Joy of Cooking 1931 Facsimile Edition: A Facsimile of the First Edition 1931 [FACSIMILE] (Hardcover)

by Irma S. Rombauer (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Suddenly Aunt Eunice is on the phone explaining, "Aunt Mabel won't be with us for Christmas dinner, she's taking a holiday cruise with her bridge club. So would you be a dear and bring the Cheese Custard Pie this year? The family sure loves that pie." You ponder a moment and remember that the Cheese Custard Pie wasn't half bad, a stout and hearty dish with heavy Midwestern overtones, a bit like Aunt Mabel, in fact. You've eaten the same pie every year for as long as you can remember, your parents ate the same pie, and chances are your grandparents got a little crazy and had a slice or two à la mode. Small wonder Mabel has been wowing the family with Cheese Custard Pie since 1931.

Warm fuzzy memories go suddenly bad when you realize that the success or failure of the family holiday has just been placed squarely upon your shoulders in the form of a dessert you haven't a clue how to cook. Damn that bridge club! A quick call back to Aunt Eunice reveals, "It's simple, honey, all you need is The Joy of Cooking."

In 1931, Mrs. Irma von Starkloff Rombauer was newly widowed and in need of a way to support her family. The celebrated St. Louis hostess struck on the idea of turning her personal recipes and cooking techniques into a book. She self- published The Joy of Cooking: A Compilation of Reliable Recipes with a Casual Culinary Chat, and the legend was born. Aunt Mabels everywhere related to Irma's sensible, fearless approach to the culinary arts, and Chicken à la King, Risotto, and Roasted Spanish Onions found their way onto our tables. The Joy of Cooking quickly became a modern masterpiece, the stuff of legends, the foundation of family dinners everywhere.

This facsimile of the original 1931 edition offers ample proof why The Joy of Cooking, at 15 million copies and counting, remains one of the most popular cookbooks of all time. This is where it all began, and while her Shrimp Wiggle may not be in vogue anymore, a certain pie recipe just might save your family holiday. --Mark O. Howerton

From Library Journal
This is a facsimile of the original 1931 edition of what has become a standard. A good many of the recipes probably aren't as health-conscious as consumers prefer today, but the book will definitely find an audience.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; Facsimile edition (April 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684833581
• ISBN-13: 978-0684833583
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #306,795 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic re-issue - before major publishing, July 13, 2004

By	Raechel Reiter "raechelr" (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is the 1st, as in before they got picked up by a major publisher.

Don't let that kid you. This book is GREAT and professional.

Irma made up the style of cookbook we know today. Listing all ingredients up front etc. A true pioneer.

She took her book to a little printer and had a run made. That book (which this is a faithful copy of) fell into the right hands and the rest was cookbook history.

Fantastic old recipes. Even old German ones, and other euro recipes etc. Not a bland cookbook of old junk. It is all old treasures.

She always made up several variations of a recipe and had friends and acquaintances as a tasters panel. The winning versions of each are in the book.

The Dust jacket is washable with a moist cloth even on her first book, she was a very smart lady.

Buy this book and enjoy recipes that are no longer in the latest JOY. There just isn't room for everything now. And this is the old fashioned way of making them all. I am big on taste!

A must have in the kitchen.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original Joy of Cooking, January 11, 2000

By	Sallee K. (Odessa, FL) - See all my reviews

Great book with recipes long since forgotten. Easy to read and easy recipes to prepare. The author original humor still in the book which makes it so much better.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Original Joy of Cooking, January 11, 2000

By	Sallee K. (Odessa, FL) - See all my reviews

Great book with recipes long since forgotten. Easy to read and easy recipes to prepare. The author original humor still in the book which makes it so much better.