you might like to read a daily dose of my grandmother's diaries from the 1920's at www.ruthcampbellsmith.blogspot.com
Posted by: Carol at September 14, 2006 09:58 AM