The Good Home Cookbook: More Than 1000 Classic American Recipes [Hardcover]

Richard J. Perry (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2006

With more than 1,000 no-nonsense recipes, The Good Home Cookbook reminds us that a good home cooked meal is as special as the company who enjoys it. In a highly ambitious effort, Richard J. Perry led his editorial team to identify recipes that formed the foundation of American cuisine as we know it today. then, hundreds of home cooks from all 50 states tested and cross-tested the recipes in the first-ever public recipe tested cookbook.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Perry's repertoire is so extensive that readers will find both inspiration and comfort in his carefully compiled collection. -- Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2006

From the Inside Flap

Where did you learn to cook? For some, it was at the elbow of Grandma or Mom. For others, it was next to Dad at the grill. These days, learning to cook from scratch—the true old-fashioned way—is becoming a lost art.

With more than 1,000 no-nonsense recipes, The Good Home Cookbook reminds us that a good home cooked meal is as special as the company who enjoys it. In a highly ambitious effort, Richard J. Perry led his editorial team to identify recipes that formed the foundation of American cuisine as we know it today. Then, hundreds of home cooks from all 50 states tested and cross-tested the recipes in the first-ever public recipe tested cookbook.

The recipes found here preserve the hearty staples of American cookery we have all come to know and love. They embody the spirit of tradition, reflecting the memories and fellowship that food inspires. The result is a timeless collection of familiar favorites and beloved classics—a collection that no home should be without.

RECIPES FOR EVERY DAY:

• Dozens of ways to start your morning right, from Baked French Toast with Apples and Crêpes to Granola and Creamy Grits, including a handy guide to cooking breakfast meats. • Crowd pleasing appetizers like Marinated Mushrooms, Crunchy Clam Puffs, and homemade Cocktail Sauce. • Year-round salads include authentic Caesar Salad, Wilted Spinach Salad, and a variety of homemade dressings—with a special tutorial on the art of gelatin salads. • Soups and chowders, from Cream of Mushroom Soup and Chicken Gumbo to the perfect Shrimp Bisque and French Onion Soup. • Sandwiches at their best—Philly Cheese Steak, Reuben, Muffuletta, Monte Cristo, and many more. • Seafood dishes from Greek Baked Shrimp and Clam Fritters to Poached Salmon with Cucumber Sauce—there is something for everyone. • Poultry favorites include Southern Fried Chicken, Roast Duck, the perfect Turkey, and a variety of savory stuffings. • A large assortment of muffins, biscuits, scones, and buns along with a selection of breads, jams, and butters, provide enough variety to suit everyone. • More than 100 easy-to-follow dessert recipes make your pies, cakes, and cookies the best on the block. • From Berry Cobbler and Chocolate Soufflé to homemade ice cream, fudge, and brittle—the Sweets chapter has it all. • The drinks chapter comes complete with recipes for classic cocktails, a guide to brewing the best coffee, making the perfect punch, and more. • Holiday menus to help you pick the perfect recipes for Memorial Day, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, and other special occasions. • Handy, helpful appendices take the guesswork out of equipment, herbs, spices, canning, garnishing, and presentation.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Collectors Press; 1 edition (September 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933112255
• ISBN-13: 978-1933112251
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,231,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good place to start, but..., December 11, 2006

By 

L. Abe (San Diego) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Good Home Cookbook: More Than 1000 Classic American Recipes (Hardcover)

As this review is for Amazon.com and not the cookbook's website, I feel obligated to disclose that I received a free copy of this cookbook to review. And, while this is a thorough and comprehensive collection of "home cooking" standards, it probably wouldn't hold up as my first go-to reference.

If you don't already own a Better Homes and Garden or Joy of Cooking book, then this would be a great place for you to start building your collection. It's not full of fancy, dinner party recipes but it is full of comfort food and standard family dinner meals. Not sure how to cook a chicken? It's right there with instructions on how to carve, as well. Want to know how to make that tuna noodle casserole you remember from Mom's house? That's there, too!

I do like how the cookbook is arranged - there's a whole section on breakfast food so you can flip through one section and see if you want pancakes or hashbrowns, sausage or omelet, etc. No more flipping through Vegetables, Baked Goods, or Meats to figure out breakfast.

I don't like how some recipes seem to be repeated with just one ingredient change. Do you really need a separate recipe to go from Crawfish Etouffee to Shrimp Etouffee? Do you need yet another one to tell you that chicken is acceptable to swtich to a Chicken Etouffee? There's a few places this occurs and it's not a big deal, just a minor annoyance on my part.

This is a good entry cookbook for true beginners who aren't comfortable with the "mix and taste" concept. You know that tuna salad has mayo and tuna and maybe celery (depending on whose mom made it) but what proportions? Ditto for chicken salad. Well, it's all spelled out for you so you can build a base recipe, then add or delete ingredients for next time, depending on your taste buds.

Summary? I would purchase this as a simple reference cookbook if I didn't already have my BHG. If you own any other "basic" cookbooks, you may find yourself bored with this one.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, belongs in every kitchen!, October 6, 2006

By 

Christy M. Serafini "Vintage Vanity" (Orange Park, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Home Cookbook: More Than 1000 Classic American Recipes (Hardcover)

Just spent the morning looking through my copy and it is wonderful! I love all of the tidbits about the recipes and have found alot of recipes that I enjoyed as a kid. I was a tester and it was a great experience, I was honored to be a part of it. The layout is crisp and clean, with retro designs. I will be giving all of my friends a copy for the holidays. The book has something for everyone that enjoys real food. It won't spend any time on the shelf collecting dust, it is one of those rare cookbooks that belongs in the kitchen all the time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic!, January 28, 2007

By 

Margaret Johnson (Central Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Good Home Cookbook: More Than 1000 Classic American Recipes (Hardcover)

I love to cook, and have been doing it for many, many years. I learned from my mother, a fine cook herself. As a matter of fact, I had gotten to the point where I vowed to not buy any more cookbooks, as I decided that I had the best Italian, the best Mexican, the best cookie, the best bread, the best soup, the best, oh...you get the idea. While I did receive this as a promotion, if I had seen it, I do believe I would have bought it anyway, as it really does seem to contain every basic and good dish that I have ever gotten from my mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and numerous friends and neighbors over the years. Now I can just go to this for all my tried-and-true recipes, rather than try to hunt through my files for that old spattered clipping or index card from way back. When I have compared my well-worn clippings and hand-written recipes to many recipes in this book, often they are ingredient-for-ingredient the same. They really did their research on this one. The directions are clear and concise, and any cook, from novice to expert, should have no problem following them. This book, along with a nice pot or pan, will be my go-to wedding or shower gift from now on.

And on a practical note, I must mention that I truly appreciate the sewn-in binding on the book, as it lies nicely and flatly open on the counter.

The only thing that could have made this even better would be if it had pictures!