DOUBLE CHEESEBURGERS, QUICHE,

AND VEGETARIAN BURRITOS: AMERICAN

COOKING FROM THE 1920S THROUGH TODAY 

-It has been selected to be on the list of the 2008 California Collections for California Readers under the category of Middle School. For the lists and my interview:  www.californiareaders.org/collections/index.htm

VOYA February 2007 4Q 2P M J

Ichord, Loretta Frances. Double Cheeseburgers, Quiche, and Vegetarian Burritos: American Cooking from the 1920s Through Today. Illus. by Jan Davey Ellis. Millbrook/Lerner, 2007. 64p. PLB $25.26. 978-0-8225-5969-6. Index. Illus. Biblio. Source Notes. Appendix.

Examining United States eating habits from the 1920s to the present, this deceptively thin book illustrates that changing food mirrors a changing culture. “1920-1959” sees expanding electric and gas service, home appliances, and processed foods that enable women to prepare meals in less time while dealing with the pressures of the Great Depression and World War II. Swanson, White Castle , and McDonald’s begin “heat it up” and “eat it out” trends. “1960-1989” are the “culinary” years. France , Korea , Thailand , and Mexico blend their flavors with traditional American fare. Vegetarians challenge the meat mentality. Organic advocates protest processed foods. The “1990-21st Century” period perceives food as medicinal, and Americans learn about fat, cholesterol, and carbs. Representative recipes conclude each section: “Deviled Eggs,” “Wartime Cake,” “Double Cheeseburgers,” “Quiche,” “Vegetarian Burritos,” “Peace Cobbler,” “Pumpkin Muffins,” and “Fool Medames.” The appendix explains how each can be expanded to serve a class. Ichord mentions significant cookbooks such as The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, Hors D’Oeuvre and Canapés, I Hate to Cook Book, and Mastering the Art of French Cooking, whose authors, most significantly Julia Childs, began the celebrity chef phenomenon. Her source notes and bibliography lead readers to additional print and Internet sources. Part of the Cooking Through Time series and easy to read and delightfully illustrated, this food story will enrich any social studies and home economics class and inspire students to study further what we often take for granted. –Lucy Schall.

Booklist January 8, 2007

Ichord, Loretta Frances. Double Cheeseburgers, Quiche, and Vegetarian Burritos: American Cooking from the 1920s through Today. Illus. by Jan Davey Ellis. Feb. 2007. 64p. illus. index. Lerner/Millbrook, lib. ed., $25.26 (9780822559696). 394.1. Gr. 5–8.

In its introduction, this title in the Cooking through Time series claims to “cover the eating habits in the United States from 1920 up to the present time.” Surprisingly, it reaches its goal. Each chapter, illustrated with lighthearted drawings, presents a quick, cogent overview of an American eating trend––from the first processed foods through TV dinners, fast food, the mainstreaming of organic foods, and more––ending with the influential fad diets of the 1990s. The examples are clear and lively, and relevant recipes close each chapter (an appendix instructs how to multiply ingredients to feed a class of 32). This interesting, accessible title, though for an older audience than others in the series, will find a readership among both report writers and browsers, and it will help satisfy the growing need for titles that encourage kids to learn about the origins of their food. —Gillian Engberg

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

ICHORD, Loretta Frances. Double Cheeseburgers, Quiche, and VVegetarian Burritos: American Cooking from the 1920s through Today. illus. by Jan Davey Ellis. 64p. (Cooking through Time Series). appendix. bibliog. index. notes. CIP. Millbrook. 2007. PLB $25.26. ISBN 978-0-8225-5969-6. LC 2005024535.

Gr 3-6–This book delves into trendds, tastes, and tidbits. From the origin of expressions such as “a square meal” to the influence of immigrants on the national cuisine, readers will discover that there’s a history behind foods that they take for granted. They will also discover how technology has influenced our eating habits. Each chapter concludes with a recipe, and whether it is wartime cake made with rationed ingredients or peach cobbler made with organic peaches from the farmers’ market, readers can sample and serve the featured dishes with a greater understanding of their place in our culture. Lively cartoon illustrations add a touch of humor. An appendix offers adaptations for preparing each recipe at school for a class of 32, detailed source notes, an extensive bibliography, and an index. This would be a useful resource for a report on a particular decade of the 20th century, or could simply be read as an entertaining and informative history.–Genevieve Gallagher, Murray Elementary School , Charlottesville , VA 

The HORN BOOK GUIDE – Fall 2007 

Ichord, Loretta Frances Double Cheeseburgers, Quiche, and Vegetarian Burritos: American Cooking from the 1920s through Today

64 pp. Millbrook LE ISBN 978-0-8225-5969-6 $25.26

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis. Cooking through Time series. This surprisingly comprehensive yet thor­oughly accessible overview of twentieth-century American eating habits covers such phenomena as Depression- and WWII-era scarcities, the development of convenience foods and fad diets, and the increasing popularity of ethnic cook­ing, vegetarianism, celebrity chefs, and organic products. Illustrated with cartoonish spot art, this fact-filled book includes eight recipes, with instructions suggesting adaptations for classroom use. Bib., ind.

Image from DOUBLE
CHEESEBURGERS, QUICHE, AND VEGETARIAN BURRITOS:
AMERICAN COOKING FROM THE 1920S THROUGH TODAY

Copyright © 2007by Loretta Frances Ichord

Illustrations copyright © 2007 by Jan Davey Ellis

 Millbrook Press a division of Lerner Publishing and reproduced with permission

All rights reserved