I thought it might be fun to highlight a few vintage cookbooks in the coming months. I pick them up here and there, without much rhyme or reason. There might be a design element I like, it might be the voice of the author, or sometimes a single recipe pops out at me. I typically flip through them in antique shops on road trips, at yard sales and flea markets, but I found this gem at Omnivore Books here in San Francisco – The Seasonal Kitchen: A Return to Fresh Foods. Published in 1973, it is by Perla Meyers, was published by Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, and designed by Al Corchia. I did an updated take on Perla’s Fennel Mushroom recipe for today’s post, it’s a simple, brilliant twist on everyday sauteed mushrooms with dill, chives, fresh fennel, and a kiss of creme fraiche.
There are so many things that resonate with me in this book – subject matter, design, the emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients. More than anything, I love the approachability of Perla’s voice. She opens the book by saying, “Of all the reasons I have for writing The Seasonal Kitchen, the most important is to communicate and understanding of freshness and encourage a return to seasonal cooking. This is not a book for organic-food buffs, however, but for anyone willing to explore and rediscover the marvelous potential of fresh food.” Remember, this book was published nearly forty years ago. In many ways it reads like it was written yesterday.
You just don’t see cookbooks that look like this today. Even better, the ideas behind the recipes are straight-forward, produce-centric, and easy to update. To make these mushrooms, I replaced a substantial amount of sour cream with a dollop of creme fraiche, and never missed the former. And I give a few suggestions related to serving them in the head notes below.
This book was a real find, the sort of discovery that keeps me digging through stacks of books, but I’m certainly not the first to sing Perla’s praises. Perla Meyers elsewhere:
– Perla Meyers: The Seasonal Cook
– The Legendary Perla Meyers
More Mushroom Recipes
- Mushroom Ragù
- Mushroom Lasagna
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Mushroom Scallops
- Baked Mushrooms with Miso Butter
- Mushroom Casserole
- Roasted Mushroom Sandwich
- Mushroom Scallion Tartine with Poblano Yogurt
- Mushroom Hand Pies
- all mushrooms recipes
Continue reading Fennel Mushrooms on 101 Cookbooks