Good, but I preferred "Consider the Oyster." ( )

Bears many readings... I found myself comparing it to disaster prep tv shows and guidebooks, if they were written by thoroughly decent people who had actually experienced poverty and want and stayed decent.

I would be tempted to give an arm to write like she does -- about anything at all -- with such grace and humor and occasional acid precision. ( )

This was originally written during WWII and re-edited in the 50s with a lot of extra commentary. The recipes are old fashioned and strange. I loved it when she complained about how disgusting processed cheese food is. Still is! So if you ever want to know how to prepare a calf's head... (January 28, 2006) ( )

This was written in 1942, to help people cope with the shortages during the war. It also has some notes inserted by the author ten years later as a retrospect, which can be amusing.

I wasn't blown away, but it is a product of its time. She seems to think she is speaking to and for every homemaker, but I don't think she has a lot to say to the farmer's wives or lower middle class women. She rather assumes that everyone has a fond memory of living or traveling abroad before the war, or of flitting to cocktail parties, etc. Also, I did not find most of the recipes appealing. However, her philosophy on food, our enjoyment of it and our treatment of it is very modern, interesting and instructive. It was also interesting to read about some of the food shortage issues which I hadn't known about for WWII. For instance, she mentioned fish, because so many of the fishing waters had been mined, the Italian fishing fleet out of San Francisco had been stopped, and the Japanese workers in the canneries had been placed in custody.

By the end of the book, I was tired of it. Tired of her "wit" of her assumptions and her tone. Still, I will read more of her writing to see where it leads me. ( )