Dinners With Famous Women: From Cleopatra to Indira Gandhi

Rating:
Summary: Culinary History Can be Fun
Review: As a repesentative of culinary products,I am always looking for some new and interesting cookbook.A friend of mine told me about this book, and after getting started reading it, I found that it was very fun and informative. I think that the recipes are easy to follow and I would not have a hard time making them. I was fascinated by the concept of famous women talking about food. I could easily imagine having a conversaton with any one of these ladies about food. I would recommend this book to any one who is interested in either women's history or culinary history

Rating:
Summary: A fun book!
Review: The back cover says "This is a culinary history cookbook with a different twist--women from different centuries tell you about the meals f their time. You are provided with a menu and recipes for a succulent dinner inspired by the women featured in each chapter. You can learn about a meal that Anne Boleyn enjoyed at Hampton Court with Henry VIII, eat a meal with Emily Dickinson, and celebreate Passover with Emma Goldman. "

I think anyone interested in history would enjoy this book. It lists the women in chronological order, then the beginning of each chapter has a bit about the woman and the menu in first person POV of the woman mentioned. Then there's a menu, followed by recipes. Many of the recipes have een adapted from historical cookbooks and others the author created based on her knowledge of foodstuffs of each era. The author has a degree in cultural anthropology.

Rating:
Summary: I'm not sure how far to trust this book
Review: The back cover says "This is a culinary history cookbook with a different twist--women from different centuries tell you about the meals f their time. You are provided with a menu and recipes for a succulent dinner inspired by the women featured in each chapter. You can learn about a meal that Anne Boleyn enjoyed at Hampton Court with Henry VIII, eat a meal with Emily Dickinson, and celebreate Passover with Emma Goldman. "

I think anyone interested in history would enjoy this book. It lists the women in chronological order, then the beginning of each chapter has a bit about the woman and the menu in first person POV of the woman mentioned. Then there's a menu, followed by recipes. Many of the recipes have een adapted from historical cookbooks and others the author created based on her knowledge of foodstuffs of each era. The author has a degree in cultural anthropology.

Rating:
Summary: Culinary History Can be Fun
Review: This book is fun to read and the meals are easy to prepare. Spanning time from Queen Hatchesput to Indira Gandhi, all the women featured lived during fascinating times. I was given this book by the author, and being a busy person whose job takes me all over the United States, I took this with me, and found it relaxing reading. I also will be able to make a meal from this book, without too much trouble.I am looking forward to cooking a meal for my friends that Gold Meir might have made or any of the women featured. This book would be good for women interesed in women's history, classes on culinary history and just to recreate a meal from ancient times.

Rating:
Summary: I'm not sure how far to trust this book
Review: This book is quite intriguing, and the author's credentials certainly seem to be in order. However there are a few faults to the book which trouble me. There are a LOT of typographical errors -- so many that sometimes the instructions aren't clear. Sometimes words are weirdly out of order, or there are footnotes about ingredients which aren't included in the recipes above. Also, in terms of authenticity, there are errors. I am quite sure that a 14th century French sauce wouldn't have had tomatoes in it. The biographies of the women seem accurate, but they aren't written with any difference of personality. Also, although the recipes do look very interesting and yummy, many of them really require the reader to already understand a lot about cooking. The little inbtween steps which make recipes accessible for the novice are missing.