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greategret's review against another edition
4.0
I've been using this for years and years. Great all-around cookbook.
gliebherr's review against another edition
5.0
Favorite recipes:
-Beef Stroganof
-Tuna Macaroni salad
-Pound Cake
-Oatmeal cookies
-Beef Stroganof
-Tuna Macaroni salad
-Pound Cake
-Oatmeal cookies
nickidenicki's review against another edition
This is my all time favorite place to look for basic methods and ideas first.
peachybooksca's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5
Nostalgia: n. A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past.
I am a sucker for sentimentality. There are times, however, that I'm confused as to how nostalgia can push through the fullness of time with such a golden sheen. Often the things that I can be nostalgic for don't end up being nearly as enjoyable when I happen upon them at my current perch in life. I end up disappointed, and sometimes sad, for ruining what esteem I held for something that elicited such joy at a lesser privileged time in my history. It might be best to leave some things well enough alone, but I was hopeful that the Better Home and Gardens New Cook Book would not be applied to this category.
If memory serves, this was one of three cookbooks that we had in my home growing up. The edition that we had was much larger and had a hardcover. This is certainly not that version, as it is significantly smaller both in overall size and text font, some pages have separated from the binding - even with minimal use - and it's harder to keep open because it is a mass-market paperback, so be forewarned. I decided to only rate it 3.5 peaches because of these flaws, and for the basic recipes within, with a whole peach devoted to its nostalgia and staying power.
I couldn't tell you what my mother cooked out of her better quality book - if I'm honest, not much, as cooking wasn't necessarily her forte - but, once or twice, she likely baked some shortbread. For me, it was enough to just have the colourful book to flip through, and dream of the day when I would be able to make anything I wanted. I think I may have even spent some time copying out recipes that I found appealing. The life of a child before the advent of the internet, sigh.
As a gift from my mother, at some point over the last twenty years, I received this smaller paperback version of that red-and-white plaid cookbook in my mind's eye, and I set out to make my childhood dreams come true. But, not unlike that big old book, this one sat idle for many years.
Cooking was a skill that took me decades to acquire, as I had other interests that stole my time - many that shall not be named on this website - but by my 30s I had steered my head away from all of those distractions, and I jumped in with both feet. I fancy myself a bit of a foodie at this point in my early 40s, certainly as compared to my earlier years when I subsisted off of Kraft dinner, wieners, and beans. I truly enjoy fixing up delicious meals for my family, even if they take all day and produce a big, honking sink of dishes. Ok, I hate that part, but it is an unfortunate consequence of the cooking, and I am without a dishwasher, so what can you do?
The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book might make me smile when I pass it on my bookshelves, but I rarely use it unless I'm looking for some kind of bake sale item - the lemon squares are a fabulous option in this case. I just have so many other books that offer more exotic or exciting recipes, so this one often gets skipped and forgotten. I decided to give it a chance as my opening post for The Cookery on Peachy Books, as it deserves some attention after all this time, and if nothing else, there is the nostalgia factor that I appreciate.
I set out to make a meal from this collection for my lads on the weekend. I took a closer look at this classic and read through the first section entitled: 'Cooking Basics.' Here you'll find a breakdown of required ingredients and appliances, some suggestions to maintain kitchen safety, party planning tips, the food guide pyramid, and cooking techniques; all of the things that would help someone completely inexperienced navigate their way through a kitchen.
I had my son take a gander to see if there was anything that he would prefer to have for Sunday dinner. He headed straight to the 'Appetizers & Snacks' section and chose potato skins, and on a neighbouring page, a dill dip for veggies and crackers. I can work with that, I thought. So I took out a package of ground beef from the freezer and decided I would make some burgers to go with his finger-food fare.
We prefer our burgers with simply salt, pepper, and ground beef, which doesn't require a recipe, of course. Since I didn't have any buns on hand, I sifted through the book until I found the 'Breads' section. There was a 'dinner rolls' recipe, but after reading through to the end, I found additional instructions detailing how to instead form the dough into burger buns. I was all set to begin making our scrumptious meal!
To see the results of my finished meal as well as the bookmark I was inspired to make by this exercise, please visit my blog post in The Cookery at peachybooks.ca.
I am a sucker for sentimentality. There are times, however, that I'm confused as to how nostalgia can push through the fullness of time with such a golden sheen. Often the things that I can be nostalgic for don't end up being nearly as enjoyable when I happen upon them at my current perch in life. I end up disappointed, and sometimes sad, for ruining what esteem I held for something that elicited such joy at a lesser privileged time in my history. It might be best to leave some things well enough alone, but I was hopeful that the Better Home and Gardens New Cook Book would not be applied to this category.
If memory serves, this was one of three cookbooks that we had in my home growing up. The edition that we had was much larger and had a hardcover. This is certainly not that version, as it is significantly smaller both in overall size and text font, some pages have separated from the binding - even with minimal use - and it's harder to keep open because it is a mass-market paperback, so be forewarned. I decided to only rate it 3.5 peaches because of these flaws, and for the basic recipes within, with a whole peach devoted to its nostalgia and staying power.
I couldn't tell you what my mother cooked out of her better quality book - if I'm honest, not much, as cooking wasn't necessarily her forte - but, once or twice, she likely baked some shortbread. For me, it was enough to just have the colourful book to flip through, and dream of the day when I would be able to make anything I wanted. I think I may have even spent some time copying out recipes that I found appealing. The life of a child before the advent of the internet, sigh.
As a gift from my mother, at some point over the last twenty years, I received this smaller paperback version of that red-and-white plaid cookbook in my mind's eye, and I set out to make my childhood dreams come true. But, not unlike that big old book, this one sat idle for many years.
Cooking was a skill that took me decades to acquire, as I had other interests that stole my time - many that shall not be named on this website - but by my 30s I had steered my head away from all of those distractions, and I jumped in with both feet. I fancy myself a bit of a foodie at this point in my early 40s, certainly as compared to my earlier years when I subsisted off of Kraft dinner, wieners, and beans. I truly enjoy fixing up delicious meals for my family, even if they take all day and produce a big, honking sink of dishes. Ok, I hate that part, but it is an unfortunate consequence of the cooking, and I am without a dishwasher, so what can you do?
The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book might make me smile when I pass it on my bookshelves, but I rarely use it unless I'm looking for some kind of bake sale item - the lemon squares are a fabulous option in this case. I just have so many other books that offer more exotic or exciting recipes, so this one often gets skipped and forgotten. I decided to give it a chance as my opening post for The Cookery on Peachy Books, as it deserves some attention after all this time, and if nothing else, there is the nostalgia factor that I appreciate.
I set out to make a meal from this collection for my lads on the weekend. I took a closer look at this classic and read through the first section entitled: 'Cooking Basics.' Here you'll find a breakdown of required ingredients and appliances, some suggestions to maintain kitchen safety, party planning tips, the food guide pyramid, and cooking techniques; all of the things that would help someone completely inexperienced navigate their way through a kitchen.
I had my son take a gander to see if there was anything that he would prefer to have for Sunday dinner. He headed straight to the 'Appetizers & Snacks' section and chose potato skins, and on a neighbouring page, a dill dip for veggies and crackers. I can work with that, I thought. So I took out a package of ground beef from the freezer and decided I would make some burgers to go with his finger-food fare.
We prefer our burgers with simply salt, pepper, and ground beef, which doesn't require a recipe, of course. Since I didn't have any buns on hand, I sifted through the book until I found the 'Breads' section. There was a 'dinner rolls' recipe, but after reading through to the end, I found additional instructions detailing how to instead form the dough into burger buns. I was all set to begin making our scrumptious meal!
To see the results of my finished meal as well as the bookmark I was inspired to make by this exercise, please visit my blog post in The Cookery at peachybooks.ca.
etherealfire's review against another edition
5.0
Yep, this is the thoroughly stained, bent-cornered, beloved classic that my mother-in-law provided me with the first year of marriage. Thanks mom <3
howjessicareads's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book as a college graduation present, which seemed a little random at the time--but it's so handy, that I love it now. There's nothing fancy or extreme in it, just good basic information on how to cook almost everything--perfect for looking up how long to bake potatoes or what ratio of flour to butter to use in a white sauce...
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