A Soothing Broth - Hardcover

Willard, Pat

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0767901487 ISBN 13: 9780767901482

Publisher: Broadway, 1998

Synopsis

Honking and wheezing? Plumbing all messed up? Change of seasons got you down? Need a little pick-me-up?

Pat Willard has just the ticket to get you back on track.  While poring over weathered, vintage cookbooks, Pat found a treasure trove of recipes from the days when ailing family members were cared for at home, and everyday aches, pains, and complaints were dealt with by turning to the kitchen pantry.  With a style reminiscent of M.F.K.  Fisher and Laurie Colwin, and a tone as soothing as Pat's suggestions, A Soothing Broth includes recipes for homemade broths, tonics, juices, puddings, and teas.

If a sore throat has you croaking like a frog, relieve the pain with a vinegar and cayenne pepper beverage.  If you've overdone it at the gym, soak those aching muscles in a warm bath with some ginger and vinegar.  A paste of wheat germ and honey will relieve the itching and take down the swelling of that nasty bee sting.

You've got a cupboard full of cures in your kitchen, and A Soothing Broth shows you how to use them.

About this title

Review

Good things do indeed come in small packages. Pat Willard's A Soothing Broth is a book barely bigger than a saucer, but it overflows with recipes, personal stories, and a fascinating look at what used to be called "invalid cooking." Willard became intrigued with healing foods while nursing her critically ill husband. Searching for something more fulfilling than canned soup and saltine crackers, she looked to the works of Florence Nightingale, medical doctors, and housewives of the 19th century. Here she found recipes both quaint and useful, plus helpful advice on caring for the ill. Willard balances an appreciation for the virtues of forgotten standbys like nutritious Oyster Broth and gentle Curds and Whey while adding 20th-century common sense to the mix--for example, by cooking eggs to 160 degrees F. Some recipes are included for "historical relevance only": Willard reminds us that cocaine was once commonly used for treating nymphomania and other "female complaints."

You might serve an invalid on the mend Queen Victoria's Favorite Soup, a restorative blend of broth, chicken breast, cream, hard-cooked egg yolks, and cracker crumbs. Then, soothe yourself with tea made of rosebuds, wine vinegar, and sugar, which was recommended in 1819 for comforting a headache. Although today it is often hard to find time to make these dainties and delicate dishes, Willard still enchants with her collection of jellies, broths, gruels, and tonics.

Through touching personal stories, Willard also offers support for stressed caregivers. These passages, and her healing discoveries, are presented in an earthy, modest, graceful prose that makes A Soothing Broth a petite treasure. --Dana Jacobi

About the Author

Pat Willard, the author of Pie Every Day, is a columnist for Brooklyn Bridge magazine.  She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

About this edition

• Publisher: Broadway
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0767901487
• ISBN 13: 9780767901482
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224