Anne Byrn

Cooking

A lovely book with a dangerous combination of fascinating trivia, history and good recipes. The Brown Sugar Brownies are my favorite whilst the Joe Froggers can remain in my trashcan.

Personals aside, the book is well written and it is clear much effort to update these historic recipes to fit modern ingredients and cooking equipment has been made. That effort has certainly paid off, many of these recipes having become favorites among friends.

Not just a baking book, the author presents a chronological history of cake in American History. The recipes are divided up into eras and include copious historical notes and baking tips. There are regional recipes which call for unusual ingredients like huckleberries or Steen's syrup- neither of which are available in my area, but most of the recipes use common ingredients. It is also refreshing to get a cake book which does not have any recipes calling for a mix.

Recipes for desserts starting with cake mixes.