100 Delicious Heritage Recipes from the Farm and Garden
August 5, 2013
The historic Beekman homestead and goat farm of ex-Manhattanites Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell (The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook) has not only inspired a chic line of goat milk soaps and cheeses, but has now produced a second cookbook. In harmony with local and seasonal bounty of their upstate gardens in Sharon Springs, N.Y., the authors take a look back at the desserts they grew up with and offer a collection of 100 recipes for classic confections. Highlighted by personal reflections about their first encounters with these inherited and treasured recipes, the selected heirloom desserts make the cut by fitting a set of basic criteria: each must be delicious, made with readily available ingredients, and be simple to prepare. Followed by lined pages where readers can enter their own notes or versions of each seasonal dessert, this anthology encourages cooks to make their own memories relating to each dish. Vintage recipes reflecting the “Four Seasons of Sweetness” include twists on family favorites such as a Creamsicle Angel Food Cake and a banana cake with cream cheese frosting for spring. There’s a summery plum upside-down cake, and for fall, a Blackberry Betty. Recipes for basic pie dough, ice creams, and holiday desserts are also included. The Beekman boys have captured the essence of modern country living in these nostalgic heritage desserts.
September 15, 2013
From their upstate New York farm, celebrity couple Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell have collected heirloom dessert recipes. They aim to offer desserts that are delicious, easy to make, and built from ingredients generally available. Organized by seasons, these desserts offer plenty of sweet satisfaction. Simpler temptations, such as lemon meringue pie, give way to chocolate-'clair pie and figgy pudding. Favorite childhood flavors appear in Dreamsicle angel-food cake. Not content with the richness of ordinary brownies, they enhance their version with chopped candy bars. Fruit in season comes into its own with such classics as peach cobbler and roasted rhubarb crisp. By and large, the guys achieve their goal of recipe simplicity, but the several dozen ingredients composing their fruitcake can prove daunting. Aficionados of rich, sugary American desserts will find these reimagined classics intriguing. The authors' television exposure will increase demand.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)