Civil War Recipes

July 1, 1999
YA-Motivated by their interests in cooking and history and the search for a plum-pudding recipe like Grandma's, this mother-son team has compiled a cookbook that is rich in Civil War information. Drawn from a 19th-century women's magazine, the recipes were usually submitted by middle-class readers from the rural North and South, and were intended for "common dishes of every day" rather than grand occasions. The authors have added facts about Confederate and Union army rations, customary cooking utensils, and food substitutions frequently used by Southern cooks. Recommended menus, or "bills of fare," for each month, and dates of each recipe's appearance in Godey's are also included. A glossary clarifies terminology rarely used by today's cooks. YAs will be intrigued by this exposure to everyday life during the Civil War. Quaint language ("Thicken some scalding hot milk with a sufficiency of potato flour") enhances the enjoyment of the book, and most recipes can be successfully prepared by modern chefs.-Pamela Cooper-Smuzynski, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Copyright 1999 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.