Issue Date: November 19, 2006
75 years of Joy
The mega-selling "Joy of Cooking" is back with a new edition. The editor dishes on America's changing tastes -- and shares a favorite recipe.
By Clotilde Dusoulier
If you learned your way around the kitchen at any point during the past 75 years, it's a good bet "Joy of Cooking" has helped. The classic tome, first published by homemaker Irma Rombauer as a small collection of tried-and-true recipes, has been expanded and refined over the years. Along the way, its pages have taught several generations how to make the most of the ingredients available to them and also have been an extraordinary witness to the evolution of the American kitchen and palate.
"Joy of Cooking" has changed looks over time.
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Now, just in time for the holidays, a new revision of the cookbook is being released. Encyclopedic in scope, this latest edition boasts more than 4,500 recipes, comprehensive chapters on ingredients and techniques, and handy indexes. It is both an indispensable reference book and a friendly cooking companion, resonating with the voices of the three cooks who have passionately nurtured and carried the project since 1931: Rombauer, daughter Marion Rombauer Becker and grandson Ethan Becker. USA WEEKEND spoke exclusively with Beth Wareham, this revision's editor, about how the book has shaped -- and grown with -- America's home cooks.
What's different in this latest edition?
We have all-new recipes scattered throughout the book. Baby back ribs, enchiladas, red velvet cake -- classic home-cooking staples that were, surprisingly enough, missing until now and new ethnic dishes that reflect today's tastes. We have recipes from previous editions, too, all the way back to 1931, some of which were refined to give them a more modern flavor. We've also retested absolutely all the recipes -- a non-stop two-year project.
It has been nearly a decade since the last revision was published. How has American cooking evolved since then?
The previous edition focused on chefs and restaurant food rather than home cooking. But the events of 2001 have changed the sensibilities of America, and the country has become much more interested in its own traditions. Today is not such a chef-centric moment; it is much homier, and this book is home cooking.
Our main focus is to be practical. The 1997 edition did not use convenience foods at all, but we've reinstated what we call high-quality canned or frozen products. We don't want the readers to be daunted by a wonderful recipe just because they have to make their own stock. If they have time, we'll teach them how to do that, but they also can buy stock at the store. We're here to help cooks be successful, not to lecture them.
We've also put back information on freezing and drying food, because people nowadays tend to cook on weekends and freeze meals for the week. And we've brought ice cream, preserves and canning back in: Not everybody has a farm, but everybody has a farm stand nearby.
Have you seen a change in the range of ingredients that the average cook can access?
We've spent time calling people we knew in the middle of the country to ask if this or that ingredient was available, and we've found a high level of sophistication in what grocery stores now offer. In most middle-size cities, there is an Asian or Indian part of town, too, so cooks will go there to get what they need. And you now can order a great variety of ingredients on the Internet and have them delivered the next day. This is very freeing, and we encourage readers to source out ingredients that will add interesting twists to their cooking. We also discuss locally grown produce and farmer's markets, seasonality, farmed vs. wild fish, organic meat, etc.
Do Americans have the same level of culinary education now as they did 20 years ago?
In the '60s and '70s, the mother-to-child culinary teaching was interrupted in part because women went to work and in part because of the wealth of processed food. Nobody was learning the terminology for cooking anymore, and this is ridiculous. You learn the special words for your computer, so why wouldn't you learn what sautéing or braising means? But over the past 20 years, people have begun to spend more time thinking about food, and they're teaching themselves through cookbooks and food TV.
Thanksgiving is this Thursday. Can you share your best tip for our most food-centric holiday?
Make-ahead recipes: Do as much as you can beforehand. Bake your pies early, and freeze the whole pies -- we have instructions for that -- or freeze the crust and bake it later. Our entertaining chapter is very pragmatic, too, and talks a lot about the mind-set: You should never think in terms of right or wrong, but rather ask yourself, "Is it my kind of good?"
The Sweet Potato and Apple Stuffing recipe (at left) is a great one to feature old-fashioned, traditional ingredients that scream "fall" and "Thanksgiving," but in an unusual way. It works well as a side to turkey, but you also can serve it with a pork crown roast. That's what I'll be making this year, along with the jazzed-up mashed potatoes called Chantilly Potatoes. And for dessert, I'm definitely making the Pumpkin Chiffon Cake. It is so good, everyone who tries it says it's worth the price of the book.
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Your Bonus "Joy of Cooking" recipe:
Sweet Potato and Apple Stuffing
2 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2 Tbs. butter, plus additional 1/4 cup if baking outside meat
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups diced, peeled apples,such as Granny Smith or Golden Delicious
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. grated or ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock or broth, if needed
Cover potatoes with water in a large pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes can be pierced through with a sharp knife. Drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the skins and mash the potatoes in a large bowl.
Next, heat 2 Tbs. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Add the onions, celery, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, apple cider and spices; cook, stirring, until the apples are tender but still hold their shape, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir mixture into the sweet potatoes, along with the bread crumbs. Adjust the seasonings and moisten, if needed, with the chicken or vegetable broth.
Use as is as a stuffing, or turn into a buttered 9-by-9-inch baking dish and dot with the remaining 1/4 cup butter cut into small pieces. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Makes about 8 cups
Serves 16
Per serving: 167 calories, 3g protein, 28g carbohydrates, 5g fat (3g saturated), 12mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 247mg sodium
Adapted from "Joy of Cooking"
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