Weekend Wanderings
I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. My parents use to come into my room to take my book away so I would go to bed. My husband on the other hand, hated reading when he was growing up but that has slowly changed. It’s been years in the making but he’s now content to sit in the backyard and read for the afternoon.
The only problem with our now shared interest in books, is the amount of money we spend on them. It’s not unusual for us to spend a Saturday visiting our favorite bookstores around Denver. West Side Books has become our go-to because they specialize in used books and have very reasonable prices. When you walk into West Side Books, you’re greeted with piles of books on the floor, overcrowded bookshelves and precariously balanced stacks. It’s a maze but the shop keepers always know where to find the book you’re looking for.
I recently stumbled upon a book incredibly special to me. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook was a staple in my house growing up. The 1980 edition is the cookbook that taught me the basics and is still a reference for me. It’s perfect for every level of cook. It has things as simple as how to boil an egg to more complicated recipes like making a cheese souffle. When I moved out of my parents house, I took to the internet to find the same edition as the one I grew up with. I knew the pages of all my favorite recipes and I wanted that specific edition. I finally found it on abebooks.com. During a recent visit to West Side Books, I found a 1924 edition of the The Boston Cooking School Cookbook by Fannie Merritt Farmer. Fannie Farmer was the principal of the Boston Cooking School from 1891 to 1902 when she created Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery. She wrote the first edition of the Boston Cooking School cookbook in 1896. The book was so popular in America that cooks would later refer to it as the Fannie Farmer Cookbook and it is still available in today, over 100 years later! 
Next week, I’ll share one of my favorite Fannie Farmer recipes. Unit then…
Happy Wanderings!
I love this! Joy of Cooking was the reference in my house. I have my mom’s copy but know I’ll need to give it back eventually. What a special find to have the same edition and a 1924 edition! I want to check out that bookstore. Looking forward to your post with recipes from the book.
I love cookbook traditions! Thanks for sharing Liz. If you want to find the same edition as your mom’s I would highly recommend abebooks.com. They specialize in used books and I’ve always found what I’m looking for.