Autumn from the Heart of the Home (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE AUTUMN THAT IS NATIVE TO MY BLOOD ~ TOUCH OF MANNER, HINT OF MOOD; AND MY HEART IS LIKE A..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Susan Branch. Little, Brown, $25.95 (128p) ISBN 0-316-08866-8Branch, the author-illustrator of several cute books and calendars (Vineyard Seasons; The Summer Book; etc.), brings her enthusiasm for cooking, entertaining and decorating to the fall months. Her whimsical watercolors, hand-written recipes and reminiscences, and sentimental quotations decorate each page, making it difficult to figure out if this is a practical cookbook/entertaining guide or a visually appealing coffee-table book. The recipes, such as Orange Spiced Harvest Stew (with beef, red wine and vegetables, served in a pumpkin), Roasted Beet Salad with Creamy & Mild Blue Cheese Dressing, and Cranberry Apple Crisp, take advantage of the best nature has to offer. Although Branch includes chapters on Halloween and Thanksgiving, most of her 100 recipes allow readers to make everyday meals special. The book has a distinctly country, New England feel, with its Prayer for a Little Home, sketches of leaves around each page and numerous American Indian–inspired dishes, such as Corn Pudding and Indian Shuck Bread. Serious cooks will be put off by the book's sensory overload, but lovers of Mary Engelbreit–type homey kitsch will lap this up. 4-color watercolors throughout.
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Product Description

Celebrate fall with Susan Branchs first all-new, large- format work in four years--a brightly illustrated and lovingly designed, full-color paean to autumn.

Susan Branchs long-awaited autumn book picks up where The Summer Book left off, featuring more of the delicious, easy recipes and inspirational ideas that have won her an enthusiastic and growing following. AUTUMN FROM THE HEART OF THE HOME is a bountiful harvest of appetizing recipes, imaginative menus, and homemade autumn arts. Full of cozy projects, thoughtful gifts such as the Sniffle Basket and the Sunday Breakfast kit, seasonal decorating and entertaining ideas, Halloween and Thanksgiving inspirations, and garden tips, AUTUMN FROM THE HEART OF THE HOME features mouthwatering recipes for Touchdown Chili, Butternut Shotglass Soup, Iowa Corn Bread, Savory Sage Riblets, Harvest Stew, Grandmas Stuffing, Curried Pumpkin Pots, Ginger Crisps, and of course, Hot Chocolate. Illustrated with glorious watercolors and handwritten in Susan Branchs trademark style, this beautiful new book is a sensational addition to the Susan Branch collection.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316088668
• ISBN-13: 978-0316088664
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,074 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Autumn, you'll LOVE this book!, September 4, 2004

By	Brynn Elizabeth "Susan Branch Fan" (USA) - See all my reviews

This is the perfect book for celebrating all the joys of Autumn - cozy recipes, decorating tips, memory-provoking stories, and ideas for all-out Autumnal merrymaking! Get this book, put on your coziest sweater, make yourself a cup of tea or cocoa, light a little candle or the fireplace, and dive into the beautiful pages. Then, tomorrow, dive into a pile of leaves!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Experience a New England autumn where ever you are, August 20, 2004

By	Cathe Olson "natural foods cookbook author" (In the kitchen) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Branch's latest book "Autumn from the Heart of the Home" is packed with quotes, stories, decorating tips, gift ideas, and, of course, the delicious recipes she is known for. Readers can enjoy appetizers like Indian Shuck Bread with Maple Butter and "football fan tested and approved" Crunchy Chicken. Side dishes like Potatoes Anna with Branch's own special twist is sure to make mouths' water. The Main Dish section includes such delicacies as Braised Lamb Shanks and Lime Salmon. There are also kid-friendly meals like Chicken in Cream Sauce over Happy Rice, Macaroni and Cheese, and Potato Bugs.

Like all of her books, Branch has included a selection of delectable desserts. Fall favorites like Gingerbread Cake and Cranberry Apple Crisp provide homey warmth as the days grow cooler. For those special occasions, readers will want to try the French Éclair Wreath or Toasted Snowballs in Chocolate Sauce. Branch also provides several cookie recipes (the brownies truly are "the best"). "Autumn from the Heart of the Home" also has ideas and recipes for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving gatherings, and fall picnics.

Branch's books just keep getting better and better. Each one motivates me to add special touches to my home and fill my house with friends. By sharing her stories and memories, she inspires me to carry on my family traditions and create new ones with my children. I think this book is my favorite so far. Since moving to California, I miss those New England autumns. Reading "Autumn from the Heart of the Home" was almost like taking a trip back.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars summer girl embraces autumn....with a little help., November 27, 2004

By	Colleen M. Schneider (San Lorenzo, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I have to admit, I am a big fan of Susan Branch's books. There is something comforting about cracking open one of her new books and delving in. I don't know if it is the colorful, homey drawings, the short little asides about her family or her traditions, or if it is that the recipes are so easily made and delicious. I just love the books and "Autumn" is no exception.

I am not one that normally gets excited about fall, being a summer lover, but I can't help to love all the rich colors and fantastic recipes. This year I made the sweet potato casserole, which includes sherry and walnuts, and it is a favorite for our Thanksgiving celebration.

I have tagged the pages of recipes I want to try, and, well, let's just say it will take me a while to get through them all, from simple ideas, to more labor intensive recipes. Her recipes are simple, with ingredients that you know, and will find in your pantry more often than not. It is the kind of book that you will cook from often, like recipes that your mom has handed down to you for just good old home cooking.

I also loved the small section on halloween, and especially the halloween punch, with the highlight being the ice hands that you make by cleaning a latex glove, and pushing stemless cherries in the fingers and filling with water and freezing....make two she suggests, so that when one melts you have a new hand to throw in the punchbowl.

If you are a fan of Susan's or would just really enjoy a beautifully put together book, with quotes, colors and wonderful recipes, this is for you.