Published in 1991, the Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrman Loomis is a hefty paperback filled with recipes that Loomis spent two years collecting. She traveled the country, visiting family farms and small towns, eating amazing food and compiling those dishes into this book. I picked my copy up at a local thrift store about a year ago for $.89 and it has become one of my favorite cookbooks to read novel-style. Loomis is an engaging writer and never presents a recipe without giving a little history about it the people who shared it with her. Another thing I find interesting about this cookbook is that Loomis writes it with an eye to local and sustainable farming, shopping and cooking. That wouldn't be surprising if she had written it in the last five years, but being that it is nearly 20 years old, I look at her perspective as something akin to visionary.
This is a cookbook I recommend for people who want a good read and inspiration for fairly easy, tasty dishes that take into account issues of local and seasonal eating.
A fraking amazing Battlestar Galactica cake
Iced Tea 101
Pierogies + cheese + onions + kraut = Parmageddon!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-03-2008 @ 10:05AM
Mike Owens said...
Ms. Loomis conducts cooking classes in Paris and Normandy, France. Her cooking school is known as On Rue Tatin. My wife recently attended a week-long series of classes at Ms. Loomis' Normandy facility and loved it. Here is a link to Ms. Loomis' web site: http://www.onruetatin.com
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1-03-2008 @ 10:21AM
Michele Morris said...
I attended Susan's cooking school this past May and she is as engaging in real life as she is in her writing. She also has two other cookbooks that followed this - both a French and an Italian Farmhouse cookbook that I recommend.
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1-04-2008 @ 2:43AM
Lucy said...
My Mum is a hardcore of Ms. Loomis, though she never attends her cooking school. She just cooks as Farmhouse Cookbook describes since she found it in the 90s. We like Lentil Salad with Smoked Turkey and Tarragon, Pork Loin with Coriander and Garlic Crust she makes for us! Yeah, those recipes are really good. Here is the book: http://dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=76106&ru=279
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