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A review by thehlb
Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson
5.0
This is hands down the best homemaking book I've ever read. I expected to just thumb though it, but I found myself wanting to read it cover to cover.
It is the first comprehensive homemaking guide that did not fill me with guilt that I've been doing it all wrong and instead made me feel like I wanted to get up and clean my oven and then bake something in it.
I have Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook, and it is very comprehensive, and had tons of checklists and pictures, but is very cold and impersonal. Whereas Martha's approach tends to be very, "You should do it this way because that's how it's done," Home Comforts gives both options and reasons for housekeeping approaches.
I found myself taking notes.
While some of the info is not anything that I will ever use (I can't imagine ever hosting a full multi-course formal dinner complete with china and crystal) most of the advice and tips are practical for beginners through experienced homemakers. I plan to include this in my personal library.
*I should note that the one criticism I have is that it does seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on sanitation and safe food handling practices, but maybe this is not common sense for newcomers to the kitchen.
It is the first comprehensive homemaking guide that did not fill me with guilt that I've been doing it all wrong and instead made me feel like I wanted to get up and clean my oven and then bake something in it.
I have Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook, and it is very comprehensive, and had tons of checklists and pictures, but is very cold and impersonal. Whereas Martha's approach tends to be very, "You should do it this way because that's how it's done," Home Comforts gives both options and reasons for housekeeping approaches.
I found myself taking notes.
While some of the info is not anything that I will ever use (I can't imagine ever hosting a full multi-course formal dinner complete with china and crystal) most of the advice and tips are practical for beginners through experienced homemakers. I plan to include this in my personal library.
*I should note that the one criticism I have is that it does seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on sanitation and safe food handling practices, but maybe this is not common sense for newcomers to the kitchen.