Monday, June 20, 2011

A Cook Book Give-A-Way

As a Christmas gift in 1978, I received a copy of "Laurel's Kitchen, A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition."

I have used this cook book more than any other one I've ever owned. There were years when I'm betting I opened it nearly every single day to check a nutritional fact or to try yet another recipe from it.

It's true that you can tell a cook book has been used by the splatters and splotches on the pages. Much of this book looks like the above page with my scribblings jotted on the recipes.

There was a period of about fifteen years when we followed a vegetarian diet. Because those were years when our daughter was growing up, I made a concentrated effort to be sure our diet was adequate not only for Papa Pea and me, but I was super-concerned our young child received proper nutrition. I consider this book to contain the best, most well-balanced vegetarian recipes I've ever come across.

But it is definitely not a cook book strictly for vegetarians. It contains lots of common sense, highly readable, easy-to-understand information for the dedicated whole foods advocate. The part of the book devoted to (what I believe is) sound nutritional information is large and impressive.

The basic philosophy of "Laurel's Kitchen" is explained in the section entitled, "The Keeper of the Keys." That's you. That's me. As the chief cook and selector of food that is put in front of our families, we have a uniquely important role. The foods we choose, prepare and serve to our families determine, to a large extent, how their bodies will be nourished.

The recipes will give you highly nutritious, appealing vegetarian meals using only basic, economical, easily available foods. Even though we do eat a certain amount of meat these days, I still regularly use these recipes because of their good nutritional balance and value along with their eye and taste appeal.

But back to the original intent of this post.

In 1991, again at Christmas time, I was given a paperback copy of the updated edition called "The New Laurel's Kitchen." ( Gak, even this "newer" edition might well be considered a relic now.)

The funny thing was, although "The New Laurel's Kitchen" has been on my cook book shelf all this time, I found I was so attached to my original 1978 edition that I haven't used the newer book. I'm not even sure exactly how it was updated but I have perused it enough to know it still contains the majority of my favorite recipes and other useful information.

So what all this rambling is leading up to is that I'm offering the "new" book pictured above (all 510 pages of it) as a give-a-way here on my blog.

If you would like to receive it, just tell me so in my comments section.

I'll draw a name out of the hat this coming Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and send it on to the winner.

29 comments:

2 Tramps said...

Like most everyone else, we are trying to eat better - more balanced with less meat. Pretty hard to do as BBQ judges! It would be good for us to have a proven cookbook to go to for ideas. Please put us down for your drawing. Thank you!

Chicken Mama said...

Geez, Mom, you scared the heck out of me! At first, I thought you were giving away the original! If so, I was going to have to drop what I was doing, jump into the car to drive the hour to you, and wrestle it out of your hands, explaining that that is almost our family's BIBLE!

You're lucky - you woulda been in T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!! ;)

Erin said...

Well put me in the hat, it sounds fantastic! Now if you were to ever get rid of the OLD one complete with all those priceless notes jotted in it, you could probably get big money :)

Jenyfer Matthews said...

I already have the New Laurel's Kitchen, just a comment to say that I really love it :)

fiona@fionacampbell.ca said...

Oh MY! What a wonderful and generous giveaway!! I love cookbooks, but I really LOVE vegetarian cookbooks! I've been veggie for over 15 years, and cook only veggie (though the rest of the family eats meat, poultry, etc.) and I'm always on the lookout for recipes that are both accessible ingredient-wise, nutritious/balanced and yummy! Thanks for offering this, Mama Pea!

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Somehow I have missed this book all these years. Throw me in the hat too! Thanks so much.

The Apple Pie Gal said...

I will second CM...I would have smacked you but good! Phew! I just got my first Laurel's book when Jane recommended it to me. Love the style! You can drop my name in since it's sure to be as good as my new one!

Sparkless said...

I could always use a good cook book, I'm a terrible cook! Put my name in the hat.

Anonymous said...

Just a comment, as I have this book. I actually sit and read it (it's a story in itself) when I am in the mood. I first read it at my midwife's house/office when I was pregnant with my oldest (she's 24 now) and finally found my own copy about 10 years ago. I love it!

mtnchild said...

Toss me in the hat to join Erin and Jane, and everyone else.

My eating habits have changed a lot in the last couple of years, lot less meat, so this would be a great help for good healthy meat-less meals.

Thank you for a wonderful give-away
Yvette

Jennifer Jo said...

It looks like fun! Count me in, please!

judy said...

Heck ya-put my name in the bucket-but I gotta say-I am disappointed it is not your original cook book with all of your lore written inside-I'm sure that would have been a collector's item!

Spiderjohn said...

I would love to have that cookbook Mama Pea!!

Susan said...

I am just commenting - since I have both the oldie and the not-so-oldie on my shelf. That and my old Moosewood cookbook are held together with duct tape. I KNEW you had excellent taste in cookbooks -- I just knew it!

Aunt Lori said...

Hi Mamma Pea, I am Apple Pie Gal's Aunt Lori. She talks about you all the time. She is rubbing off on me. After my divorce after 26 yrs. of marriage, I am finally trying to take care of me. I have never cooked real healthy for myself so these would be helpfull.Glad to meet you, maybe you will inspire me also.

Karen L. said...

Well of course we all want this book Mama Pea!!! Who wouldn't? We just had a strictly veggie meal last night made up of a portabello mushroom grilled outside and layer on a hamburger roll with a grilled tomato and some aioli sauce slathered on. It was tasty, I must say. We hope to do this kind of meal more often so obviously I have my fingers crossed for winning this book. If not, then I will just have to buy one, I suppose. (Had to laugh at Chicken Mama's comment. Funny!)

Mama Pea said...

Hey, Everyone - Wow, good to see so many of you interested in this book.

I don't think it would hurt any of us to cut back a smidge bit on our meat consumption. And with a good, balanced diet (we can get plenty of protein without so much meat) it's not that hard.

Thanks to all three of you, Jen and Ruth and Susan, for confirming that you think it's a good book, too. Susan, my Moosewood cook book went missing several years ago . . . NEVER loan out cook books!

Aunt Lori, so glad to have you jump in! We women have a baaaad habit of taking care of everyone else and not ourselves so you're in a good place right now. Go for the healthy vibrant happiness, Girl!

Karen L., our favorite funky restaurant does a portabello mushroom sandwich they call "The Fungi" and it's one of my very favorites! Yumm-yum!

Anonymous said...

I'm interested, and would like to have my blog name put in the "hat" so to speak. *smile* Mommy of two little blessings & so much more! Thank you, Mommy of two little blessings & so much more!

Mama C said...

I have checked this book out from the library time and time again! How wonderful it would be to have it on my own shelf! So much information in this book. Please enter me in your drawing.

Thank you!

Akannie said...

Mama Pea, I lost my Laurel's Kitchen, but still have 2 Moosewoods. lol You're right...and my LK is sitting on somebody's shelf, with MY name in it.

Have you ever had Carla Emory's Old Fashioned Recipe Book?? I have one of the first ones, been carrying it around for 40 years. The pages are [faded] pastel colored mimeograph paper. lol It's more a homesteading book than anything, but full of loveliness.


Put me in the drawing too!! Thanks!!

Mama Pea said...

Mommy of Two Little Blessings and Mama C - Thanks for joining in! Great to hear from you.

Akannie - I have Carla Emery's original mimeographed book the same as you! Isn't it a treasure? I wonder just how many of those original ones are out there?

Claire said...

Ooo-ooo! I checked your blog just in time! I have enjoyed every single nutritious meal I've eaten over the years at your place and I'd love to be in the draw for the book! How exciting! And, what a fun idea to do on your blog! Maybe if I had blog give-aways, I'd have more readers. 'Course, updating my blog more frequently would also be helpful. ;)

Sue said...

Now THAT is a well loved book.
One of the greatest treasures I have is a copy of my mom's favorite cookbook. She's been gone for a long, long time, but I love going through that book and reading her comments, etc. She never was much for "joking around" in life, but her cookbook had some pretty funny comments on some of the recipes. I'll bet Chicken Mama will be glad to inherit yours (MUCH MUCH later on, I might add!!)

thriftymomma said...

I'd love to be included in your draw. The book looks great and any help in reducing our meat consumption is always good for my pocketbook. Thanks!

Mama Pea said...

Claire - Well, what a sweetie you are to say that! Have you blotted out that one time when you were staying with us and I served Comfrey Pie? (That WAS bad! But not a recipe from Laurel's!)

Sue - I have some recipe cards that my mom wrote out for me and when I use them, it seems that she's still around although she's been gone for 14 years. There's something so personal about a person's handwriting.

thriftymomma - You're in!

Judy T said...

Ohh, count me in. I'm a cookbook fanatic but I don't have this one. We try to eat veg meals at least once a week and I can always use more ideas.
Judy

Mama Pea said...

Judy - Gotcha entered!

Lorie said...

Mama Pea, please count me in for the drawing. It looks like a wonderful book. One to be cherished for a long time.

Thanks for offering such a neat drawing.

Chicken Mama said...

Hahahaha! The second I read Claire's comment I thought of that hideous comfrey pie! But, I thought, noooo, I can't be mean and bring that up! BUT, since YOU did! And, I can't believe you remember that, too! How old must C and I have been? 11? 12?

So, yes, dear readers, Mom made a hideous comfrey pie one night for dinner, and, unlike kids today who are allowed to complain about what's set in front of them, we ate what was put on our plate.

The SECOND we got outside after dinner, though (I still remember we were walking between the generator house and the stack of wood that was on the left side of the woodshed), we looked at each other and both our eyes rolled and made gagging sounds! Accccchhhhh! Barf! Gag me with a spoon!

And why would you say that THAT particular comfrey pie was any worse than the OTHERS you force-fed me???? ;p I have been scarred for life from Comfrey Pie.