Occasionally, and out of the blue, one will find a true surprise--a great value that was totally unexpected. That is what I think about the Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Cooking. This book was first published in 1986 and has sold more than 550,000 copies.
The recipes came from Home Economics Teachers across the US and the format of the book is in encyclopedia form. The 5,000 recipes are arranged from A to Z and each food entry includes detailed information such as the origin or use of the food, its nutritional and caloric value, plus its seasonal availability.
If you follow my blog, you know that most of my interest revolves around community cookbooks and this is no exception because Home Economics Teachers once formed a very tight knit and important community within our culture. Generations grew up learning how to cook, sew, and plan for running a household based on the guidance and wisdom of Home Economics Teachers. One reason that the sales of cookbooks today is so strong is that these classes are no longer taught in our schools.
What I like about this book is that if I have a particular food that I want to try out, it's "as simple as A-B-C" to find a recipe. As an example, lets say that fresh cranberries are available and I want to try a dish using them. I flip to the "C's" and there are breads, puddings, cocktails, salads and pies. In other words, lots of recipes to think about for almost any food you can come up with.
Another unique feature of this book is that it was never sold in retail stores. Up until it was featured on QVC last year, it was only available through the Southwestern Company's door-to-door selling program. This unique program has trained thousands of college students working their way through school turning them into some of the great leaders in our communities today. Many of the students learned that this book was so popular with consumers that they could sell their regular product line books at the initial sales stage and then when delivering the books offer the Encyclopedia as an additional option, and many people would buy both. No doubt, those who did buy it are still enjoying it today.
The book is filled with surprises such as menu planning, napkin folding ideas, sauces, bread making tips, table settings and many others. This is truly a book that belongs in every homemaker's kitchen.
The recipes came from Home Economics Teachers across the US and the format of the book is in encyclopedia form. The 5,000 recipes are arranged from A to Z and each food entry includes detailed information such as the origin or use of the food, its nutritional and caloric value, plus its seasonal availability.
If you follow my blog, you know that most of my interest revolves around community cookbooks and this is no exception because Home Economics Teachers once formed a very tight knit and important community within our culture. Generations grew up learning how to cook, sew, and plan for running a household based on the guidance and wisdom of Home Economics Teachers. One reason that the sales of cookbooks today is so strong is that these classes are no longer taught in our schools.
What I like about this book is that if I have a particular food that I want to try out, it's "as simple as A-B-C" to find a recipe. As an example, lets say that fresh cranberries are available and I want to try a dish using them. I flip to the "C's" and there are breads, puddings, cocktails, salads and pies. In other words, lots of recipes to think about for almost any food you can come up with.
Another unique feature of this book is that it was never sold in retail stores. Up until it was featured on QVC last year, it was only available through the Southwestern Company's door-to-door selling program. This unique program has trained thousands of college students working their way through school turning them into some of the great leaders in our communities today. Many of the students learned that this book was so popular with consumers that they could sell their regular product line books at the initial sales stage and then when delivering the books offer the Encyclopedia as an additional option, and many people would buy both. No doubt, those who did buy it are still enjoying it today.
The book is filled with surprises such as menu planning, napkin folding ideas, sauces, bread making tips, table settings and many others. This is truly a book that belongs in every homemaker's kitchen.
Do you have a favorite recipe in this book we should try?
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