Customer Reviews

White House Cookbook, Revised and Updated Centennial Edition

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

 

 

This cookbook has something for everyone, from history buffs to healthy eaters. The authors have taken recipes from the original White House Cookbook used 100 years ago in the Grover Cleveland era, and updated them to meet the nutrient needs of people today- low in fat but high in convenience and taste. For example, corn pudding (originally made with eggs, heavy cream and butter) becomes Centennial Corn Casserole, with half the fat and calories. Also of interest are cookie recipes from Barbara Bush and Hillary Clinton, which have been lightened up. (I thought the "light" version of Hillary's cookies tasted better than the original!) In addition to healthy recipes, there is a wealth of interesting historical information about cooking in the White House 100 years ago and a touch of humor with health hints from the past (hair restorer tonic, cures for colic, etc). This book is a great recipe source, as well as an interesting read

I found this wonderful book in the gift shop of the White House- it's truly as much fun to read as it is to cook from! The authors have taken recipes from the White House 100 years ago and made them more modern. They've also added lots of interesting etiquette and health tips from the last century. If you enjoy reading cookbooks, this one is a must-have for your collection!

I was shocked to read the "updates". The preface says "the call for lard, fat, cream, eggs, or salt in most of the original recipes makes them unsuitable for today". Are these authors still stuck back in the 80's? Tests are showing that these good fats are not only good for you, but needed for continued health. The updates substitute margerine for butter, corn syrup for sugar, egg substitutes for real eggs, etc. They also think it is ok to use ginger ale and carbonated drinks that contain HFCS. Are they kidding? Processed foods and food-like substitutes have been shown to be very detrimental to our health and should be avoided at all costs. Eggs from free-range chickens - where the yolks are orange are a perfect food, as is butter and cream from grass-fed cows.

In the introduction, the authors do concede that diseases including obesity, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular, as well as forms of cancer have increased and are among the leading causes of death. Duh --- should tell them something, shouldn't it?

If you buy this book, do not use the updated recipes for your health's sake. I wish now I had purchased the original.

This is a great book on cooking through the century as a avid cook book collector and cook I found it to be useful and educational all at the same time, the best receipes are usually the most simple to prepare. Love the book.....

There are few reviews for this book, with only one negative. I should have paid closer attention to the negative review. I think I agree more with that reviewer. I was expecting a book detailing menus, etc. from the White House, perhaps with a few personal recipes through the years. I enjoy reading old cook books--for example, the Times-Picayune Creole cook book comes to mind. I thought this one might be similar. Boy was I wrong! The recipes in this book have been "updated" by a couple of apparently humorless dieticians. What on earth were they thinking? I realize I am an accomplished cook and some people without any culinary experience might need a little more guidance, but who would choose to serve dishes that include bouillon granules, egg substitute, and "butter buds". Butter buds! Other "updated" recipes call for instant onions (!), dried parsley (!), red food coloring (!). The few original recipes that are in the book are not put in any kind of historical context--they are barely a blurb with a notation that they were from the 1894 cook book. Anyway, just be advised that if you are looking for an enjoyable read about culinary traditions in the White House, purchase the original book and not this updated version. I hope I can help others not waste the $12--this was my mistake, so I'll go ahead and get the genuine, unaltered version. I would also recommend that you just search on the internet for recipes, as the ones included in this volume would not be worth the time spent preparing them.

Our family just moved to Washington DC and I had to have this cookbook. I am infatuated with the First Ladies of our country. So much of the book is about etiquette and things that I already know and there are just a handful of recipes, but I enjoyed reading it like a book instead of a cooking tool.

I purchased this for my grandmothers boyfriend Sam. He loves it, I recommend this cookbook to anyone looking for variety in their meals.