A Table Set for Sisterhood: 35 Recipes Inspired by 35 Female Icons

by Ashley Schütz, Ashly Jernigan

Take a closer look at impactful feminist icons through the art of cooking!
A fully illustrated, wholly original feminist cookbook featuring over thirty recipes, each linked to a significant woman throughout history and from across the globe. By introducing these women through the medium of food - a dish related to their work, where they hail from (both in our history and geographically), and what they fought for- fuses the arts of storytelling and cooking while also celebrating feminist icons. Some of the women featured include:
-Frida Kahlo
-Malala
-Ruth Coker Burks
-Angela Davis
-Julia Child
-Oprah
-Amelia Earhart
-RBG
-Junko Tabei... and so many more!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Feminism, Biography

224 pages, Hardcover

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Table Set for Sisterhood is really two books in one: one is 35 biographies of great women — some famous, some not — from every inhabited continent and across history. I learned so much about sheroes I had never heard of! That’s worth the price alone.

The other book contained in A Table Set for Sisterhood is, of course, 35 recipes. These aren’t recipes from the subjects; instead, authors Ashley Schutz and Ashly Jernigan have attached recipes that evoke the essence of each female icon. The Ashleys, as I call them, have ensured that the recipes come from all over the world, and they look pretty good. Is the cookbook portion as good as the biographies? No, but who cares? It’s a five-star read as far as I’m concerned.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC by Ashley Schütz and Ashly Jernigan.

A Table Set for Sisterhood tells the stories of 35 female icons and recipes inspired by each one. From more well-known names like RBG-inspired Smashed Potatoes and Oprah Winfrey's Purple Potato Salad, to less popular women like Indigenous activist Zitkala-Sa and the 42-year-old Mom of 3, leader of the Icelandic government, each chapter draws on the strengths of women that have shattered glass ceilings all over the globe.

At the end of each recipe lies The Question at the Table - a prompt to reflect on, drawing on that chapter's icon and something she has overcome. Each chapter is designed to bring people together, all in the name of feminism, all for the sake of food. These dishes are vibrant, flavorful and unique - just like the women they are inspired after. From salads to tortes, there's a story and recipe for everyone's tastes.

"Now, you there, reading this, go, make food, recite poetry, share stories, and celebrate accomplishments with the girls in your life. Show them how much joy there is in learning about the wonderful world we can build together."

I absolutely loved reading this Feminist-inspired cookbook and am excited to try some of its dishes. While I loved the illustrations, my only criticism is that I wish the images were of actual food photos instead of drawings.

[Rae | The Finer Things Club CA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept behind A Table Set for Sisterhood. This cookbook features 35 recipes inspired by 35 female icons—for each woman, there are several pages that contain an illustration of her, a description of her work and influence, a food illustration, a special recipe, and a “question at the table” or conversation starter. I appreciate that they included some lesser known heroines and dishes. However, I wish that that the food pictures were photographs—I feel that would make the recipes seem more appealing and exciting. I also think the recipes could have been better organized beyond just “sweet” and “savory.” Nonetheless, I think this is a cool book and it would make a nice present for a female friend.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of A Table Set for Sisterhood.

This is a wonderful idea for a cookbook! I'm so happy NetGalley approved my request.

The authors take us through the lives of feminist icons through baking, and what a ride it was!

Featuring over 30 recipes, each linked to a notable woman through history, some well known, others not as much,

The recipe designated to each woman is a thoughtful representation of their homeland, their culture and ethnicity and I really appreciated the authors' consideration of each recipe attributed to each woman.

At the end of each chapter, the author poses a reflective question that relates to the icon and how she made history, which I found a wonderful way to wrap up the chapter.

The authors do a great job weaving cooking and historical narratives together to honor these incredible and powerful women.

I do wish there were real photographs of the recipes, not illustrations.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

“To all the women who set this table before we ever arrived.
And to all the women who haven’t yet found their seat.”

I absolutely loved the concept for this cookbook/history lesson. Is there anything that shows women’s power more than their ability to keep individuals, families, and nations of people alive?

I loved the artwork that accompanied each profile.

I loved that, while there were The Usual Suspects (Malala, Jane Goodall, The Notorious RBG) there were a few lesser known, but equally compelling women (I’m looking at you, Buffy, fellow Canadian, and indigenous songstress).

I REALLY loved the Question at the Table conversation starters.

My family enjoyed the Beet Risotto with Hazelnuts (I subbed pistachios), Potato-Crusted Salmon with Dill and Sour Cream (I subbed rainbow trout), the Sweet, Salty, and Spicy Popcorn, and especially the Salted Dark Chocolate Raspberry Tart.

There were a few minor things I itched to change.

I hate when ingredient lists are split between pages.

I do wish there were more recipes (the average cookbook has between 70-100 offerings, and this one has but 35).

I would have preferred the food be actually photographed. I get that they ‘matched’ the style of the portraits, but I really do love knowing exactly what my food is supposed to look like.

My biggest complaint, however? Is how the artists put all these strong, fabulous women on crash diets.

Lizzo, Oprah, Aretha, all shrunk down.

Even in a book claiming to be inclusive, it’s still not okay to take up too much space.

6.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks for this tasty ARC.

[Katie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely cookbook full of the exploits of badass, world-changing, fierce women and recipes inspired by their actions. Not only do I think this book has introduced me to a number of new champions of important causes to further research, and there is a great mix of highly recognizable and more unsung heroes on these pages, it will push me to try new foods and ingredients. I appreciate that many of the recipes are versatile, they include a number of new sauces or dressings that can be used in many dishes. And I absolutely adore the conclusion of each recipe, it's a question to ask the table to get the conversation started.

The recipes may not seem like everyday meals, some have ingredients that may be a little difficult to come by (usually an alternative is offered). But I think this would be a valuable addition to any kitchen for its thoughtfulness, education, and playfulness with ingredients. I agree with the inclusion of the majority of these women, and I think their blurbs generally do them justice (who could fit everything on a page and a half? I look forward to trying more of the recipes. Big bonus points for the illustrator, the images are phenomenal.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

What attracted me to this book were the range of recipes. What reeled me in and grabbed me were the stories of the women that form the basis of the book. Stories of women, past and present, who have made a mark in the World are just what I needed. I love that each one is shorter and contains a recipe as well. It’s a great book for cooks, feminists, and anyone who loves history.

This is the first time I’ve ever been so moved by a cookbook…or is it the first time I’ve been enticed to cook and drool by a collection of stories on powerful women? Either way, this book is deliciously empowering!

[thatswhatimtolkienabout · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Table Set for Sisterhood is my new favorite cookbook! For starters, I love the way this book is set up. Sometimes cookbooks and especially online recipes have too much additional information attached to recipes, but this book is the exception. The additional info is so interesting and important and I loved reading about all of these women. And the recipes were equally as amazing! Each recipe was well thought out and so good! I can’t wait to work my way through these recipes!

[Shreya Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has really great graphics. None of the pics are real but they still look so delicious. But better yet, it's a book that celebrates women around the world. Every recipe is dedicated to one of the amazing women trying to/ tried to make our world a better place. There were so many people that I had not even heard of, but reading a small excerpt about them made me proud to be a woman. I still have to try a few recipies out. But as a foodie the recipes seem legit and worth going for!

[Amanda Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so unique. I love that you're able to cook while learning about powerful women. The recipes are also very unique.

Unfortunately, the table of contents lists recipes by the name of those women only. This does make it difficult to find a specific recipe quickly. It's almost impossible to use without reading in its entirety. I do think by not adding the recipe next to name, this book is not one that is easily used by anyone.

I tried "Irena Sendler" or Garlic Breadcrumbs with Broccoli and Feta. I truly enjoyed learning about Irena Sendler. However, the ingredient amounts weren't proportionate. The broccoli was absolutely swimming in breadcrumbs. This leaves the mouth extremely dry. It does make me wonder if these recipes were tested out.

The images within the book are lovely. Learning the women's stories was wonderful. However, the difficulty of use made this book hard to use as a cookbook. I recommend this book to only someone who is more interested in the stories than the recipes.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway!

The recipes in this book are delicious. Some favorites were: the lemon poppyseed bundt cake representing Hedy Lamar, the baked eggs representing Marsha P. Johnson, and the lentil salad representing AOC.

That said, the boom only gets four stars because of two things:
1. The focus is definitely more on contemporary women, when there are some important historical trailblazers I would have liked to see included, such as Rachel Carson in place of Greta Thunberg, Josephine Baker in place of Lizzo, and Shirley Chisholm in place of AOC (though her recipe was great).
2. Some of the reasoning for connecting a recipe to a particular woman are shallow and/or weak. For example, purple potato salad for Oprah because she was in The Color Purple? I think the authors could have done better than that.

Despite my criticisms, this book has found a permanent home on my cookbook shelf and I look forward to continuing to set my table for sisterhood!

[Eadie Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very unique cookbook. It features 35 females from different countries with a personal quote and story about them with a recipe and a question for the table. For instance, there is one from Buffy Sainte-Marie who is from Canada born in 1941 with a quote, "I'm trying to scatter what I can of beauty in the places I think need it, to get rid of the boredom and the meanness in the world." Then a story about her music and a recipe for Green Goddess Salad. Finally a question at the table, "When have you been silenced or told to lower your voice when you spoke about something important to you?" The women the cookbook highlights are:
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Leymah Gbowee
Ruth Coker Burks
Qui Jin
Wangari Maathai
Greta Thunberg
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Irena Sendler
Oprah Winfrey
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Zitkala-Sa
Megan Rapinoe
Marsha P. Johnson
Frida Kahlo
Ina May Gaskin
Sampat Pal Devi
Gloria Steinem
Brenda Berkman
Tawakkol Karman
Junko Tabei
Dickey Chapelle
Malala Yousafzai
Hedy Lamarr
Chimananda Ngozi Adichie
Sophie Scholl
Judy Chicago
Aretha Franklin
The Mirabal Sisters
Angela Davis
Jane Goodall
Claudette Colvin
Katrub Jakobsdottir
Lizzo
Amelia Earhart
Rupi Kaur
I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy for an honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, this book was more about the brief histories of the 35 women than the recipes. I would classify this more as a collection of biographies than a cookbook.
Each profile began with an illustration, followed by 2-3 pages about the subject. Then there was a recipe, created by the authors, and an intro that explained their connection reasons for pairing that dish up with the person. The recipe part ended with a paragraph of recipe pairing ideas, followed by "the question at the table" - a discussion starter that tied in to the profile or the recipe.
The authors are two American women now both living in Switzerland, and I appreciated that the book included both household names and women I had never heard of, from around the world.

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book consists of thirty-five profiles of famous females, and thirty-five recipes inspired by these iconic women. The profiles were interesting, and I LOVED that each recipe included a "Question at the Table" for discussion. The recipes themselves, however, seemed needlessly intricate, and impractical. (The one "inspired" by Ruth Bader Ginsberg involved caviar.)

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the recipes, I really liked Ashly Jernigan's artwork.





Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for sharing.

[Poppy Marlowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed the recipes and most of the stories, this book irritated me at times..maybe it is because I will admit that I am not a feminist (blame fanatic family members for that) but I cannot stomach some of these women....Oprah is one of them. (Yes, she is the first female black billionaire/media magnet but she has turned herself into a caricature of ridiculousness and I will leave it at that!)

Take the book with a grain of salt and skip the women you don't like: I am just so glad that a certain someone that I expected to be in here was not! Maybe I am not sisterly but I do like to cook so I appreciated the recipes even if I don't respect the woman at the centre of the story!)

[Macy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cookbook, but so much more. We get some brief interesting insight into 35 notable iconic inspiring women and some delicious recipes. The only thing (in my opinion) that would have added to this would have been the inclusion of photographs of the finished recipes and maybe of the women as opposed to sketches. I was aware of most of the women, but a few were long forgotten or new so I then went on a google search to learn more about them and their impact and influence. I have already preordered a few as gifts! Cant wait to go through it with my nephews who love to cook with me!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!

The mini-biographies here of the women of the 20th and 21st centuries who were/are fighting to make the world a better place are all fascinating, especially since so many are overlooked women of history who deserve more attention.

However, the recipes themselves are all pretty mainstream American, like something from the prepped food at Whole Foods, without reflecting the culture / heritage / culinary background / nationality of the women themselves.

So, come for the modern activist history, but give the recipes a pass.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was around 3.5 stars for me. I love the concept - there are recipes based on where different female icons are from with information about what makes them memorable. Some of the recipes aren't necessarily related to the woman the recipe is presented with and there's no pictures of the recipes which surprised me. This is an interesting idea and includes some nice high level information, but I feel like the recipe portion is lacking clearer instructions and relevancy in some cases.

[Gin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked that the women profiled came from all over the world and from different time periods. There were a lot of intriguing recipes. While I loved the illustrations, at times, photos of what the food looks like would've been helpful. And I can't quite come to terms with the cashew dip-- I love cashews, but I don't think I'm willing to pay $10 (or more) for the amount of cashews in the recipe never mind the cost of the other ingredients. But that might just be me being cheap :)

[Theresa Jehlik · Rating 3 out of 5]

This charmingly illustrated book features a brief biography of 35 feminist icons plus a recipe designed for each woman portrayed. I appreciate that some lesser known individuals are included in the book. The authors have done a good job of suggesting menus for each woman that complement her "own" recipe by using other recipes in the book. An added bonus is "Conversation Starters" for each menu that could kick off a lively dinner party discussion.

[Franny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the idea for this cookbook! The bios are fascinating, and I appreciate learning about badass women that I didn't know about like Qiu Jin. The recipes are good. I only wish that there were photographs of the completed dish rather than illustrations. Overall, it's a great cookbook to add to my collection.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was really neat/ if I had to change anything, I’d say to add actual photographs of the food- I get the artistic style they’re going for but I wasn’t immediately drawn to wanting to make the actual recipes simply based on lack of photos.

Loved who they included in this, and will be purchasing a copy for my kids’ cookbook collections!

[Bibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting cookbook! I loved reading about so many inspiring women, some I had never heard of before. The artwork was beautiful, but I wish there were actual picture of the recipes.



*I received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great premise and fascinating reading. The library wanted their ebook back, so I haven’t tried any recipes, though the way they are connected to the people was interesting, and many of them sounded really good.

[Amanda Karsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept, more photos would be nice and I feel the recipes are second to the history. I am not convinced the all the recipes are linked to the women’s lives.

[Karen Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different, stories and recipes inspired by great feminists. Although some of the recipes were not to my taste, the book makes great reading.

[Jeimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book with some yummy-sounding recipes!

[E G Melby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a few new things and found out about a few people I hadn’t known about! Some solid recipes too!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one I'll be purchasing for my bookshelf.
It's full of fascinating women and facts about them. After each entry there's a question to ask at the dinner table to stimulate conversation.
The pictures are colourful and wonderfully drawn.
I received an advance copy from Netgally. All opinions are my own.