The Fannie Farmer Cookbook: Anniversary (Hardcover)

by Marion Cunningham (Author), Fannie Farmer Cookbook Corporation (Author), Archibald Candy Corporation (Author), Lauren Jarrett (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Marion Cunningham's brilliant revision of this classic home cooking reference addresses "good everyday cooking." Cunningham states that "every meal should be a small celebration," and she eases the preparation of those celebrations with clear, straightforward instructions and hints on how to make the most of every meal through beautiful presentation and balanced nutrition. The chapter on microwaved foods is clear and presents recipes that are simple and taste great. Cunningham's work especially shines in the chapters on baking, as might be expected from her work on The Fannie Farmer Baking Book and The Breakfast Book. Your piecrusts will always be crisp and flaky under her tutelage.

From Publishers Weekly
In its 13th edition, a classic American cookbook is here revised for the contemporary home cook. Restaurant consultant and San Francisco Chronicle columnist Cunningham has added chapters on microwave and outdoor cooking, cut down on excessive fats and revived lost comfort foods (lemon curd, semolina pudding). Warnings about salmonella and other health concerns are highlighted; abundant new and vegetarian recipes are conveniently marked. Cunningham's 325 additions to the Farmer roster use ingredients from ethnic cuisines, including Mexican and Indian spices and Chinese sesame oil and rice vinegar. Contradicting manufacturers' claims for the microwave oven, she carefully explains its best uses (steaming or braising foods) and offers recipes specifically designed to take advantage of its virtues (quick polenta, bananas in caramel sauce). True to its American roots, this remains an excellent meat-and-potatoes cookbook, but exhibits welcome range--from frankfurters to roast goose, smoked salmon tartare to trail mix--relishing food as a social enterprise. Illustrations not seen by PW. Author tour; BOMC alternate, Home Style Book Club main selection, Better Homes and Gardens Book Club alternate.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 896 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; Anv edition (September 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679450815
• ISBN-13: 978-0679450818
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.9 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (118 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,262 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #41 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Baking

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

123 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Absolute Best Cookbook Ever!, December 4, 1999

By	Melissa Paro (Virginia Beach, Virginia) - See all my reviews

I came to Amazon to buy the 13th edition hardcover , because my 12th edition paperback is completely worn out! The pages are torn, crumpled and stained with drips and spills, the cover is gone, and a few pages are loose from overuse and abuse of this cookbook. It is the most useful cookbook I own. I bought this book from a grocery store 15 years ago, and have bought many books since then, but Fannie is the one I go back to. No matter what you're looking for, no matter what your question is about food, measuring, equipment, temperatures--it's in this book. I did not know much about cooking when I first got married, and now I am proud to say I am considered an excellent cook. I learned so much from Fannie Farmer. There's no other book that gives this much information on cooking. I love to cook from scratch, and the recipes in this cookbook call for just that. It's basic, home-cooked food, but there are also elegant recipes just in case you need them. I've read this book so many times, I've memorized many recipes, because they really are the best around. Get this book. You will not be disappointed!

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST all-purpose cookbook, January 16, 2003

By	Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 13th Edition (Hardcover)

I refer to THE FANNIE FARMER COOKBOOK more than any other cookbook in my kitchen - and I own approximately seventy-five cookbooks. What's so special about FANNIE FARMER? It is a wonderfully friendly book for the beginning cook that also supplies recipes for those who are more experienced. Unlike THE JOY OF COOKING, another basic cookbook, this one has recipes that always succeed.

The sections on baking are the most successful. You will cherish many of these recipes once you try them. The cornbread is a snap - my family loves it - while the Cracked Wheat Bread, equally delicious, requires more skill, or at least the ability to scale the recipe to a breadmaker. You'll find great recipes for crepes, old-fashioned gingerbread, and berry tarts. It includes five different recipes for chocolate frosting - and a penuche frosting that will send you into a delicious sugar swoon. The selection of cookie recipes is rather ordinary, but hey, you need recipes for peanut butter cookies and sugar cookies.

Want to know how to select a good pineapple and then prepare it? It's here. Confused about the various stages of sugar syrup? You'll find an easy to read table, from soft ball to hard crack. Forget the temperature of a properly cooked turkey breast? No problem. You'll find descriptions of fish and shellfish, various cuts of meats, most fruit and vegetables, and instructional paragraphs about proper technique. The inside cover contains liquid and dry measurement equivalents, a basic pastry recipe, and a scattering of tips about food preparation. Most of the recipes would not be considered gourmet - this is a basic cookbook, after all - but sometimes I am surprised by the inclusion of the out-of-the-ordinary.

This book can make a good cook out of anyone.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As a relatively new cook, it's my absolute favorite cookbook, December 5, 1998

By A Customer

I've had consistent success with the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. The recipes and instructions include specific techniques and tips that ensure good results, yet they remain straightforward and concise. No fussy details that don't really contribute to the quality of the dish, unlike my experiences with The Joy of Cooking. I also appreciate Marion Cunningham's (and Fannie Farmer's) attitudes that if you're going to cook, you might as well make the effort to do it well, relax, and enjoy the process. This book has a clean design and is very tightly written and edited so that every sentence presents useful information.