Some of the best reading in the world is found in cookbooks... (an excerpt from Chapter 1, Page 1) 

{HISTORY}

If the kitchen ever produced a fairy godmother anytime throughout history, we'd like to say it was Mrs. Appleyard, aka Louise Andrews Kent (1886-1969). Funny, insightful,  friendly, practical, wise, and altogether charming to read,  Mrs. Appleyard has lots to say about recipes and the best ways to go about them, while also mentioning all the parts left out of many cookbooks, mainly how not to go about cooking a recipe.

One of the most original cookbooks, we've read in a long time, Mrs. Appleyard's Kitchen debuted in 1942, during the WWII years when preparing meals at home was such a challenge for so many cooks due to war rationing, a shift in familial roles, and various time constraints. Mrs. Appleyard could relate; Louise's own son was at war. But Mrs. Appleyard knew that the war wouldn't last forever, so instead of writing about thrifty economy and making cakes with any sugar, eggs, or butter, Mrs. Appleyard instead shared good recipes that would outlast the war and the rationing. She focused on good cooking in the New England manner in which Louise was brought up (as a resident of both Massachusetts and Vermont) with a repertoire that valued its seasons, local ingredients, festive celebrations, and homemade fare.

In addition to recipes, she also shared stories full of local color and character and modern-day (1940s) sensibilities. She was cognizant of how people ate in the 1940s... how men often had big work lunches out, how women were weight conscious, and how getting the most nutrition and the most flavor out of food was an important priority.  But mostly her cookbook is about having fun in the kitchen, about creating tempting meals the whole family will love, and about the lessons she learned along the way, like how not to ruin a meal. 

Absolutely adored by cooks and critics upon its debut, the only faulty feedback Mrs. Appleyard's Kitchen ever received by any of its readers was that it was too fun to read, and therefore actual cooking was delayed or abandoned altogether until the book was finished. 

The second book in a series of Mrs. Appleyard books, Mrs. Appleyard's Kitchen followed Mrs. Appleyard's Year, which put Louise Andrews Kent on the bestseller list in 1941 with over 100,000 copies sold. Mrs. Appleyard's Kitchen debuted the following year and still retains masterpiece status in many a cook's mind who values not only comfort, creativity, and good writing, but also good cooking too. 

Interesting recipes include Breasts of Chicken Under Glass, Macaroon Ice Cream, Haddock Chowder, Candied Apple Sauce, Cheese Rusks, Appleyard Centre Gingerbread, Mrs. Appleyard's Raspberry Shrub, Mrs. Appleyard's Apple-Tree Cheese, Mushroom Club sandwich, Grandmother Appleyard's Lemonade, Montpellier Sausage Cakes, Pot Roast of Beef with Vegetables, Watermelon Pickle Preserves, Spinach: Country Style, Baked Beans, Candied Sweet Potatoes with Peanuts, and Steamed Blueberry Pudding plus many more!

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• Unstated first edition published in 1942 by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston
• 319 pages including detailed index
• In addition to recipes, this cookbook also features suggested menus and a chapter on weights and measures

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this book is clean and bright throughout with no cooking spots, stains, or notations. There is a small, thin, faded stripe on the front coverboard and some fraying on the top and bottom edge of the exterior spine. Other than that, this book is in lovely shape with a tight spine and all pages intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 8.5" inches (length) x 5.75" inches (width) x 1.25' inches (thickness) and weighs 1.5 lbs.