In Mother's Kitchen: Celebrated Women Chefs Share Beloved Family Recipes

by Ann Cooper, Lisa M. Holmes

Behind every great chef is a great mother. It's in mother's kitchen where we make our first taste discoveries, where we learn our first lessons in cooking, where we understand that food is not just for feeding the body but also for nourishing the soul. In this heartwarming collection, more than 50 of the most celebrated women chefs working in America today share cherished heirloom recipes, along with the memories that make these dishes so special.

More than a cookbook. In Mother's Kitchen is a testament to the many ways a
mother can shape a child's life through cooking. For whatever ails you, Mama
has a cure she can whip up, such as Lisa Schroeder's Chicken Noodle Soup. Food also conveys cultural Lidia Bastianich remembers how her mother
passed on Italian classics like Linguini with Clam Sauce, which she now makes
with her grandchildren. Taking her Hickory House Deviled Eggs as an example, Deann Bayless relates how the kitchen is a place to instill not just flavors but also values. Food brings us together for celebrations, when mothers lavish time preparing special dishes, such as Patricia Williams’s New Year’s Tamales.

And, as each daughter learns a recipe from her mother, she gives something
of herself to the dish, tweaking it to fit the new generation's tastes and improving it with techniques learned over the years. With the world-class group of culinary minds involved, there are plenty of innovative twists on old standards, like Artichoke and Potato Salad with Licorice-Mint, Smoked Salmon—Cardamom Spread, Hominy and Ham Risotto, and Chardonnay and Cornmeal Cake. In Mother's Kitchen celebrates the bonds that bring us together around the table.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2005

Reviews

[William Jeanes Memorial Library]

A wonderful collection of recipes, yes - but also lovely remembrances of mothers and daughters over cooking. Recipes as simple as Balsamic Green beans (delish), or creamy southern grits. Well worth it for the recipes and the stores.
-Patron P.Z.

[Sarah W Bowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few recipes I am excited to try, but overall this was a pretty drab book.

[Lindsey Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, as many of the contributors are names I recognized and faces I've seen on food shows - in fact, I checked this out as the only book I could find in my library that carried a recipe from Lidia Bastianich. Unfortunately, both the stories and the recipes miss their mark. I think another reviewer said it best: I was expecting more from "beloved" recipes. These are just too simple for my tastes, though a more starting-level cook might find them worthwhile. As for the stories, they were written in a very utilitarian style and most not very interesting. Some of the family memories were intriguing, but most were quite generic.

I also have to nitpick at the organization of this book. The dividing sections seemed fairly random to me - the "family" recipes included "mothers and grandmothers" recipes, the other sections included seasonal recipes ... basically, the chapter definitions were meaningless. The book should have used a stricter scheme (for instance, side dishes, main courses, desserts) or dispensed with chapters entirely.

I will caveat to say that I copied a few recipes from this book that intrigued me and I have hopes for them, but overall, I wasn't impressed.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my expectations of this book were influenced by the word "beloved" in the title and as a result I was disappointed. I hoped the chefs' stories would be poignant and a reason enough to read the book, but it appears that most emotions associated with their family history were wiped clean by the authors when they rewrote the stories. On the other hand, a few of the recipes did sound interesting and I expect to try one or two.

[jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some great recipes and is fun to read. Interesting to learn about women chefs and their families. I probably won't make very many of the recipes, but having read the book will influence my cooking.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories; not so much for the recipes (none of them sounded interesting enough to bookmark). I can't help but think the contributions of Judy Rodgers, Dorie Greenspan, Maida Heatter, etc. would have been fantastic (though I know it's not plausible to include everyone).

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm always interested in cookbooks that not only give recipes but also stories, this book is a good casual read to spend my Easter holiday. The last recipe, Christmas Cake, really reminds me of my maternal grandfather as he loved that traditional fruity bake good so much.

[Wendy Hollister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice compilation of famous chefs and their mothers recipes.