Secrets of the Great Old-Timey Cooks: Historic Recipes, Lore & Wisdom [Paperback]

Barbara Swell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

Reminisce about a simpler time as four 20th century mountain pioneer women share their cooking secraets. These great old-timey cooks stir in their own wisdom and tales of growing up on rural farms, where they prepared delicious melas by lantern light on wood cookstoves. Included are heirloom recipes, proverbs, folk remedies, 80 vintage photos, 19th century autograph rhymes and lots of stories. 72 pages.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara Swell learned the art of old-time cooking from her Grandmother while growing up in West Virginia. She's written three historic cookbooks, and also teaches old-timey cooking retreats. Barbara lives in Asheville N.C. with her husband Wayne and their three teenagers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Native Ground Music; First edition (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883206375
• ISBN-13: 978-1883206376
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #407,942 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > U.S. Regional > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ideal and inexpensive gift, October 3, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Secrets of the Great Old-Timey Cooks: Historic Recipes, Lore & Wisdom (Paperback)

An ideal and inexpensive gift for kitchen cookbook collectors, Barbara Swell's "Secrets Of The Great Old-Timey Cooks" is a simply wonderful compendium of historic American recipes, folklore and country wisdom. Profusely illustrated with historic photos and illustrations, readers will be treated to mouth-watering 'yesteryear cuisine' ranging from Mock Macaroni, Sweet Potato Dumplings, and Jam Windmills, to Apple Maple Duck, Coconut Stack Cake, and Apple Dumpling Pie. But "Secrets Of The Great Old-Timey Cooks" is far more than just another nostalgic cookbook. Readers are also provided with kitchen secrets from contemporary pioneer women, antique autograph rhymes, food provers and superstitions, love vine prediction, folk remedies, the kinds of chores women routinely had to do, and even weather lore. If you like to cook, have a fondness for 'the good old days', and are partial to some of the best eating former generations of accomplished women cooks had to offer, then secure your very own copy of "Secrets Of The Great Old-Timey Cooks"!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recipes, Lore and Wisdom, November 29, 2006

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Great Old-Timey Cooks: Historic Recipes, Lore & Wisdom (Paperback)

Secrets of The Great Old-Timey Cooks by Barbara Swell is full of information about food such as Mock Macaroni, Jam Windmills, Apple Maple Duck and Apple Dumpling Pie. It also holds photos, proverbs, remedies, weather lore and kitchen secrets. This kind of book is not just a wonderful piece of the past but fun to read. Good for any library dealing with history or food.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome history!, December 21, 2008

By 

Carol Palmer (Parishville, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of the Great Old-Timey Cooks: Historic Recipes, Lore & Wisdom (Paperback)

This is a very entertianing, informative little book. I got it for my nephew who is a budding cook. He was thrilled to learn how the "old folks" did things and had a wonderful time trying out the recipes. He was especially entertained by the measurements and had to ask his Auntie how big a walnut was! I would recommend this book for any cook but particularly for young cooks just starting out. It brings a great piece of history into the present.