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

Barry Bluestein (Author), Kevin Morrissey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

Utilizing the latest ingredients and a variety of time- and space-saving techniques, a collection of updated versions of traditional recipes and household crafts includes baking bread, pickling and preserving, gardening, and a host of simple crafts projects. 15,000 first printing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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.

From Library Journal

Books on homemade condiments and preserves are proliferating in the "back to the basics" 1990s, and here are more recipes for flavored vinegars and oils, pickles, chutneys, and jams. Bluestein and Morrissey (The 99% Fat-Free Cookbook, LJ 4/15/94) include homemade candies, dairy products, and sausages in addition to the more common categories. However, recipes for many of their choices can be found elsewhere; more unusual are their various craft and other projects scattered throughout the book, from salt-bread Christmas ornaments to chocolate greeting cards. For larger collections.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Studio (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670849316
• ISBN-13: 978-0670849314
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,233,562 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Home Made in the Kitchen, July 31, 2000

By 

Jena B. Norton (Atwater, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Home Made in the Kitchen: Traditional Recipes and Household Projects Updated and Made Easy (Paperback)

If you like to try your hand at making goodies at home, this book is for you! The authors give you recipes for making your own liqueurs, flavored vodkas, jellies, jams, cheeses, seasoning mixes, sauces, specialty mustards, exotic desserts, gourmet meats--the list is almost endless!

The recipes are generally easy to follow and use ingredients that are readily available. If special ingredients or equipment are needed, there's a handy guide in the back on where to order these things. And there are explanations that make sense for the more complicated procedures, such as cheese-making and brewing spirits. You're not left to wonder what some term or procedure means!

I've used this book for several years to make Christmas gifts. My friends expect the cordials and liqueurs, as well as the gourmet jams and relishes now! And I've given this book to friends the world over, as well. No one has been disappointed yet by this book. It is a true treasure on my cookbook shelf and shows the splatters of many successful uses.