The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories

Rating:
Summary: Inspiration, Literary Analysis, and a Food Revelation
Review: This is not just a cookbook, it's an interactive history book, and an in-depth analysis of Laura Wilder's Little House books. Here we see the abundant, lush supply of high-quality food available on the dairy farm where Almanzo grew up contrasted with the catch-as-catch-can meals Laura's mother was forced to cobble together (starling pie, anyone?). We are reminded of the heroism of two teenagers - Almanzo and his brother - that saved dozens of families from starvation, and see clearly in her loving detail of food, how much Laura valued having enough of it.
I grew up in a rural area in the 1960's. How we prepared food then was often not far off from how it was done in the Little House cookbook, believe it or not. So I've used the recipes - like that for mincemeat pie - to inform my own cooking.
The soft pencil illustrations by Garth Williams - reproduced from the Little House books - are radiant and exquisitely simple. Their little details point out Williams' depth of research for source material for these pictures.
The Little House Cookbook was an inspiration to read the Little House books again, through adult eyes this time. Prepare to be surprised and amazed when you read them again.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but some drawbacks.
Review: Wow! What a great book! I never thought that I could get so much useful information out of one cookbook. This was obviously well researched, and lovingly written. This is not a kid's book. This is a good book to share WITH your kids.

Rating:
Summary: The recipes and stories warm the soul!
Review: You can dip randomly into this book, and any page you land on will take you back to a simpler time. It is far from just a cookbook, it's about a way of life that was a hard existence, but one that many of us dream of. Whether you are already a "Little House" fan, or are new to the series, this book can be enjoyed by all "wanna-be 1800's pioneer women." Every time I start spending time with this book my family gets bombarded with home-made, "stick to your ribs" meals. Fast food becomes a nasty word during these times, and my home cooking reigns supreme! Be warned ~ you will always be hungry after reading this book! It is full of excerpts from different "Little House" books, and Laura Ingalls Wilder had a way of describing food that could make the best of us break down and drool! This book has become a dear keepsake to me. Cooking along with the recipes warms my kitchen, but most of all, this book warms my soul!