Some of you probably grew up using The Settlement Cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, or Betty Crocker but several of us gals here grew up with different versions of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook and it will forever be our go-to reference. The original was written in 1896 by Boston cooking teacher Fannie Merritt Farmer and was updated by Fannie herself up until 1915. Bay Area restaurateur Marion Cunningham began updating Fannie in the seventies. My mother had a well-used paperback by Marion as well as a 1930’s copy. We went to both versions to compare recipes for basics and marvel over odd recipes from the earlier book. But if you need a recipe for pancakes, oatmeal bread, eggs Benedict, doughnuts, coleslaw dressing, or any other thing you might have heard of but haven’t made, Fannie is there for you. She tells us about storing food at the proper temperatures and what to look for in choosing fresh fish and produce. There’s a whole section on making jam and pickles and preserving them correctly. Since we love it so much, we want everyone to have one, too, which is why it is our best selling cookbook and best cookbook for new brides and grooms. We generally have several copies in stock. Next time you are in the store, browse through a copy and see what you think. I think you’ll want The Fannie Farmer Cookbook on your kitchen book shelf as well as on any desert island you may be marooned on!
