Lost Recipes: Meals to Share with Friends and Family: A Cookbook

I really enjoyed reading this book. I bought it because I was looking for a recipe of chow-chow, something my Grandmother used to make. There are great bits and pieces of information and wonderful recipes. I want to buy more of her books.

I absolutely love this cookbook!! And reading the negative review below, I feel I must defend this great cookbook. I suppose if you had enough time you could go through lots of cookbooks and find all of these recipes, but that is not the point. This volume is meant to have a selection of homey, easy to make recipes that will take you back in time to when home cooking was the norm. Reading through this was like a walk down memory lane - most of these dishes were prepared by my grandmother many years ago, and it has been fun for me to prepare them myself for my family. Nothing exotic or nouveau here, just yummy, old-fashioned food that your family will love. Very nice format, too. I highly recommend this cookbook.

As a mother of two small children, I fancied myself too busy to cook "every night." Then one day I realized that, in a world of macaroni & cheese, frozen vegetables, and takeout cuisine of all varieties, I was NEVER cooking at home, unless it was a big, formal "dinner." Marion Cunningham has inspired me to rethink "supper" for my family--I have rediscovered the ease of baked chicken and vegetables, and I make fried rice instead of another night of Chinese takeout. Many of these recipes involve easy preparation that can be done earlier in the day, so at dinnertime it is just a matter of popping something in the oven or cooking it on the stove. The ingredient lists are simple (all things you can actually find at your local supermarket!), but the flavors are wonderful. There is no attempt to cut fat or carbohydrates, but then again, you also aren't adding excess sodium and preservatives to your diet. If you are new to cooking, I also recommend "Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham," which has many easy recipes that will impress your friends who are also new cooks! Either book would be a great graduation or wedding gift.