Category: Homemaking

Do you know someone who loves experimenting with traditional recipes and old-fashioned cooking methods? Perhaps you would like to be able to cook like your great grandmother did, but don’t know where to start. This list of cookbooks has something for every old-fashioned cook, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been cooking for decades!

In compiling this list, my goal was to stay from cookbooks that are specific to one culture. However, this proved a daunting task. You see, the older the cookbook, the more specific its recipes are to the time and place it was written.

Also, if I included everything from Moroccan to French to Vietnamese cuisine, such a list would hardly be helpful- it would be way too long!

In the end, I just stuck with my favorite traditional cookbooks, which tend to be American or British in origin. I am listing them by difficulty level and familiarity of the recipes.

So the first few cookbooks are good choices for a beginning cook or one who is new to traditional cooking, while the end of the list is for nerds like me!

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Introduction to Traditional Cooking

These first three books are a great introduction to cooking from scratch if you aren’t very familiar with cooking but would like to learn. They contain classic recipes which call for common ingredients, for the most part.

While they are great for beginning cooks, I still enjoy these cookbooks because the recipes are for country meals I will make again and again.

1. The Prairie Homestead Cookbook

I think of this book as a helpful guide to American country cooking for the novice cook. Jill writes in a friendly, encouraging style and includes snippets of her life as a modern homesteader.

She explains her recipes step by step, and talks about what ingredients to use (that you can find in a normal grocery store)! Plus, the photos are gorgeous! It’s a delightful read even for seasoned cooks, and the recipes are tried and true favorites that the whole family will enjoy.

2. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

This is the classic American cookbook. First published in 1896 by the Boston Cooking School, it contains recipes ranging from familiar (chicken soup) to unexpected (how to prepare a calf’s head).

More than a collection of recipes, it includes full menus and an assortment of household tips. This book uses standard measurements- in fact, it’s the book that standardized American cooking measurements!

I enjoy the soup recipes, as well as all the different ways to serve eggs!

3. An Unexpected Cookbook: The Unofficial Book of Hobbit Cookery

Yes, this cookbook is named after J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic. But it’s not a collection of outlandish movie-themed recipes. Instead, it is based on Tolkien’s inspiration for The Shire: the English countryside where he grew up.

This book is full of dishes from Victorian England, particularly ones the middle and lower classes would have eaten. The book is written in an easy-to-read style and includes vegetarian and vegan variations. It’s basically Victorian country cooking adapted for the modern kitchen.

One of my favorite recipes from this book is for a huge braided loaf of bread stuffed with mushrooms, cheese, onions, and herbs. Delicious!

Teaching Techniques

The next three books are specifically about teaching traditional cooking skills to the modern cook. They don’t look like normal cookbooks because the focus is on the skills. However, they do include a lot of great recipes!

4. Traditional Cooking School

The Traditional Cooking School offers several different books and courses on sourdough, cultured dairy, lacto-fermentation, cooking with einkorn, and more! The only one I have read to date is Sourdough A to Z, and I can vouch for its flexibility and thorough coverage of the subject.

One thing I enjoyed about this book is the different scenarios it offers for living with sourdough: whether you use your starter all the time and keep it active, or you’re like me and pull it out of the refrigerator once a week or so, the authors show you how to get the most out of your sourdough.

This book covers the history of sourdough, how it’s different from commercial yeast, how to make your own starter, and a huge selection of sourdough recipes. They show several different methods of bread baking, which I appreciate, because some of them worked better for me than others!

5. The Lost Art of Real Cooking

This is one of my personal favorites! It explores many different methods of traditional food preparation, from pickling and fermentation to bread baking and cooking meats and fish.

It explains not only the methods but also a good chunk of history. If you like learning the origins of different dishes, this is the book for you!

One thing I really appreciate about this book is its no-nonsense approach. The authors plainly state that their recipes are harder and take longer than what you would find in a “quick and easy” cookbook. But the end result is worth it!

If you’re intimidated by the idea of making your own tortillas or pickles, this book might be just what you need to get started.

6. The Lost Arts of Hearth and Home

A sequel to the volume above, this book dives into some more complex cooking skills like cheese making and brewing beer or kombucha. The authors do a great job of breaking down each project into simple steps.

As the title suggests, it’s not just about cooking. The authors explain how to build an outdoor oven, how to braid rugs, and how to make your own sewing patterns, among other things.

If you already know basic cooking skills and want to experiment with making more things at home, this is a handy reference. It’s a DIY guidebook for adventurous souls!

European Traditions

As promised, this last section is for the traditional cooking enthusiast! If you’ve ever wanted to create a medieval feast or wondered what the traditions are behind special holiday foods, these are some books for you!

7. A Continual Feast

This is my go-to cookbook for holiday menus. It is structured around the seasons and feasts of the Christian year. Sections on celebratory feasts like Christmas include traditions from around the world, along with morsels of their history.

I love learning about different customs that celebrate the same feast days I do! There are some pretty old recipes here, from roast goose to lenten monastery soups.

If you want to celebrate like a medieval king or dine like a common serf, check out this treasure of historical meals!

You can read more about some of the Christmas recipes from this book in this article about Christmas cookies from around the world. Also, here’s one of my fruitcake recipes, which is adapted from this cookbook!

8. The Old World Kitchen

This book is a varied collection of recipes from 25 different European countries. It focuses on peasant fare, so you won’t find kingly menus in this book. However, the recipes are surprisingly exotic- and some are quite old.

The author’s goal is to provide authentic recipes that capture the spirit of peasant cooking and show what has been lost by mass production and over-refinement of modern foods.

To give you an idea of this book’s scope, the section on milk and dairy products includes recipes from Germany, Bulgaria, Finland, Iceland, Holland, France, Austria, England, Scotland, and Hungary!

In addition to recipes, she includes folklore and history about the different dishes. This is a fascinating and colorful read! I wish I could just sit down and read through it like a novel, but I’ve not found the time to do so just yet.

9. To The King’s Taste

This cookbook is a novelty collection of historic English dishes from the time of King Henry II. It has recipes you would expect, like traditional techniques for preparing game and the medieval combination of fish with fruits and spices, but there are also some surprises.

Did you know that the recent trend of roasted garlic is anything but new? Apparently, people discovered that delightful dish centuries ago.

The recipes have been adapted for the modern kitchen, so you won’t need to translate Old English to enjoy them!

Well, that’s my list of recommendations for the seasoned cook or someone just starting out. The skills of traditional cooking are becoming rarer as more people buy prepackaged foods. These books are a great starting point in regaining these important skills.

Do you have a favorite traditional cookbook? I would love to read it! Leave a comment below!

With cold weather here to stay for months ahead, cold and flu season has also arrived. If you’re looking for a way to warm up and fight cold symptoms at the same time, this is the drink for you! Spiced cranberry tea both warms your body and boosts your immune system. Oh, and it also tastes wonderful!

My mother has been making this tea for many years. She will make up a big batch several times every winter. That way, she always has some on hand to send to a sick relative or friend. In fact, some of her friends like it so much, they will call and ask for it when they’re sick!

I have a smaller family, so I usually freeze a quart or two when I make it. I find it very convenient to pull a container out of the freezer and heat it on the stove. Even if I’m not the one who’s sick, I’ll drink this warm spiced tea any day!

It doesn’t taste medicinal, so you could even serve it at a tea party or holiday gathering!

Immune Boosting Benefits

The immune boosting elements in this beverage are cinnamon, cloves, honey, lemon, orange, and of course, cranberries! You may have heard of one or two of these used as home remedies for colds. Taken together, they make a great immune supplement!

Let’s start by going over the immune system benefits of each ingredient in this tea. My nurse practitioner side takes over when I talk about nutrition and health, but I’ll try to keep it short!

Cinnamon

Cinnamon, specifically the compound cinnamaldehyde, which is a component of cinnamon, has many health benefits. It is a potent antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory effects. It has also been used as an antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral treatment in medical studies. This combination of effects makes cinnamon a powerful immune booster!

Cloves

Cloves also have many antioxidants, but their most notable contribution to immunity is as an antimicrobial. They are effective antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals. Cloves have been used for centuries in traditional medicine, particularly in India and China (source: Solstice Medicine).

Honey

Honey is a powerhouse of health benefits. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as antimicrobial. It has also been used in traditional medicine to treat throat infections and asthma, among other things.

Lemon

Lemon’s immune benefits come from the vitamin C and potassium it contains, as well as from limonene and other compounds found in the oils of lemon and other citrus peels. You’ve probably heard of drinking lemon water to decrease stress and fight infection. Lemon oil is such a strong antibiotic that it’s used in household cleaning solutions!

Orange

Oranges are similar to lemons in health benefits. However, since we’re only using orange juice in this recipe, and not the peel with its oils, the main immune system benefits are vitamin C and potassium.

Cranberries

Cranberries are the last ingredient on our list. By now, their health benefits sound familiar: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial. Most people associate cranberry juice with UTI treatment or prevention, but it also hinders other bacteria, particularly those in the mouth.

Whew! Thanks for sticking with me through that list. I know not everybody gets as excited about that stuff as I do! Now, on to the recipe.

Method

Spiced cranberry tea is very simple to make, and most of the ingredients are probably in your kitchen already.

Start with the cranberries. I have used both the large cranberries you can buy at the grocery store, and the wild lowbush cranberries (lingonberries) that grow in these parts. Frozen is fine; just let them thaw partially before trying to puree them in a blender.

As you may have guessed, the first step is to chop or puree the cranberries with water in a blender or food processor. They don’t need to be completely smooth; just keep in mind that the size the cranberries are now is about the size they will be in your cup. I don’t mind a lot of pulp in my drink, but some people do.

Pour the cranberry mixture into a large pot and add a quart of water and another of tea. I use regular black tea. My mother uses all water. If you would prefer to use herbal tea instead, I would suggest cinnamon, lemon, or something else that would complement the flavors of the drink.

Next, add 12 ounces of orange juice concentrate. This can be thawed or frozen. Stir in the cinnamon sticks and cloves, and simmer away for 20-40 minutes. It won’t look any different when it’s done; the simmering time is just to steep the spices in the hot liquid.

When you’re satisfied that the cinnamon and cloves have been thoroughly steeped, strain them out and stir in the honey, lemon juice, and lemon peel. The amounts given are really suggestions. Taste the tea and add more honey or lemon juice if you find it too tart or sweet.

That’s all there is to it! your cranberry tea is ready to be drunk or frozen as you wish. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, and in the freezer for several months.

Other Ideas for Cranberry Tea

Try chilling the tea, straining it if necessary, and mixing it with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda for a spiced holiday punch! Or freeze in ice cube trays and float in cranberry juice. You could even use it as the liquid when making a molded gelatin salad!

One last note: if you steep the spices for a long time, the flavor may be quite strong. I usually dilute the tea with a little water when I drink it. My husband prefers it full strength- or with a little extra honey!

If you make this spiced cranberry tea, let me know what you think! I’m always happy to answer any questions you might have about my recipes.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Spiced Cranberry Tea

Has winter given you cold hands and a cold in your head? This cranberry tea will warm you right up and help boost your immune system to fight off infections.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Drinks

Keyword: Cinnamon, Cranberry, Tea

Servings: 3 quarts

Ingredients

• 4 cups cranberries
• 2 cups water
• 1 quart tea black or herbal
• 1 quart water
• 12 ounces orange juice concentrate
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 12 whole cloves
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon peel grated

Instructions

• Puree cranberries and 2 cups water in blender or food processor until desired consistency.
• Pour the cranberry mixture into a large pot. Add the tea, 1 quart water, orange juice concentrate, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Simmer 20-40 minutes.
• Stir in honey, lemon juice, and lemon peel until combined. Taste and add more honey or lemon juice as needed.

Notes

You may substitute water for the tea, or use decaffeinated or herbal tea if you don’t want any caffeine.