The American Century Cookbook

One of my favorites for style and substance. Gathers recipes from many favorite American cookbooks and is packed with interesting information about recipe and food history. Written with warmth and just plain fun to read.

This is a very interesting cookbook that you can read over and over as well as use. However, I prefered the older version that I checked out from the library--the quality of the pages was so much better. The pages are so thin...what a shame...

This book is exceptionally broad in both history and recipes. From Appetizers and snacks to soups, main dishes, casseroles, vegetables, salads, breads, desserts and more! Old "tried and true" recipes are given. Along with the recipes are wonderful stories, mini history lessons, and facts on a century of events in the food industry. For example, in 1929 7up went on sale or1963 "The French Chef" with Julia Child comes to public television. The only drawback to the book, as far as I am concerned, is that with the wonderfully historic photos and drawings throughout the book there are no captions about the pictures, telling the reader about the picture. That would have added greatly to the historical point of the book. But, an excellent book, one worth having.

I recently received a copy of The American Century Cookbook. My wife and I have several dust covered recipe books that are largely ignored when it is time to cook up something new. After one quick shuffle through this book however, we found ourself sitting together and going through the book as if it were, well what it is, an intriguing history book that accents its "flavor" with numerous recipes, pictures and facts. Several of my friends, including my parents and my in-laws will be receiving their own copy of this wonderful historical treasure. I may even have to buy myself another copy because my wife likes to dogear pages that she wants to come back to. In this case it would have been easier to dogear those that she did not want to return to.

When I started cooking about three years ago, I had absolutely NO experience to draw from (except for grilling and pancakes--the two CAMPING dishes I learned from my Dad). Because I did not want to give half my salary to fast food restaurants and eat from stryofoam for the rest of my life, I decided I ought learned how to cook. That is when I started collecting cookbooks. I started with Cooking For Dummies and went on from there. I quickly found that I had a knack for cooking and soon came to enjoy it. As my cookbook collection grew, I quickly discovered that there were two types of cookbooks: Those you cook from and those you read. This is the first cookbook that I have found is good for both. The recipes included are fabulous and it is a great book to browse. The recipes come on all levels so the cooking klutzes and the Julia Childs alike will be able to use it. When you buy this book, and you certainly SHOULD buy this book, go directly to the recipe for blondies. I had never heard of them before but they are cheap and easily made. After I made the first batch, I made a double batch to take to work where I had just started. Let's just say it made breaking the ice in a large office a lot easier. Thanks, Ms. Anderson!