Book description
In 1931, Irma S. Rombauer, a recent widow, took her life savings and
self-published a cookbook that she hoped might support her family.
Little did she know that her book would go on to become America's most
beloved cooking companion. Thus was born the bestselling
Joy of Cooking,
and with it, a culinary revolution that continues to this day.
In
Stand Facing the Stove, Anne Mendelson presents a richly
detailed biographical portrait of the two remarkable forces behind
Joy -- Irma S. Rombauer and her daughter, Marion Rombauer
Becker -- shedding new light on the classic kitchen mainstay and on
the history of American cooking. Mendelson weaves together three
fascinating stories: the affectionate though often difficult
relationship between Joy's original creator, Irma, and her
eventual coauthor, Marion; the bitter dealings between the Rombauers
and their publisher, Bobbs-Merrill (at whose hands the Rombauers
likely lost millions of dollars); and the enormous cultural impact of
the beloved book that Irma and Marion devoted their lives to refining,
edition after edition.
Featuring an accessible new recipe format and an engaging voice that
inspired home cooks, Joy changed the face of American
cookbooks. Stand Facing the Stove offers an intimate look at
the women behind this culinary bible and provides a marvelous portrait
of twentieth-century America as seen through the kitchen window.
Los Angeles Times Anne Mendelson brings the
story to vivid life...and adroitly strings together an enlightening
cultural history of American women in the twentieth century.
Anne Mendelson is a leading authority on the
history of American cookbooks. She has written for a variety of
magazines and newspapers, including Gourmet. She lives in
northern New Jersey.
