Apple Betty and Sloppy Joe: Stirring Up the Past with Family Recipes and Stories (Paperback)

~ Susan Sanvidge (Author), Diane Sanvidge Seckar (Author), Jean Sanvidge Wouters (Author), Julie Sanvidge Florence (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This curious collection is one part retro cookbook, three parts family scrapbook. Crammed with childhood photographs and fond family memories, this volume from the four Sanvidge sisters, who grew up in Wisconsin in the 1960s, feels uncomfortably similar to crashing someone else's reunion. Text accompanying a recipe for Ground Beef and Mashed Potato Casserole, for instance, reads, "Dad didn't like this one at first... so mom would make it only when he went hunting." Other commentary covers Julie's lousy singing voice, the family bus ("Red Rover") and vacations at the lake-sweet, but almost entirely irrelevant to any reader looking for background on a particular dish. Not that most recipes invite close examination; the authors excavate largely musty, unadorned dishes like Spamwiches, Tuna Noodle Casserole, Meat Loaf and Twice-Baked Potatoes (the casserole requires a can of mushroom soup, the meatloaf is brushed with ketchup, etc.). Even more bizarre are non-recipes like Cereal in a Bowl ("Make sure there's milk in the refrigerator"). Anyone with a soft spot for mid-Century Midwestern cuisine, or a voyeuristic interest in other people's families, might enjoy this offbeat collection.
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Review

“I chuckled all the way through this delightful book. I felt like I was spending a sunny afternoon visiting with the charming Sanvidge sisters as they tell their funny, warm, and wonderful stories about growing up in 1950s Wisconsin. Each recipe evokes family memories (which each sister remembers a little differently . . .) and conjures up a time and place that has become an American icon.” -Judith Fertig, author of Prairie Home Cooking

“From the first page to the last, the mouthwatering recipes and the rich family reminisces drew me in and kept me there, giving me a wonderful serving of the tastes and textures of growing up in Wisconsin.” -Patty Pinner, author of Sweets

"The four Sanvidge sisters will take you back to a cozy childhood of canned soup casseroles, relish trays, and Crisco. From their Mom's lime Jell-O and cottage cheese salad to their Dad's applesauce, Apple Betty & Sloppy Joe is a charming paean to their Oshkosh family and the food we all grew up with." - Anne Dimock, author of Humble Pie: Musing on What Lies Beneath the Crust

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Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society Press; 1 edition (November 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087020386X
• ISBN-13: 978-0870203862
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #337,868 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #61 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Wisconsin
  #74 in	Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Regional & International > U.S. Regional > Midwest

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings back great memories, December 20, 2007

By	Jocelyn Rose Castellana - See all my reviews

I couldn't stop smiling while paging through this book. There are recipes, yes, and if you grew up in the 50s or 60s, they'll bring you back to your childhood, but it is so full of family memories told by all four sisters, and loving tributes to their Mom and Dad and to each other, that you will feel warm and happy, and then will want to run to the kitchen to make a Jello "salad." What a wonderful family scrapbook the Sanvidge sisters created, and how lucky we are to get a glimpse into their childhood. Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Combination Pop History and Cookbook, September 22, 2008

By	Nino Brown "reader" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

In Apple Betty & Sloppy Joe, the Sanvidge sisters recall their Northeastern Wisconsin upbringing. Nominally, this book gathers the best and most memorable recipes from the sisters' 1950's childhood, from the everyday meals to the dishes that appear only once a year. While the recipes provide a focus (and many are, indeed, worth trying), this book's heart really comes from the anecdotes and asides that surround the recipes. These narratives provide a glimpse into 1950's small-town middle America and, more specifically, the Sanvidge family.

While Apple Betty will not be recognized as one of the year's most important books, it is a fun and breezy read and a book that provides more insight than would, perhaps, be expected. With both the recipes and the stories, we are reminded of the many ways in which our culture has changed in only the past few decades. In 1950's Oshkosh, for example, pineapple was exciting and new, but cooking with the seasons was commonplace. Changes beginning and in process during the time period covered by this book are quite important to where we are currently as a nation - both socially and gustatorially. Apple Betty does not provide an scholarly analysis of these processes and precursors, but a keen reader will find much on which to ruminate. I also found Apple Betty refreshing in its coverage a period of time and segment of culture that has seen too little recent non-cynical treatment. Though there are many reasons to dislike the 1950s, it is nice to consume at least some media that references this time period in a non-serious manner without being condescending. Apple Betty is a delightful book that just may have you paging through your photo album or your local church fundraiser cookbook before you finish.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Try This Cookbook, July 14, 2008

By	David E. Stahr (Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This cookbook takes you back to the 1950's and 60's when life moved at an easier pace and families gathered around the table. The family stories laced throughout the book are great; who made the best chicken pie and who made made the best creamed potatoes.

I think today we forget that in prior years people made the best of what was in season, what they managed to catch, and what they had on hand. This book provides a snapshot of how one family did it. A number of the recipes remind me of those I grew up with.

Well worth a spot on your cookbook shelf.
David Stahr