The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother

by Jeff Smith

Television's well-known Frugal Gourmet presents a collection of authentic recipes brought to the United States from around the world, including dishes from Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Middle East, Asia, and others. Reprint.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, History, Food and Drink

539 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Jeffrey L. Smith was the author of a dozen best-selling cookbooks and the host of The Frugal Gourmet, a popular American cooking show.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See authors with similar names.

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really watched The Frugal Gourmet when he was featured on Public TV. However, I recently received my copy of Jeff Smith's "The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother." What a fascinating concept and what a nice set of recipes!

Smith begins by laying out the methodology of this book (Page 2): "We have traveled all over this great nation eating with immigrants, many of them grandmas, who know that it is terribly important to retain those characteristics of our immigrant ancestry, characteristics that will help us remember who we are." Hence, we have a cook book with a small set of recipes from many countries, from Armenia to the Basque region of Spain to Ethiopia to Jamaica to Ireland to Korea to Lebanon and through Yugoslavia (countries are in alphabetical order). I just received the book and have not had a chance to try out any recipes. But there are a number that I already find tempting and expect to begin trying these out soon!

The first part of the book is a standard discussion of cooking tools needed, a glossary of ingredients and condiments, and an essay on the immigrant experience. But it's the recipes that are the heart of this book. Let's take a look at a few examples.

Armenian Stuffed Meatballs. Ooh. This looks like some work, but it seems scrumptious! A meatball within a meatball. The inner meatball is made from ground lamb (or beef), onions, green bell paper, parsley, pine nuts, paprika, mint leaves, and a set of spices. After cooking these and rolling small meatballs, one makes the outer meatball, with a different set of ingredients.

From Ethiopia, Lamb and Cardamom. Some onions, a couple Ethiopian sauces (recipes included in this section), lamb, cumin, cardamom seeds, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Once one has assembled the ingredients this looks pretty straightforward--and tasty!

A Lebanese dish, Baked Lamb Kibbe. Boneless leg of lamb, butter, pine nuts, onion, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper. Sautee the lamb in butter, and then assemble Kibbe (recipe on the preceding page), and move ahead. Again, a recipe that really sounds delicious.

And so on. It's fun just to skim recipes from different countries and enjoy contemplating what each would taste like! The book ends with a quotation from the author (Page 574): "The point of this book is simple. If we do not understand our ancestral table, I doubt that we can understand our history." Maybe a bit overstated, but that sums up the author's philosophy in this volume. Worth taking a look at!

[Redsteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the first real cookbook I owned (which likely explains why my copy is falling apart, covered with horrific stains and packing tape, and infused with enough aerated cooking oil to make it a code violation to have it within 6’ of the stove). Our Immigrant Ancestors is an excellent collection of recipes (combined with a bit of national/cultural history) for a large number of cultures – from the fairly common, at least in the cooking sense, (e.g. German, Mexican, Irish, Indian) to the fairly obscure (e.g. Cambodian, Welsh, Latvian, Basque, Armenian). The sections themselves are split between the more well-known cultural standards and lesser known favorites. Describing this book as “immigrant” rather than “international” is appropriate as Smith often includes changes that immigrant communities made to their traditional dishes, adapting to include local (U.S.) ingredients. The recipes themselves are excellent, not too complicated for relatively inexperienced cooks, but not in any way “dumbed down”. Due to the large number of cultures represented in this book, the author was obviously not going to be able to include a wide range of recipes in each section, but I think he struck a good balance between “representative” dishes and ones that he found especially interesting/tasty.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy, does this date me, but I can remember when the Frugal Gourmet was a popular cooking show on Public Television. I like the variety of his international cookbook. It doesn't just have the usual suspects such as German, Indian, Irish, Japanese, Mexican, Russian, Thai but Armenian, Basque, Cambodian, Filipino, Hawaiian, Korean, Puerto Rican, etc. A fun book to read and to cook from.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The different ethic groups coming to America brought their own culinary styles with them which they then modified for local conditions. This is a collection from Jeff Smith's cooking show and represent several cultures.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything I’ve tried from this cookbook has been good.

[Elrik]

Growing up we always had over 100 cookbooks. I've kept the same habit. For the time -(Prior to the gorgeous photos of today's books) Jeff Smiths books were that perfect mix of story telling, engaging epicurean trivia, and yes frugal and delicious recipes.

It's been decades since I read or cooked from any of his books - but there are fond memories of me preparing whole meals from his book as a child and teen.

[Abby Stopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book with good recipes. Also talks a bit about each of the different cultures that made up the US.

[David]

Have read for years off and on.

[Shane C · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book is so entertaining

[KennyO · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll call this one more a reference book than a working cookbook in my kitchen. As a reference it is excellent.

[Quite some time later]
On second thought, there's plenty in here to enjoy. Smith has included background and stories of the immigrants about the ordeal of immigration. He's also provided glossaries addressing kitchen equipment, cooking methods, ingredients & condiments and herbs & spices. While some of the recipes are too-too for my palate, many others are among the meals that inspire me to seek out restaurants in ethnic neighborhoods. Thirty-five cultures are represented and my favorite characteristic of the book is the spirited use of ingredients, herbs and spices that American eaters often fear. As with many cookbooks there are simple recipes and elaborate ones. I apologize for originally giving it short shrift. It's a keeper!

[GardenSinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. I love Jeff Smith's writing style and the thoughtful, heart-felt details he shares with the readers about his own experiences with different recipes and the people surrounding them. He shows us that great old traditional recipes from around the world can be made simply in today's busy world. The intro is wonderful to read and read again. There are also great section on kitchen hints, equipment, cooking methods and terms, ingredients, and such. The illustrations are wonderful even though they don't really portray the actual recipes. This book is about family history, culture, and keeping those fabulous cooking traditions alive for future generations. Hence, "Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother" is the perfect theme.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was most interesting to me as a history of how America's diet evolved as a result of the influence of poor (mostly European) immigrants to America. Over and over, things that were eaten because they were cheapest (lamb, lobster) later became delicacies unaffordable to the people who introduced them. It's got some great stories and anecdotes. Also wonderful are the Frug's recipes, which introduce a lot of new ideas and flavors to your repertoire without forcing you to hunt out arcane ingredients.

[Saleris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the book, but, I'd have liked the book a bit more if it was in a trade paperback size, giving the recipes room around the margins so notes could be made.
It hit a note or two, having a grandmother that liked to cook her native Sicilian and also Czech/Austro-Hungarian food (from her mother-in-law who worked for a family that travelled all over Austro-Hungaria) but never had any real recipes.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some true recipe gems are in this book. It was a very helpful resource as I planned our traditional "ethnic extraction" Christmas dinner. But, there are many other recipes that look like they would be a tasty adventure to try out. This is not just a cookbook because the recipes and the stories behind the recipes really define America as a delicious and "true melting pot."

[Laurelannb · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than just a cookbook, this book provides a brief history lesson for each region explored, and how the history and immigrant experience influenced each culture's descendents in America.

These really are the recipes that your grandmothers or by now your great grandmothers might have given you.

[Denielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. It is broken down into chapters, with each one devoted to a specific immigrant group. Each chapter contains a brief background of the group as well as recipes common to that group.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an introduction to melting pot—a term he dislikes—cuisines, this is a great book. After reading through it I have several recipes bookmarked, from yellow rice and German onion pie to rice pudding and eggplant salad.

[Scott Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another year, another read. Still like this one. Overly simplified recipes, but useful as a starting place to dive deeper in a variety of cuisines. But, french bread for a Cuban sandwich? Or making Injera with club soda? Come on, now.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this guy. The recipes he puts in his books are pretty dern good. This is a smattering of decent world cuisine, and is a great stepping off point for the Betty Crocker crowd.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

I own all his cook--this is my least favorite.

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent cookbook

[Terri Wilson]

A lot of recipes. A little too overwhelming. It would be a great book for a student project that involved cooking something from a specific region or culture.

[Liliana F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent

[Yaaresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know all about the accusations and legal issues, but Jeff Smith's cookbooks are still some of the best for the beginner cook ever written. The recipes are solid and hold up over time.

[Joseph Ferroni · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book for those of us who love to cook

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, lots of great recipes.

[Mary Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have cooked a few of these recipes and they have all been great. One of my go-to recipe books.