The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker

She recreates the Green Pumpkin Pie Ma baked when there were no apples to be found.

Laurafans will love how Walker takes on recipes that demonstrate Ma’s resourcefulness during lean times. I learned that tomatoes only became sweet at the turn of the century, and that Laura (who became a renowned poultry farmer in her own right) lived to see “poultry raising change from a gentlemen’s sport and farm wife’s pocket money to two separate industries, egg production and meat production.” Today poultry farmers use different breeds for “layers” versus “fryers.” We all know that women cooked over an iron stove, but did you know that they didn’t have baking soda? I didn’t. In each chapter, she locates recipes within their historical context and explains every ingredient. Barbara Walker not only knows how to cook, she is a food historian-her bibliography is four and a half pages long. What I discovered, while looking for recipes that wouldn’t give my guests heart disease, was a good read.

I wanted the fun of a pioneer meal and food people would enjoy. Laura Ingalls Wilder always had the knack of making even lettuce with a sprinkle of vinegar and sugar sound like black truffle risotto, but The Loftus General Store wasn’t exactly Whole Foods. My first read made me think that Ma Ingalls was not just being modest when she said, “Hunger is the best sauce.” Salt Pork.

Comfort and nostalgia abound.Īn admitted “Bonnethead,” I read with the intention of holding a pioneer-themed dinner party. Even the font and point size are the same. Chapters often feature a quote and original illustration by Garth Williams form the “Little House” series. As a Laurafan, I’ve been salivating over Ma’s vanity cakes and sourdough biscuits since 1972, pining for those heart-shaped cakes sprinkled in white sugar. From pancake men and pumpkin pie to vanity cakes and ice cream, these recipes give adults and children alike the chance to experience a taste of Laura's childhood, reminding us of the connection between the food on the table and the work involved in getting it there.For Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, The Little House Cookbook is a no-brainer, must-have, geek fest. Taken from dishes described in the beloved Little House books, these recipes were carefully researched by Barbara M. Here are over 100 unique recipes celebrating the foods and cooking techniques of Laura's pioneer childhood. Laura also experienced the joy that comes from sharing food, made with love and care, with family and friends. By watching Pa hunt and farm and by helping Ma prepare the food, Laura learned the pleasures that come from a family working together. Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up on the prairie, where food was something one worked for, cooking was a big part of daily life, and mealtime was a chance to gather with family and give thanks.

The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker