FOOD NEWS
The 20th Century American Cookbooks Now Considered 'Kitchen Bibles'
By Wendy Gould
Self-published in 1931 by St. Louis resident Irma S. Rombauer, “Joy of Cooking” brims with traditional European-influenced American fare, valuable tips, conversions, reference pages, and ingredient histories. Containing about 4,600 recipes, it is the only cookbook on the New York Public Library’s list of the most influential books of the 20th century.
Joy of Cooking
Published in two volumes (the first in 1961 and the second in 1970), Julia Child’s "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" has been credited with introducing French cuisine and techniques to American home cooks. The book was so influential that PBS hired Child to host "The French Chef," laying the foundation for culinary television.
Art of French Cooking
Moosewood Restaurant opened in Ithaca, New York, in 1973, and the collective's Mollie Katzen transcribed all of their recipes into one large volume. At a time when few cookbooks catered to vegetarians, "Moosewood" was revolutionary, and it is now a chronicle of the early state of contemporary American vegetarian cuisine.
Moosewood Cookbook
Edna Lewis was, per her NPR obituary, "the first lady of Southern cooking," a title she earned through this 1976 masterpiece. Growing up in Freetown, Virginia, a small farming community, Lewis learned the virtues of local and seasonal ingredients and used the seasonal framework to narrate a year in the life of Freetown in her book, which has one menu for each season.
Taste of Country Cooking
Written in 1982 by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, owners of a Manhattan specialty foods store, this book features recipes drawn on international influences. Being a caterer, Lukins approached food with a party in mind, so all the recipes are meant to serve eight or more guests and are written in a warm and friendly tone.
The Silver Palate Cookbook