Monday, March 8, 2010

THOMAS JEFFERSON'S COOK BOOK




My dear husband loves to read and it seems like every week we get a new book in the mail. He also likes to surprise me every now and then with things he thinks are unique. Today I picked up a package at the post office and thinking it was yet another book for him I brought it home and he opened and said "I think you are going to like this". It was a cook book of reciepes collected by Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson's little granddaughter, Virginia Randolph carefully copied the reciepes he brought back from France, as well as his favorites from Monticello and the White House..

The result was Jefferson's personal one of a kind cook book. It was handed down for generations from mother to daughter as a priceless possesssion. In the late 1930's, Fanny M. Burke great-great granddauther of Jefferson presented the book to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation shortly before her death.

Mrs Burke joined with the Foundation in giving noted historian, Marie Kimball permission to prepare it for publication. Mrs. Kimball fully adapted Thomas Jefferson's Cook Book to practical, modern use. All recipes were proportioned to our current practice of a formula for serving six people. Each recipe was tested. It is not only correct, but it tastes great!

The book was published in 1938. It has now of course, long been out of print until this historic 2004 limited edition reprint.

This book has recipes for Ice Cream, Blanc Mange, Wine Jelly, Macarons, Meringues, Noodels a la Macaroni, Brandied Peaches and much more.

From his recipes used in Paris, Monticello and the White House are complete treatises on many delicious soups both French and American. You will absolutley love Jefferson's personal comments about his soup recipes.

Jefferson's coverage of meats and fowl is quite extensive as is his treatment of scads of delicious vegetable recipes.

Better yet, his list of desserts and creams will make you hungry when you really aren't!

Since this book and the recipes have a copyright I cannot post any of them on my blog but they are simply wonderful.

I did however scan this coupon for you to take if you want to order one. I am excited to have this book and even though I am not a "cook" I am going to try some of the recipes. I am also excited to give it as a gift to a couple of people that I know will just love it. My nieces Mandy and Cassidy who are wonderful cooks and my granddaughter Melissa who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu 2 years ago.

Have fun and share with us what recipes you try from this book!!

1 comment:

Sueann said...

What a wonderful gift to receive and to give! The recipes sound fab! Melissa will love this!!
Hugs
SueAnn