The Wooden Spoon Book of Home-Style Soups, Stews, Chowders, Chilis and Gumbos: Favorite Recipes from The Wooden Spoon Kitchen [Paperback]

Marilyn M. Moore (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Moore ( Baking Your Own ) here considers what is common to food served in a bowl. Starting with principles of stock preparation, but confessing that canned broth is perfectly acceptable as a base, she then works through the genres, justifiably observing how little must be conceded to cholesterol and fat for rib-sticking heartiness. The author seems surest with soups running heavy to vegetables (although only a few of these compounds are actually meatless) and is a connoisseur of herbs, calling frequently for fresh-picked basil, lemon thyme, rosemary or summer savory. In other contexts, she is content to be less discerning; the gumbo and chili recipes call indiscriminately for "chili powder or pure ground chiles," "curry powder" or "hot pepper sauce," as if these generic terms were definitive. She does make the point that most simmering concoctions can forgive considerable latitude in preparation, and these 150-odd recipes, while guiding the timid with clear and complete procedures, reveal enough general principles to tempt the adventurous to improvise. An excellent chapter on tangy fruit soups, both hot and cold, complements the savoriness of the main collection. The concluding bread and cracker recipes are a useful afterthought.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

More comfort food from the author of The Wooden Spoon Dessert Book ( LJ 2/15/90) . Soup cooks will find their old-fashioned favorites here, but there are also lighter versions of some old standards as well as unusual variations such as Wheat Berry Chili. Moore begins with a chapter on homemade stocks, but many of the recipes can be made in very little time. While there is not quite the variety of Julia Older and Steve Sherman's Ultimate Soup Book ( LJ 8/91), Moore's book is sure to be popular.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (January 6, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871135558
• ISBN-13: 978-0871135551
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #805,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Soups Made Easy, July 15, 2000

By 

Margaret Kavanagh - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wooden Spoon Book of Home-Style Soups, Stews, Chowders, Chilis and Gumbos: Favorite Recipes from The Wooden Spoon Kitchen (Paperback)

The Wooden Spoon cookbook offers a wide range of recipes for soups and stews. The recipes are easy to follow and, unlike many specialty cookbooks, rely on simple, everyday ingedients that most basic kitchens will have on hand or at least that can be obtained from any corner grocery store.

Many novice cooks fear that making soup will be a long, involved process. The Wooden Spoon cookbook should put that fear to rest.

The book contains several useful features, especially helpful for the those new to the soup making process, but also as a refresher for the veteran, including a glossary of terms and suggestions for basic ingredients to keep on hand for when the spirit moves one to make soup or a stew.

The occasional anecdote or interjected comment about a recipe or its origins adds to the cookbook's value, making it both interesting reading and a great addition to the kitchen bookshelf.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soup for every season and every family member, June 4, 2002

By 

Natalie Palmer "nat74" (Wenatchee, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wooden Spoon Book of Home-Style Soups, Stews, Chowders, Chilis and Gumbos: Favorite Recipes from the Wooden Spoon Kitchen (Hardcover)

Marilyn Moore writes a good cookbook - and this one lives up to expectations. As the previous reviewer said, even the novice soup maker/cook will beable to follow the recipies. This is an 'everyday cookbook' - recipies simple enough (that taste good) that you could use it weekly - with enough variation that you could easily feed a vegetarian - or find recipies to cut down on your own family's meat consumption. (And, of course, chili recipies if you want to keep it in). And, by 'everyday', I mean that recipies could easily be used for special ocasions and guests. The Corn Chowder with fresh corn... *sigh* - heaven in a bowl.
Also included are a handful of good, simple recipies to serve alongside the soup.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Longtime Favorite, July 10, 2011

By 

Ruth Sims "Ruth" (Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wooden Spoon Book of Home-Style Soups, Stews, Chowders, Chilis and Gumbos: Favorite Recipes from the Wooden Spoon Kitchen (Hardcover)

This has been my favorite general cookbook for almost 20 years. Paperback and used often, you can imagine the condition it's in. I was delighted to find it listed on Amazon! I don't have the author's other books, but I intend to get them asap.There is a wide variety of recipes, none of them are very difficult, and she has put many personal comments with them I have many cookbooks, but this is the only one that is literally falling apart from use.

Ruth Sims