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A Return to Family Picnics [Hardcover]

Russell Cronkhite (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


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Book Description

February 25, 2005
A Recipe for Reviving Family Fellowship

A Return to Family Picnics, a beautiful gift-quality cookbook, captures our imagination and fosters the ideal of family gatherings, fellowship, and community...outside! A follow-up to A Return to Sunday Dinner, this cookbook takes us out-of-doors, where we experience the fun and fellowship of family times and extended family gatherings in the splendor of God’s magnificent creation. With over 120 mouthwatering recipes, inspirational quotes, and heartwarming memories, your heart will take an inviting and nostalgic journey, setting the stage for the Christ-centered message of celebration and our American family heritage.

From the moment the first blossoms of spring unfold, we start to dust off our winter blues. Through the long, lazy respite that is summer and well into the gold and deep-red hues of autumn, we are drawn outside to experience anew the splendor of God’s magnificent creation. We are called to return to those uninterrupted memories far away from the hustle and bustle of the world pressing all around—and to celebrate life!

The glorious pleasure of one of America’s favorite pastimes beckons—a group of brightly covered tables, baskets of fresh flowers, frosty pitchers of lemonade, children laughing and spinning and swinging high in the warm, gentle breeze…

It’s time for the best picnic ever!

****

A century ago, when Henry Ward Beecher

was asked how we could makeour nation

better, he answered, “Multiply picnics.”

He was right then, and his answer is right for us now.

robert d. putnam, author of bowling alone

INSIDE LEFT FLAP COPY:

Picnics

Fresh country air fills your lungs under the cool shade of towering oak trees. Soft blades of grass tickle your feet as you relax in the classic setting for America ’s favorite gathering.

of All Shapes and Sizes

From a romantic fete for two along the riverside to an extended celebration for the entire neighborhood, laughter rings forth to seal priceless ties between young and old.

Are for Celebrating

With more than 120 mouthwatering recipes, stunning culinary photographs, and inspirational quotes, A Return to Family Picnics blends leisure with pleasure.

Food and Fun for All

This unique cookbook includes recipes that accommodate gatherings of up to forty people, with dishes from every corner of the country. Delightful salads and scrumptious sides accent each menu. Favorites showcasing our nation’s heritage include Herb-Marinated Rotisserie Chicken, Heavenly Deviled Eggs, Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches, All-American Deep-Dish Cherry Cobbler, and Maine Blueberry Buckle.

Inhale deeply, and let the enticing aroma guide you outdoors to that special place where loved ones gather…and the memories created are simply the icing on the Coconut Cream Cupcakes.

Story Behind the Book

“I remember well those wonderful celebrations and community events when our neighborhood parks rang with the sounds of rollicking, wholesome fun—pickup softball games, group volleyball, horseshoes, or three-legged races. On special days such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day, we gathered for solemn remembrance—then headed for the picnic tables to celebrate our glorious past together. So many of my own childhood memories involve picnic moments—flying kites on a hill, singing songs in the car, trips to the zoo, days at the beach, fascinating visits to historic sites, not to mention those wonderful, home-cooked foods. Doesn’t the very thought make you want to pack your picnic basket and head outdoors for a picnic celebration of your own?”

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If Good Day for a Picnic (reviewed above) suggests yuppified fare fit for blue state latte drinkers, Cronkhite's follow-up to A Return to Sunday Dinner is its red state doppelgänger, with recipes like Heavenly Deviled Eggs and Country Fair Corn. In an introduction, the author, former executive chef at Blair House, the presidential guest house, traces the history of eating outdoors with all the vivacity of a textbook. Some readers may be turned off by the saccharine quotes arranged like embroidered samplers and the author's constant appeals to patriotic reverence. ("Is anything more American than chocolate chip cookies?"; "Soda and ice cream—what could be more American!") Many of these recipes seem unsuited to outdoor eating, either because they're difficult to transport farther than the backyard (e.g., White Chocolate, Strawberry and Lemon Trifle) or require last-minute assembly (e.g., Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Sodas). And Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Bacon Skewers are not just strange for a picnic—they're an all-round bizarre concept. Like the recipes, the photography in this collection is uninspired and often corny (e.g., a father and son walk off into the sunset on a golf course as Cronkhite shares suggestions for a Father's Day feast). Cronkhite stretches the definition of a picnic, even including chapters on a tea party and another titled "Raising the Roof" that recommends Glazed Smoked Ham and Macaroni Salad for a barn raising. (Apr.)

Review

...an attempt to reclaim our family quality time...divides "the moveable feast" recipes into celebrations... -- The Lafayette Daily Adviser, June 29th, 2005

...complete with menus and recipes...with many details shown in handsome color photos... -- The Associated Press, June 2005

...each chapter has a picnic menu...and its recipes follow the seasons from spring through harvest. -- The New York Times, June 29th, 2005

..pack up your picnic hamper and head outdoors! Cronkhite's new cookbook...has clever themed picnic menus, mouth-watering recipes... -- HelpMeCook.com, July 2005

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Multnomah Books (February 25, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1590521404
  • ISBN-13: 978-1590521403
  • Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
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39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars what a grump, April 20, 2005
This review is from: A Return to Family Picnics (Hardcover)
To Whom It May Concern:

I normally don't bother responding to critics - I find that I am usually far more critical of my own work. However, reading the recent Publishers Weekly review of my newest cookbook I really can't help myself. I had heard it was a rather "lame" piece. And judging from the general tone, one that seems to imply picnics are either for latte sipping yuppies or red state warriors, it sounds as though this snide little curmudgeon may think a great picnic would include a package of Twinkies and a (full of) baloney sandwich.

Picnics come in many shapes and sizes. Had someone bothered to actually read my "text book" on picnic history they might have discovered picnics have been and still are leisure affairs filled with festivity, imagination, and romance. Whether a grand Southern picnic with platters piled high, an afternoon tea party, a fun-filled family reunion, New England clam bake, July Fourth barbecue, a springtime brunch, or a fall festival tailgate - picnics can be in the back yard, out in the country, in the garden, or down at the local park.

A Return to Family Picnics is filled with picnic perfect menus: some elegant menus featuring poached salmon or country pate - great for a wedding shower, Mother's Day, or an autumn hot air balloon ride. But I also included a good balance of sandwiches, wraps, cup cakes and bar cookies, as well as easy to prepare dishes like our juicy herb marinated rotisserie chicken and festive salads for an impromptu day in the park.

A Return to Family Picnics is a wonderfully well-crafted gift book designed by one of the industries top firms. It is beautifully photographed, with stunning food styling, and by most accounts filled with romance, warm memories, and charm.

Still, I could see how some might be turned-off to the book's splendor: the same cynics too sophisticated for Hallmark cards, Miss America, county fairs or small town parades. So, call me "corny" if you will. But golly gee, Mrs. Cleaver, saccharine...? Sorry, Saccharine is an artificial sweetener, while my love for all things bright and beautiful is quite natural and sincere. Most Americans, no matter what their supposed political stripe, still salute the flag with pride and still stand respectfully for the National Anthem.

So, this is a "red state" picnic book...Really? It's a given that reviewers generally think they are being oh so clever when often they can't see the beauty beyond their own murk-colored glasses - but is it possible someone is taking their Neanderthal rhetoric a little too seriously here? It's a cookbook for heaven's sake.

My guess is your reviewer has not recently been to an old fashioned community picnic. Around the Potomac where I live, like parks around America, civic groups, extended families, and groups of friends are gathering every weekend to enjoy lively games and conversations in the warm inviting breeze. Beneath awnings, umbrellas and shaded trees they fire up grills and propane cookers and spread tables with their own movable feasts - true, this takes a bit of forethought and pre-planning as all things worth doing well.

Picnics are a passion. For several years I was a judge at the Montpellier Steeplechase tailgate competition here in Virginia and I can assure you these picnics were anything but simple: crystal candelabra, sides of smoked salmon, fine china set out in the open trunk of a classic Rolls Royce. And yes, trifle!

Presently, I'm helping to organize a picnic at my church: we'll have macaroni salad, glazed ham, fried chicken, corn on-the-cob and deviled eggs. We'll play balloon toss, have a square dance, and run three-legged races. And if we can round up enough hand-cranked machines we'll churn frozen custard for the peach cobbler or for making ice cream sodas.

The point of a having a picnic, the point of my book, is one of fun and celebration. It is sad to realize that there are still people who can't manage to enjoy a bit of serendipity.


Russell Cronkhite author of A Return to Family Picnics
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars "Picnic" Inspires, June 10, 2005
This review is from: A Return to Family Picnics (Hardcover)
Nicely done, A Return To Family Picnics by Russell Cronkhite is a nice gift idea and an even nicer way to inspire a personal event surrounding friends with a planned but simple sharing of food. I write this following our plan to set up our own picnic at Ravinia (sorry, rain knocked that one out, but we moved it to the park instead). It IS possible to throw a micro-party, a moveable feast, pretty easily and you're really going to like it.

Being a regular guy, I need occasional cheaters when it comes to looking smart; A Return To Family Picnics is just such a crib note: glossy enough for a coffee table and piled with enough clas s to make any shlep like me come off looking classier.

Great photos; nice menu ideas from Cronkhite, a man who knows his stuff about serving great food very well.

Food books? Don't get me started: too many miss their mark. But not Cronkhite's nicely done tome; I liked it enough to buy a copy for my mother who may never throw another picnic but will know that her son knows how it's done...
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, April 29, 2007
By 
kentoray (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Return to Family Picnics (Hardcover)
I don't know who from Publisher's Weekly wrote the review for this book, but I think they need to go on a good picnic and chill out! I got this book as a review copy since I'm working on an article about family picnics for a newspaper. What I like most about this book, which I will be suggesting to my readers, is that in addition to the beautiful photos, soothing writer's voice and time-saving tips is that the recipes aren't a major deal to do! Most of the recipes do not come with an arm's length of ingredients and the need for huge amounts of time. I like that....a lot. Sure, some recipes are for a quick, rather unplanned jaunt and others are for a more planned-out, lavish feast. But that's the beauty of a picnic...it can be as simple or extravagant as you want it to be. This book gives you nice options for both. And yes....Mr. Publisher's Weekly...outdoor tea parties do count as picnics.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
I often wonder, was the world really that much different when I was a child? In the 1950s, families worked hard: Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, Civil War
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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