“The Unprejudiced Palate,” written by Andrew Pellegrini before I was born (so basically a long long long time ago), is a timely reminder to slow down and enjoy food and life. It was one of those books that when I finished it, I was sad because there was no more to read, no more to savor.
The values this book teaches are timeless. He speaks about his life in Italy and how it taught him to revere food, about his life in Seattle and how he adapted his culinary practices to America’s reality in the 1940’s.
He says, “Implicit in the various anecdotes relating to the experience of the immigrant, and in all the trivia about bread and wine, is the simple lesson that the home is the appropriate place where man may realize some part of his dignity. Temperance and imagination in the nourishment of the body and homely virtues which may be achieved with ever increasing joy”
What are your favorite cookbooks? Other types of books? Give this one a read if you have the time, you won’t regret it.
xxoo,
RMW
gail says
joy of cooking
Lola says
Elizabeth David: French Provincial Cooking.
=Great cookbook – and yours is a great blog!
Carol says
Wonderful and unique post ~ loved hearing about this ~ Favorite Book ~ The Tao According to Pooh ~ (A Creative Harbor)
Winter says
I love Ruth Reichl’s Of Garlic and Sapphires–excellent writing and super fun!
Raw Thoughts and Feelings says
The book sounds fantastic! I don’t have a favorite cookbook, but I found great recipes from Food and Wine magazines!
Leovi says
Magnificent, a very interesting book.
debra says
oh my…I love cookbook memoirs/ you are a woman after my own heart ! 🙂
I would recommend these two ( as I have probably read each one at least 2x every two years or so and also bought them as gifts for friends )
1st one : Here is the Amazon link since you can see it there
http://www.amazon.com/Miriams-Kitchen-Memoir-Elizabeth-Ehrlich/dp/014026759X
2nd one : from a post that I did here
http://www.thehomespun.com/country-kitchens-remembered-by-marilyn-kluger/
I had just started blogging then ( Late May or so) and did not keep up with the reading catagory very much…will probably get back to it more in the winter
EG Wow, Canada says
When I’m looking for something yummy to cook from my childhood, I open my Fanny Farmer (Boston Cooking School) Cookbook. My grandmother used this cookbook ALL the time and I loved eating at her house. ;))
nick says
Wonder if he was related to Norman Pelligrini, who was the announcer of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts some years ago?
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
What a great giveaway and I love that you wanted to give it away just because you loved it! 😀
Jenny Matlock says
I love Marcia Adam’s Heartland cookbook.
The stories and the pictures just entrance me!
I am loving reading the other suggestions here, too.
Anita Schiller Terry says
I really do think that the Italians have a special relationship with their food!
Catherine - Our Village is a Little Different says
It sounds like a wonderful book. Aren’t the best memories made around the table, with friends and family? My favorite cookbook is a compilation of my Grandmother’s “secret” recipes that we compiled, typed, printed and bound after she passed away.
Lea Ann (Cooking on the Ranch) says
What a great sounding book, I’d love to win this. My favorite is Soup and Bread, Dairy Hollow House.
JDaniel4's Mom says
I love the Taste of Home Cookbook. It has easy recipes that I can follow.
Sue Anderson says
I hate to admit it but my favorite cook book is just my old Betty Crocker because I can always find whatever I’m looking for in there!
Gattina says
It’s the use in Italy to spend at least 3 h at table and enjoy the food, in France and Belgium it’s the same.
Jim says
Hi R.M. ~~ This does sound like a nice ‘reading’ book. Mrs. Jim likes to read cookbooks, once in a while she cooks from one.
My favorite cookbook is “The River Road Cookbook” with lots of Cajun and New Orleans type foods. I perfected the pizza dough recipe there and also adapted it to make excellent whole wheat crusts.
My old standby is my “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook” that I got back in 1969 when I started a new life. It tells all of the simple things like how to boil eggs and for how long with the various ways of doing.
My favorite for that is to bring to a boil, cover, and shut the fire off. Leave for 30 minutes for perfect eggs. Or how to make an apple pie. I have a recipe for ‘quick and easy apple pie’ that I have published in another cookbook. Also have a nice ‘quick and easy stuffed bell pepper’ recipe that the 4th life Mrs. Jim uses most every time she makes those.
..
I would love to have your ‘The Unpredjudiced Palate’ book but if I win you would have first priority on keeping it if you have any second thouts.
..
Rocky Mountain Woman says
Jim,
I have one of Paul Prudhomme’s cookbooks and I love it! Cajun food is probably my all time favorite. I am going to buy a brand new copy of “Unprejudiced Palate” because I don’t think I could bear to give mine up!
Thanks for stopping by,
RMW
jen says
I may have to give this book a try. I haven’t really read any food memoirs but my favorite book of all time is Gone with the Wind. sigh . . .
Teresa says
What a wonderful giveaway. I use several cookbooks, but I think my favorite go-to is the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.
VBR says
One of my favorite cookbooks is an old one, The Victory Garden Cookbook. I also love the Barefoot Contessa books, and right now, I have been loving Lidia’s Italy in America!
Barbara says
Nice giveaway, RMW. This book is new to me, too.
To be honest, I better not read it now, as I don’t seem to have time left to smell the roses. For now, anyway! 🙂
Claudia says
What a great idea, RMW! Sounds like a wonderful book. Honestly, I don’t have a favorite ‘one’, but I have got a shelf full and I pick one of them to browse for the occasion. Or – these days – I also ask the internet, there are so many, many recipes out there it is unbelievable!
Thank you for visiting my Alphabe- Thursday: Underwater photos @ ImagesByCW
Zia says
cool giveaway! i don’t really use cookbooks- i tend to just look on epicurious.com 🙂
Judie McEwen says
ohmygodohmygodohmygod! YES! The perfect breakfast, or lunch or dinner!!!
Axelle the french cook says
Oh la la, this simple recipe makes me hungry !! I love eggs too, but my children don’t. So we don’t eat as much eggs as I would.
Jenny @ Ichigo Shortcake says
Oh this is the perfect post for me as I LOVE eggs…can’t get enough of eggs and can’t live without them either!
I don’t really have a favourite cookbook, as long as they have lovely photos I can hawk at, but I’m currently in love with Katie’s cookbook titled What Katie Ate because I just love her photography and food styling. 🙂
Splendid Little Stars says
I love that quote! “….which may be achieved with ever increasing joy.”
My son, my daughter, and her boyfriend are imaginative food lovers. My daughter is a first level sommelier; her boyfriend manages a restaurant. All three love to talk about and make food. I’m going to check into this book no matter what!
What came to my mind immediately, even though I wouldn’t call it a favorite, is a thick copy of “Women’s Home Companion” my mother gave me years ago. She may have learned to cook using this book. It has one of my favorite recipes in it–nut balls (aka Mexican wedding cakes) with her notes for changes. She was the best baker! My daughter now has her original copy.
Barbara says
For years I have been turning to the trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook for advice. I also find the Joy of Cooking is another classic. Now “The Chew” has their own cookbook and I want to get my hands on it.