Home Made in the Kitchen: Traditional Recipes and Household Projects... - Hardcover

Mining tradition and serving it updated, Bluestein and Morrissey (The 99% Fat-Free Cookbook) bring great-grandmother into the modern kitchen with this collection of such old-fashioned staples as fruit preserves (in cooked and freezer versions), pickles, condiments, including plum catsup and black pepper mustard, sausages, fresh cheeses, candies and breads. Cookies-except for gingerbread cutouts-and cakes are conspicuously missing from the roster. Instead, the authors, proprietors of a Chicago cookbook store, delve into home-smoking (some of which can be done on the stovetop) and offer a chapter on beverages, including blackberry cordial and "Old-Fashioned Ginger Beer." The clear, amiably written instructions are laced with occasional recipes and inspiring, detailed instructions for presentation of the prepared items, e.g., decorated ceramic jelly pots or paint-glazed quilted Mason jars. Of particular value is the advice on storage life and techniques. Capped by a chapter on drying techniques and herb-based projects, this idiosyncratic selection will surely please the serious kitchen putterer. HomeStyle and Better Homes & Gardens selections.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Such modern conveniences as the food processor and the microwave are some of the tools Bluestein and Morrissey use to update recipes possessing an old-fashioned ambience. Canning and preserving food are prominent among the fare here, with clear, explicit instructions that should encourage any cook new to these processes to approach them with confidence. Home-style dishes include condiments (plum catsup), sausages, tasty foods like peppered okra, fresh cheeses, candies, and breads. Tips for growing herbs indoors and for making handcrafted herbal items--candles, vinegars, and teas--round out the offerings by two inviting culinary guides. Alice Joyce