The Supper Book: 10th Anniversary Edition [Paperback]

Marion Cunningham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002

For most people, making supper is just another chore to add to a long list of things to do each day. With The Supper Book, Marion Cunningham, who brought the classic Fannie Farmer Cookbook to a new generation of cooks, reinstates supper as the cozy and restorative meal for the close of the day. A collection of 180 recipes, such as Chicken with Fresh Herbs and Potatoes and Winter Vegetable Cobbler, requires a minimum of ingredients, yet are replete with deliciously surprising flavors.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this welcome follow-up to The Breakfast Book , Cunningham restores supper to its traditional place as a cozy, "flexible" meal and invites readers to expand their repertoires with her inventive selections. She reminds cooks that supper was never meant to be a test of one's culinary acumen, and suggests that it is "more a state of mind than a meal bound by rules." The easy and adaptable recipes, which cover all parts and types of the meal, reflect that belief. Many, like black pepper ribs and chicken under a brick, require only a handful of common ingredients and can be prepared quickly. Even those that call for more time and preparation, like "Sharon's Orange Scone Berry Cakes," need no more dexterity than kneading dough or transferring ingredients from mixing bowl to pan. In addition, Cunningham lauds ordinary supper foods, most notably iceberg lettuce, which she calls "a perfect creation" and includes in several recipes. In this easygoing cookbook, there are few requirements--no lists of pantry must-haves or sources for exotic ingredients. By departing from both the fast-and-fat-free and food-as-spectacle cookbook camps, the author more accurately reflects the realities of day-to-day cooking. 50,000 first printing; Literary Guild alternate .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Cunningham is the author of The Fannie Farmer Baking Book ( LJ 11/15/84) and recent editions of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook ( LJ 8/90. 13th ed.), as well as The Breakfast Book (Knopf, 1987), to which her latest book serves as a companion volume. This homey collection should have a particular appeal for today's harried cook, and although most of the dishes are simple, many are eminently suitable for a companionable meal with favored guests as well. Along with recipes for all courses of a meal, there is a chapter of tempting "fringe dishes," from Fire and Ice Relish to Persimmon-Pear Salad. For most collections. Literary Guild alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Whitecap Books; 10th anniversary edition (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552853411
• ISBN-13: 978-1552853412
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,386,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and simply fine, August 14, 2002

By 

Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Supper Book: 10th Anniversary Edition (Paperback)

Marion Cunningham's "The Supper Book" is an old friend in our kitchen. My best friend gave me a copy years ago for my birthday, and it is probably one of the most-used cookbooks of the many that crowd my pantry shelf.

The recipes are, as you might imagine, simple, delicious, and easy to prepare. Yet there's none of the frantic "Dinner in Ten Minutes!" or "Gourmet Meals from Just Five Ingredients!" tone that you see in cookbooks that are trying to make a fabulous meal appear on the table in less time than it takes to read this review. Cunningham slyly makes most of the recipes easy and with minimal ingredients, but she lets you discover this happy news on your own. Her emphasis is, instead, on taste and freshness of ingredients.

The Crabcakes are absolutely delicious and the soul of simplicity. The Celery Soup is a revelation, and a dish in which celery gets to stand up and take a bow instead of being an afterthought as it is in so many other recipes. Speed Steaks is an intriguing idea--you slice the steaks very thin, freeze them, and then fry them while still frozen. The result is a beautifully cooked steak with a lovely pink center. And now that Fish Tacos are all the culinary rage, let it be known that Marion Cunningham first featured them in a cookbook way back in 1992!

Cunningham extols the virtues of calmness and solitude at supper. In fact, she writes, "Sometimes eating supper alone feels private, quiet, and blessedly liberating. You may eat anything you want; you needn't be conventional. I liked a baked potato with olive oil and coarse salt and pepper followed by vanilla ice cream, which proves to me that money doesn't buy a good meal. One night not long ago I had freshly baked cookies and milk, and found that uplifting."

Donnie Cameron's handsome, spare line drawings do much to underscore the overall feeling of calmness and simplicity that Cunningham gives the reader. It's a nice match of author and illustrator, as each heightens the impact of the other's work. This really is a valuable kitchen friend, whether you live alone or cook for a crowd each night.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A much used cook book for simple meals., October 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Supper Book (Hardcover)

I have had this cookbook for a few years and increase my use of it each year. The recipies are simple, not in the American "convenient" way, but in their appeal to the simple tases one associates with a true supper. That said, they are usually easy to prepare as well. I appreciate the author's suggestions for the entire meal, as her choices for go along with recipies are superb. Particular favorites are Avacado and Bacon Salad, Cream of Scallop Soup, Orzo with Fresh Dill, and Almond Cookies.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good One, November 5, 2009

By 

T. Zelles - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Supper Book (Hardcover)

I have only tried the cabbage roll recipe and it was worth the purchase just for this DELICIOUS recipe! It's a perfect little go-to book for good old meat and potato style dinners.