Women in the Kitchen: Twelve Essential Cookbook Writers Who Defined the Way We Eat from 1661 to Today by Anne Willan

 

Cookbook blurb:

Focusing on the figures behind the recipes, Women in the Kitchen traces the development of American home cooking from the first, early colonial days to transformative cookbooks by Fannie Farmer, Irma Rombauer, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, and Marcella Hazan. Willan offers a short biography of each influential woman, including her background, and a description of the seminal books she authored. These women inspired one another, and in part owe their places in cooking history to those who came before them.

The 12 women profiled are Hannah Woolley, Hannah Glasse, Amelia Simmons, Maria Rundell, Lydia Child, Sarah Rutledge, Fannie Farmer, Irma Rombauer, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, Marcella Hazan, and Alice Waters.

I loved reading a little bit about each woman, how they came to be known in the kitchen, and with each biography there’s some extended term or knowledge of cooking.

The book has a great premise and the recipes seem to be the classic ones associated with the chefs they are taken from. Willan takes older recipes and either condenses the procedure making it easier to follow, or actually creates a list of ingredients and writing out the procedure for old recipes written in paragraph form. I did have an issue with Alice Waters recipes though – I though they were perfect and easy to follow just the way they are.

Below is a recipe from a 1681 cookbook which Willan modernized. It’s interesting that almond milk isn’t a new fad drink after all.

Overall, Women in the Kitchen is a great read.

Almond Milk with Violet Leaves and Dates

This recipe is meant to be enjoyed as soon as you make it.

Equipment

• Cheesecloth

Ingredients

  

• 2 - 3 tablespoons dried violet leaves
• 1 quart water
• 5 ounces dried dates, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup whole blanched almonds
• 2 - 3 teaspoons rose water
• 1/2 teaspoon mace
• Pinch of salt
• 1 - 2 teaspoons sugar, optional

Instructions

 

• Tie the violet leaves in a double layer of cheesecloth, then add to a pot containing the water and dates. Simmer ingredients until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to tepid. Discard the violet leaves and strain out the dates but reserve them for later.
• Coarsley chop the almonds. Blend with the rose water and 1 cup of the reserved violet water. Pulse to make a moist paste. Add in the dates and half the remaining water and puree until smooth. Add in the remaining water.
• Place cheesecloth over a sieve set over a bowl. Pour the almond milk over, working and squeezing to extract as much liquid as possible from the nuts. Add in the mace and salt. Bring to warm temperature, and sweeten if desired with sugar. Serve immediately, warmed or at room temperature.

 

 

Book Info

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• Notes: 
• Amazon link: Women in the Kitchen by Anne Willan
• The Book Depository: Women in the Kitchen by Anne Willan

This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.

Enjoy,

Renee Shelton
Succotash Reviews
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