Book Review: Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book 1953 Classic Edition

I love pasta so much that I often wonder when pasta became such a popular dish in America.  It was definitely not in the 1950s.   In this entire cook book, there is no mention of "pasta".  So, you will definitely not find a recipe on how to make Garlic Shrimp Pasta in this cook book. But you will learn about what Americans used to cook and eat in the 1950s.  The interesting illustrations show how families looked so different back then, gone now are the days when stay home moms were all dressed up cooking for their families. I can only imagine how it's like to be in a world where home cook meals and the role of a home maker was taken so seriously.  I enjoy reading this book because reading about the instruction on how to slaughter a chicken and how to section and cook a rabbit really opens my eyes to see the past of America's home kitchens.  It's really fascinating to me. The meal planning section provides menu ideas that are very inspiring even for today.  I think this book is a valuable piece of the American History.

Busy Mom's Make It Quick Cookbook

This cookbook is the most used reference in my kitchen. I had tried many recipes and they are all fantastic and delicious. All recpies come with shopper-friendly shopping list and cooking tips. I just can't live without this cookbook. As a new cook who has a very busy professional life, this cookbook is my life saver in terms of cooking for all kinds of occasions. The recipes are simple and fool-proof. Among my over 100 cookbooks that I barely used due to problems like hard to find ingredients and discouraging long recipes, this is the one that I use over and over again. I think this book is way much better than any books from Rachael Ray or other food network stars. Amazing this book didn't recieve more attention.