The Supper Book

by Marion Cunningham, Donnie Cameron (Illustrator)

For most people, making supper is just another chore to add to a long list of things to do each day. With The Supper Book, Marion Cunningham, who brought the classic Fannie Farmer Cookbook to a new generation of cooks, reinstates supper as the cozy and restorative meal for the close of the day. A collection of 180 recipes, such as Chicken with Fresh Herbs and Potatoes and Winter Vegetable Cobbler, requires a minimum of ingredients, yet are replete with deliciously surprising flavors.

Genres: Cookbooks, Reference, Cooking, Food

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Marion Cunningham was born in Southern California in 1922, and now lives in Walnut Creek. She was responsible for the revision of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook and is the author of The Breakfast Book, and Cooking with Children. She travels frequently throughout the country giving cooking demonstrations (some with James Beard), has contributed articles to "Bon Appetit," "Food & Wine," and "Gourmet" magazines, and writes a column for the "San Francisco Chronicle," and the "Los Angeles Times." Over seventy episodes of her television series "Cunningham & Company" appears regularly on the Food Network.

In 1993, Marion received the Grand Dame award from Les Dames d'Escoffier "in recognition and appreciation of her extraordinary achievement and contribution to the culinary arts." In 1994, she was named Scholar-in-Residence by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Reviews

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, from the author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, is a little like having some basic cooking classes with your grandma, or great-grandma (depending on your age). It hearkens back to a simpler time, and many of the recipes here would be suitable for beginner cooks.

I love Ms. Cunningham's philosophy of supper:

"I love supper... Sitting down to one dish, with bread, butter, and a desert, can put the world back into a pleasant perspective...

Supper is more a state of mind than a meal bound by rules. Above all, it shouldn't be prepared watching the clock and racing through all the cooking. Nothing destroys the pleasure and natural rhythm of the kitchen work so quickly. The kitchen should be a soothing place, especially after a hectic day in the work world. Cooking for yourself and others can be a welcome change of thought and tempo. It can be one of the nicest times of the day."

Like some of our grandma's recipes, we may not be drawn to every old-fashioned recipe here (Shrimp aspic? Lettuce in heavy cream?), but most have stood the test of time with good reason and perhaps deserve a place at the modern table once more.

[Maryalene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that, early in my marriage, impressed upon on me the importance of home cooking. I recently pulled the book off the shelf, re-read the introduction, made the Laguna Beach Shrimp Curry and found it to be just as good as I remembered it.

[Emilie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the recipes lack common sense... Or cooking sense. For instance on page 31 there is a recipe for "Sharon's lentil salsa soup" and lists garlic, carrots and onions in that order to be sautéed. The garlic should go in last, not first unless you want to burn them!
Anyway, I've tried a few of the recipes and all have been pretty good but lacking some sense.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A philosophy of cooking that I liked. Not so keen on all her recipes, though...