December 11, 2013 Advent with SusieJ

The Cooking of ...

Back in the 1960s, Time-Life books released their Foods of the World series, which focussed on cuisines from regions of the world. Each volume was actually two books: a hardback that examined the cuisine in depth, and a spiral-bound book of recipes. The hardbacks are easier (and cheaper) to find.

Although written in the mid-20th Century, the books try to give an even earlier, old-world feel, with lots of photos of wizened grandmoms in kerchiefs and housedresses (with the occasional livestock) and arms like pistons. As my husband's aunt, food writer Anne Mendelson, pointed out, the photographers had to search very hard even then to find and photograph anyone who fit this stereotype.

I have both The Cooking of Germany and The Cooking of Scandinavia. I love both for the dedicated Christmas chapter. There are a few recipes in the hardbound book, instructions for crafts (we all remember making those Scandinavian woven paper hearts for Valentine's day in elementary school, right?) and descriptions of celebrations. Both also have a chapter on baking; each is title "Baking Raised to a Fine Art."

I haven't tried the recipes, but I do love paging through, and looking at pictures of a food culture that was already almost gone.