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Saturday, March 23, 2024

Happy Birthday, Fannie Farmer and I Feel Awful, Thanks

Smith, Emma Bland and Reagan, Susan (illus.)
The Fabulous Fannie Farmer: Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook
January 30, 2024 by Calkins Creek
Copy provided by the publisher

Born in 1857, young Fannie Farmer probably followed the path of many young girls, helping her mother in the kitchen, but there is little about her early life. We do know that after a bout of what was most likely polio, her plans for attending college were scuttled, and she was not able to go to college to become a teacher. It wasn't until she was 31 years old that friends convinced her to attend the famous Boston Cooking School. She did so well there that she eventually taught at the school and became the head of it in 1894, around the time that my grandmother was born! She not only enjoyed cooking, but had a scientific bend, and when she wrote a bookbook for the school, she made sure to include complete measurements as well as detailed instructions rather than relying on the tradional, less formal recipes that included "pinches" of spices and "sugar to taste". She had to pay for the book's publication, but was savvy enough to get most of the profit. When the book did well, it changed the way that recipes were passed along, and helped reframe home economics with a more scientific focus. 

I am absolutely fascinated by the women who took traditionally feminine pursuits like cooking and managaed to elevate them in a way that helped give them more importance in a male dominated world. This picture book addresses the fact that cooking was considered something where "feminine intuition" played a large role, and something that women were supposed to know how to do naturally. We all know that this is not the case, so having recipes that give precises measurements and actual instructions for what to do with them is very helpful! The look at the Boston Cooking School was quite interesting. I know that when my grandmother attended teacher's college in 1912, she had to take cooking courses, and her notebooks included measurements, showing how fast the influence of Farmer's Boston Cooking School Cook Book spread. 

Reagan's illustrations are captivating and do a good job at capturing the feel of the mid 1800s and showing how different clothing, kitchens, and food was during that time. There are even two recipes, one for popovers (which are great fun to make when they are successful!) as well as for angelfood cake. 

If you want a deep dive into home economics, take a look at Dreilinger's fascinating The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live, but for younger readers, add this book to a shelf in the kitchen that includes Hopkinson and Carpenter's 2001 Fannie in the Kitchen: The Whole Story From Soup to Nuts of How Fannie Farmer Invented Recipes with Precise Measurements, Stanley's Alice Waters Cooks Up a Food Revolution, Rockliff's Try It!: How Frieda Caplan Changed the Way We Eat, Ford's How the Cookie Crumbled: The True (and Not-So-True) Stories of the Invention of the Chocolate Chip Cookie and Hartland's Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child.  


Pickle, Lara. I Feel Awful, Thanks
March 5, 2024 by Oni Press
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Joana lives in Spain, but manages to get a job as a potions master in London. It's hard to move to a new country and start a new job, but she's so glad to have her dream job that she manages to find a room to rent and get to know people at work. She is working on a project to help people talk to animals, but has a disagreement about the process with the project manager, Tom. She wants to follow company policy and not use any animal products in the creation of the potion, but Tom wants the team to use animal fur because it will be the quickest way to get the project completed and earning money. When Joana makes progress under her own terms, Tom is unkind and makes her life difficult. The woman from whom she rents the room is overly controlling, and makes home a stressful place for Joana. Even her supportive boyfriend is a cause for anxiety. When she has a bit of a meltdown at work, some of her friends suggest that she start seeing a therapist; the first one doesn't work well, but when Joana starts seeing a "dragon tamer" she is able to work through her insecurities, confront her awful boss, work through her budding romance, and find ways to deal with her life. 
Strengths: This is on trend with the current feelings toward anxiety and therapy, so there will be a lot of fans of this story. The London setting is appealing, and most readers are going to think that Joana's job making magical potions is a fantastic one. Of course, adulthood often seems appealing on the surface, but has problems that need to be worked through. The evil boss is dealt with in a manner that also shows current thoughts; he's dismissed and Joana gets to head the team. The illustrations are appealing, and I can see this being a very popular choice with readers who internalized Harry Potter and really think that somewhere, someday, they will find some magic for their own lives. 
Weaknesses: This is very tame for YA, but there is some drinking and several times that Joana and her boyfriend are shown cuddling in bed. Also, I somehow didn't understand that the illustrations were dragons; it looked like shattered glass to me. 
What I really think: Amazon lists this as "16 years and up", which would make sense. I think some of my readers might enjoy this, but it definitely felt more YA, so I will probably pass on purchase.Ms. Yingling

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