Flavors of Home: Creative Cooking from Down-Home to Gourmet

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Here’s a traditional bit of everything/not much of anything cookbook,
which depends on listing variations as its only claim to a distinct
identity.

The book quickly covers the range from breakfast omelette to
after-dinner dessert. The author takes a swing through breads and
muffins, snacks, beverages, soups, salads, vegetable dishes, casseroles,
pasta and pizzas, barbecues, Chinese food, Mexican food, cakes, cookies,
squares, pies, ice cream, sauces, jam, pickles ... it’s a patchwork
quilt of a cookbook, a sampler without depth or even a respectable
overview of any subject.

Most of the recipes are easy enough for a novice to follow; an
exception might be the “prize winning” Danish pastries. We’re not
told what prize these won, but they certainly look great in the color
photo.

Many of the recipes have a hint of the old-fashioned (Flaky Buttermilk
Biscuits, Turkey Pie)— not surprisingly, as the author is a cook in a
seniors’ residence. Other recipes reflect her position as the mother
of four children (Nachos, Banana Slush, Chocolate Brownies). This blend
of interests is comfortable—an easy fit. Many cooks today, however,
would be uneasy with Shenfield’s disregard of health considerations.
For example, her recommendation for a late-night snack is a high-fat,
high-cholesterol nightmare featuring bacon, eggs, butter, cheese, salt,
and mayonnaise.

The book makes for pleasant browsing, but it is hard to see what need,
if any, it meets.