Wini Moranville

When I was in graduate school I took a course in Early American Female Authorship(at least, that's what it turned out to be). Funnily enough, women have been writing just as much as men except that, while men wrote laws, women wrote recipes.

Those recipes were just as political and telling as the letters and laws written by the men. We actually made some of the recipes. Interesting, right? So when Moranville says she pored over books of the time, I had major flashbacks to that class(so fun).

Which brings back the question of authorship. Who really authors a recipe? They are often built upon recipes that are based on recipes that are borrowed from recipes.

Anyway, I didn't cook any of these. But I found them interesting.… (lisätietoja)

I collect cookbooks, especially bookish ones. I love Louisa Mae Alcott's book about the March family. It's been one of my favorite classics ever since I first read it as a child. Reading through the recipes and quotes in this cookbook make me want to re-read the novel! I added it to my TBR list! :)

This cookbook is filled with quotes from the book, many color photographs and wholesome recipes. I think Marmee would be proud of all the yummy food in its pages. She would gladly have served every one of these dishes to her girls, and Laurie, too! There are more than 50 dishes ranging from desserts and breakfasts to dinner and party fare. The ingredients are simple and the instructions are concise. A book lover does not have to be a gourmet cook to enjoy making any of these recipes! The dishes would be fun to make for a book club night, or just for a weeknight dinner.

The front cover art is attractive. It definitely caught my eye and made me want to peruse the recipes in this book. The page layout is easy to read. The photographs complement the recipes, rather than crowding the page. The font is easy to read. Definitely a nicely laid out cookbook! There is a full index to all recipes in the back of the book. The recipes are indexed by main ingredient, making things simple to find!

I am definitely getting a copy of this book for my cookbook shelf! My two favorite recipes are the Spice-Trade Deviled Eggs and Hannah's Cottage Pie. Can't wait to try making them, and just about every other dish in the book!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Quarto Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**… (lisätietoja)