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Rating: 
Summary: Rosetta Stone for Historic Cookbooks
Review: In the years that I've been collecting historic cookbooks and cookbooks adapting historic recipes, this is the best cookbook that I've ever run across. Historic cookbooks tends to fall into one of three categories: 1) Reprints of originals with no modern measuring equivalents or other information that enables a modern cook to reproduce the recipes. 2) Adaptations of historic recipes with modern ingredients and techniques but no indication of what the original recipe involved. 3) Dutch-oven cookbooks that may recreate some historic recipes, but again with little or no information about the original recipe. "Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook" is unusual in that it provides the text of 19th century cookbook author Lydia Child's original recipe, the modern adaptation, and the hearth-cooking technique. By comparing the old with the new, a cook should be able to use this cookbook to adapt recipes from other historic cookbooks that do not provide a modern version. The editor has selected recipes that can be created with easily available ingredients--and has omitted recipes for things that few modern Americans would ever want to eat--such as a calf's head that is build with the windpipe hanging out of the pot to drain off cooking juices. In addition to recipes for soups, main dishes, vegetables, breads and desserts, the cookbook provides information about early 19th century meals. One of the best features is a section on the various fire-building techniques that are necessary depending on the type of cooking--for instance, how to build a quick-cooking fire for frying versus a fire that will produce coals for slow-cooking techniques. The recipes that I've tried so far turned out quite well. Raspberry Shrub, a refreshing beverage made with a sweetened rasperry vinegar, was a hit with our children. The Cider Cake, which I baked for my birthday, turned out more bread-like than cake-like, but was a hit with the party guests nonetheless. I'm definitely looking forward to experimenting with this cookbook.
Rating:
Summary: Rosetta Stone for Historic Cookbooks
Review: In the years that I've been collecting historic cookbooks and cookbooks adapting historic recipes, this is the best cookbook that I've ever run across. Historic cookbooks tends to fall into one of three categories: 1) Reprints of originals with no modern measuring equivalents or other information that enables a modern cook to reproduce the recipes. 2) Adaptations of historic recipes with modern ingredients and techniques but no indication of what the original recipe involved. 3) Dutch-oven cookbooks that may recreate some historic recipes, but again with little or no information about the original recipe. "Old Sturbridge Village Cookbook" is unusual in that it provides the text of 19th century cookbook author Lydia Child's original recipe, the modern adaptation, and the hearth-cooking technique. By comparing the old with the new, a cook should be able to use this cookbook to adapt recipes from other historic cookbooks that do not provide a modern version. The editor has selected recipes that can be created with easily available ingredients--and has omitted recipes for things that few modern Americans would ever want to eat--such as a calf's head that is build with the windpipe hanging out of the pot to drain off cooking juices. In addition to recipes for soups, main dishes, vegetables, breads and desserts, the cookbook provides information about early 19th century meals. One of the best features is a section on the various fire-building techniques that are necessary depending on the type of cooking--for instance, how to build a quick-cooking fire for frying versus a fire that will produce coals for slow-cooking techniques. The recipes that I've tried so far turned out quite well. Raspberry Shrub, a refreshing beverage made with a sweetened rasperry vinegar, was a hit with our children. The Cider Cake, which I baked for my birthday, turned out more bread-like than cake-like, but was a hit with the party guests nonetheless. I'm definitely looking forward to experimenting with this cookbook.
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