Endangered Recipes: Too Good to Be Forgotten [Paperback]

Lari Robling (Author), Mark Thomas (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2009

Great recipes are family treasures and America’s culinary legacy. But what should be enduring heirlooms are easily lost—gone out of fashion, or locked up in one cook’s recipe box. Endangered Recipes showcases dishes in danger of extinction—homey favorites, the kind of food eaten on the summer porch, at the neighbor's house, or with your grandparents.

 

Lari Robling unearths almost-forgotten classics such as Welsh Rarebit, Green Goddess Dressing, and French Onion Dip. The recipes she’s collected reflect the extraordinary range of American cooking, from Parker House Rolls to Crispy Fried Chicken to Rice Pudding.

 

This new paperback edition includes 80 recipes, along with Robling’s cooking memories and great food stories, sidebars that spotlight people who are "recipe rescuers," and a guide to preserving your family’s food legacy. Now is the perfect time to begin saving—and savoring—these beloved dishes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Robling, a regular contributor to the radio show A Chef's Table, has assembled a beautifully designed collection of 80 recipes for foods that have faded into culinary obscurity. The author believes that "the nostalgic memories created by food are, without a doubt, the most evocative and compelling of all." Therefore, "all these foods must be saved." From simple entries like Tomato Soup and Marshmallows to comforting favorites like Parker House Rolls and Crockpot Apple Butter, many of the recipes are sure to evoke warm memories for most readers. Photographs by Mark Thomas are both enticing and affectionately kitschy. Chapter organization is somewhat illogical, however; readers searching for a homey dessert might not know whether to look in Sunday Suppers, Messy Food, or Home Before Dark. But with such an eclectic mix, that's understandable-and the exploration required to find just the right recipe is like taking a stroll back through the decades.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Traditional recipes, handed down from generation to generation, are the basis of this American recipe book. Attractively presented in a slightly retro style, it is a celebration of American cooking at its best. Reflecting the country's diverse heritage it includes recipes such as Irish Colcannon, Korean steak on fire, Kibbeh and a whole host of Italian and Jewish influenced cooking. Each recipe is accompanied by an introduction to its background, adding a personal touch to this collection of homely, tasty dishes: brownies and pies, soups and stews, bread and icecreams, drinks and even dog biscuits! Charmingly and amusingly written by author Lari Robling and attractively illustrated with both photographs and drawings throughout, it is an all-American treasure trove of culinary ideas and information. A charming compote of comfort cooking, this is for all lovers of home-baking with an American twist. - Lucy Watson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584797665
• ISBN-13: 978-1584797661
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,769 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book "Too Good to be Forgotten", January 31, 2004

By 

John U. Rees (New Hope, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Endangered Recipes: Too Good to Be Forgotten (Hardcover)

Lari Robling's book "Endangered Recipes, Too Good to be Forgotten," is a pleasurable mixture of food, folklore, stories, and cultural and family history. The recipes and narrative make you want to head for the kitchen and start pumping parents, grandparents, great-aunts and uncles for family dishes and food tales.

From vignettes on several recipe rescuers and "Kitchen Wisdom" tips, to a section on how to collect family recipes titled "Passing Down the Plate," this work has something for anyone who eats, loves, and yearns for a link to their past. All accompanied by a chatty, informative and intelligent narrative. Beautiful work!

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comfort Food and Classics, October 31, 2004

By 

Sandra L. Oliver (Maine) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Endangered Recipes: Too Good to Be Forgotten (Hardcover)

Lari Robling has written one of the friendliest books around, and user-friendly as well. It is full of classic American home recipes, comfort food, really useable recipes. All those cooks who are weary of the pretentiousness of the glossy magazine presentations, and who want real food in real time are going to love this book. Lari writes as if she is talking to a friend, and she understands what we all have to do in the kitchen to feed our families, but she makes sure we have a good time, too. The stories about the recipes are priceless but this is a book for cooking from, too.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the love of good food, January 15, 2006

By 

M. Breen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Endangered Recipes: Too Good to Be Forgotten (Hardcover)

Lari has bravely written a book that celebrates food as we once loved it-because it tasted good.Each recipe is accompanied by a nostaligic note that enhances its flavor.There are kindly written hints with each recipe that you will hear in your mother or grandmother's voice when you read.
Your heart,soul and stomach will be satisfied.