A Month of Sundaes [Hardcover]

Michael Turback (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2006

The original Ice Cream Sundae bible with great soda fountains of the past and present, historical nuggets, sprinkles of insight and over 150 recipes.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

According to author and restaurateur Michael Turback, the ice cream sundae is as much of an American tradition as baseball and apple pie. A Month of Sundaes is a historical book about ice cream, with sundae lore and recipes generously spread throughout. The history lesson starts in the 1700s, when ice cream was served only in the finest homes. Interestingly, it was then-ambassador-to-France Thomas Jefferson's obsession with ice cream that brought new versions of the dessert across the Atlantic. Fortunately, the colonists took to the new treat as well and Turback follows ice cream's trail across the continent and over the next 250 years, ending with current tales of other titans of the ice cream world, including Dreyer's and Ben & Jerry's. The recipes are scattered throughout, including some from-scratch ice cream--even explaining the true technical difference between vanilla and French vanilla. There are also many different sauces, with stories of those who created the various concoctions. More of a novelty than a necessity, A Month of Sundaes is most appropriately suited for the ice cream obsessed. --Teresa Simanton

From Booklist

What tops off a summer meal better than a cold, rich ice-cream sundae? In A Month of Sundaes, Michael Turback traces the history of ice cream in America from Thomas Jefferson's "discovery" of its pleasures during his stay in France. Although Americans took ice cream to heart immediately, the sundae took another century to appear. Moving from its origins in Ithaca, New York, through its heyday during the Prohibition to its present-day ubiquity, Turback tells the history of a quintessential American dessert. The first sundae, it appears, was a "Cherry Sunday," invented by a druggist for his soda fountain. A local divine christened it for the Sabbath, but the spelling soon changed. Turback recounts the individual stories of many famous ice-cream parlors across the nation that made their reputations with ever larger and more fanciful combinations of ice creams, syrups, and fruits. Along the way he offers recipes for ice cream and for some of the most notable sundaes ever consumed. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Red Rock Press (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966957385
• ISBN-13: 978-0966957389
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #677,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Trained as a restaurateur at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Michael Turback (www.michaelturback.com) operated an important restaurant in Ithaca, NY, whose mission was to combine passionate cooking with local ingredients and regional wines. Known for his versatility and invention as a writer, he has taken on, with distinction, such topics as the ice cream sundae, the banana split, hot chocolate, the partnership of chocolate and coffee, creative barista drinks, artisan cocktails, Finger Lakes Wine Country, the Ithaca Farmers Market, as well as two legendary figures, John Wayne and Toots Shor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Than A Cookbook, May 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A Month of Sundaes (Hardcover)

Sundaes are really easy to make --- and they always make your friends happy. But I never knew there were so many variations before. With the help of this book, I'm going to give a knockout of a Sundae party on Memorial Day Weekend for all the friends, and relatives with little kids we've invited.

A Month of Sundaes also tells you how to make the ice creams and syrups but I'll just buy most of the ingredients---including frozen yogurt for everybody who is worried about their waistline.

There's a lot more to this book than just recipes---my son, who is 11, says he is going to use it for his term paper on "Something Unusual About American History."

It is full of interesting little stories about ice cream and Thomas Jefferson, Sundaes and famous movies stars, etc. I'm thinking of getting another copy for my son to give to his grandfather, who is a World War II buff, on Father's Day, because it has a whole chapter about the ingenuity of soldiers and sailors in coming up with warfront ice cream treats.

This book is hardcover and has great pictures. It's a lot of fun and could solve many gift giving problems.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding culinary history, September 8, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Month of Sundaes (Hardcover)

Over a hundred recipes for both traditional and innovative Sunday delights blends American dessert lore and history with dishes which can be easily reproduced in modern kitchens. From vintage ads to the history of sundae makers who served the rich in more ways than one, A Month Of Sundaes is an outstanding culinary history and highly recommended cookbook that will delight a wide audience.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!!, August 2, 2002

By 

Lizzie Vincent (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Month of Sundaes (Hardcover)

I Love this book!! It takes America's favorite dessert and whirls you through American history. Did you know that some of our national heroes were Soda Jerks? From presidents to revolutionaries, starlets to classic comediennes, people of great renown have made stop at the local soda foundation.
It even helped me discover history about my own neighborhood ice cream parlor.

Michael Turback wonderfully writes about of all things Sundae. Plus he throws in 150 recipes to delight your taste buds and fire your imagination. It has great pictures and it is a wonderful read. It should be on everyone's summer reading list. Adults to kids will find a warm place for this chilly delight.