Customer Reviews

A Return to Family Picnics

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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

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...

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.

This would be a great coffee table book as well as a great gift. There are several themed picnic scenarios offered with plenty of recipes, fun things to do, some history and great photos to go along. You will want to picnic after viewing this book. A very pleasant read.

This is one seriously silly book. It's about family to the extent the word "family" is in the title. Perhaps the word "family" to the author means "the help," a small platoon of which you'd need to pull off some of the stuff in this book. I travel with some serious picnic gear. Fitted baskets, English china and silver, crystal, and a 15,000 btu butane stove. My picnics are well planned and well executed. Serious food done outdoors at the beach and elsewhere in SW Florida. But, I'd sooner eat week old Florida lobster than tackle some of the over the top stuff here. I mean, I don't even know how you'd get some of his preparations to the picnic without turning it into a very ugly mess.