Delicious!

Book: Delicious!
Author: Ruth Reichl
Edition:ebook on Overdrive from the Mountain View Public Library
Read:December 17, 2015
549 pages
Genre:   Fiction, Cooking
Rated: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:
Billie Breslin is newly hired administrative assistant at Delicious!. She dropped out of UC Berkley and into her dream job. Delicious! is a fictional foodie magazine going back a century. Here she meets many foodies and becomes friends with many of them. One of her duties is responding to Delicious! Guarentee-that is if the published recipe does not work, the magazine will refund the money for the ingredients.

One of the people she meets on the Guarantee phone is a cantankerous women named Mrs. Cloverly, who repeatedly calls and almost always substitutes inferior or even unlike ingredients. Billie having given in the first time continues to give in both with the fascination of stories Mrs. Cloverly comes up with and being caught having yielded before. But after awhile, Billie misses these calls if Mrs. Cloverly does not call. But Mrs. Coverly is not some old crotchety lady, but holds a key to the puzzle about who Lulu is.

Another mainstay in the book is Sal Fontanari's cheese shop. From Reichl, this is the heaven of cheese. It is also one of the sources of stability in the story as Billie is accepted into this family owned and operated shop. Here she sees food used by real people and understands what it means that food is more about the relationships than taste.

After a year, Delicious! closes, but Billie is retained to keep the Guarantee. Mrs. Coverly continues to call, but thus is not enough to keep her time occupied. Sammy, an older man from Delicious! comes by to collect his things when they make a discovery: a letter by Lulu to James Beard. This starts off a chase to discover all of this correspondences letters to James Beard. They are aided by the card catalog from a long past librarian who is leading them on a chase for these letters.

But they are under a time constraint: Timbers Mansion where Delicious! has been housed for a hundred years is going on the market. So they need to find the last letter before the house and the library is sold. This chase leads one to naturally want to know about the writer of the letters. That is the last part: to meet Mrs. Coverly and to track down this mystery writer of letters.

Thoughts:
As a note: there is a web site called delicious.com which is not associated with the book. There is also a movie by that name which is not about the book.

This book is full of people who are not what they seem to be. At the risk of giving away some of the magic-if you do not want to know, skip to the next paragraph. There is a character at Sal's cheese shop called Mr. Complainer. Mr. Complainer has an air about him, but is always making suggestions to Sal to improve, particularly in speeding up the line. Mr. Complainer profession it turns out to be is a high end architectural historian, who later becomes intertwined in the books plot. Many of the book's characters have backgrounds which Reichl slowly reveals. This is done well, while some of the contrivances seem a bit made up, they are part of the fun of this story.

I wanted her to look at me that way again. This is an important statement at the start of the book. It lays out the self-consciousness of the main character. While there is a lot more to the book, this is the main undercurrent-Billie, the protagonist, being talented, but not recognizing the talent she has. As you move through the book, she avoids cooking because of the association she has with her sister. This all points to the pain and insecurity Reichl wants to portray on Billie.

Did the picture from Annie Leibovitz called "Midnight at The Pig" really exist? I did not see a reference to it. But Leibovitz did live across from a restaurant called The Spotted Pig. Should be noted that the chief chef is April Bloomfield who has another restaurant called The Breslin, which happens to be Billie's name. Coincidence?

 most people can't follow instructions. (Guarenteed). This is in reference to the Delicious! guarantee-each recipe is guaranteed to work or they refund you the cost of the ingredients. The statement is true for the most part. But do you really want a world full of people who can do nothing else but follow instructions? Isn't that what a computer is? Shouldn't we be more than just a bot, following instructions? The trick is to know when it is best to follow instructions and when it is good to experiment and create.

Where is Alphabet City? Alphabet City is a neighborhood located within the East Village in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Its name comes from Avenues A, B, C, and D, the only avenues in Manhattan to have single-letter names. It appears to be a place where many ethnics resides.

What's the point of making piles of money to enjoy when you are not working? I'd much rather enjoy  my work. (Nowhere) Life is too short and money will not buy you happiness. So find something which you can channel yourself into and enjoy it. After all, you were created by God for more than being a cog in the works.

...how lucky I was to be aware of happiness. Most people don't recognize their own good fortune until it has departed, (Seize Opportunities). How do I look at myself? Usually not as someone who thinks how bad everything is. But there is a tendency for me to think in terms that things will continue as they are without looking for the goodness in my life. It is the same with beauty. I take Yosemite for granted, but when I bring someone there for the first time, you gain the wonder of first sight. That is how my life should be, not taking anything for granted, but to be grateful to God for the goodness he has put in my path.

Billie's letters to Genie are interesting and you know there is more to it than meets the eye. But at times you think that Reichl is purposely leading you down a road which is a false trail. And so they are. I will not spoil the surprise. But compared to the rest of Reichl's writing in Delicious!, this just does not match up.

Also the discovery of James Beard's letters seems a bit too contrived. Reichl has Sammy finding a secret door and then out of the thousands of correspondences he reads an interesting letter to Beard. Seems so out of sorts with reality. But in actuality these things do happen. But not usually at the start. It is a rare player who hits a home run on his first big league at bat. But it does happen, you can make allowances for the unusual.

There is a whole story of the card catalog. Both the librarians who created it and the one who leads Billie down a trail of James Beard's letters. The big question in my mind is why did the original librarian, Bertie, make this trail leading to Beard? The story says that it was due to Beard being a homosexual and Delicious!  trying to hide the connection. That would be hard to do since his by-line was in the magazine. I do admire Reichl for creating such a trail, it was fun going with her through these clues. But believable? Probably not, at least Bertie probably would have had too much time on his hands without the knowledge that there was a probable payoff.

After looking at what a Verifax machine would do, I am suspicious that any magazine would go to that great of lengths to make copies of all of its correspondence. It looks like making a copy of a single page would be at least a minute and probably more like 3 minutes.   But I am happy to learn something new-I did not know about Verifax machines before.

Reichl makes a passing reference to Blum's of San Francisco. We ate there once. So good. It no longer is there.

There is a chapter called In The Nightmare Kitchen which describes what happens to food left out, unattended in a large kitchen over a long period of time. It is wonderfully descriptive, sort of a cross between Ghostbusters and The Blob. You can just feel the ooze.


During the past year, I have had several books talk about the internment of the Japanese-American. But one thing which has been curious to me was why weren't the Germans or the Italians interned? Delicious! does talk about this. Not so much internment, but about the hostilities faced by Italian-Americans. She talks about Rossi in San Francisco, hostility towards eating spaghetti and how the west coast had more prejudice than the east.

Something I am finding interesting is the amount of substitution being made during war time for various foods. Honey for sugar-this was something I thought. But milkweed for cheese, ....

I suspect that Reichl has a large vocabulary-which is useful for a writer, or a very good editor. In Sammy's mouth she puts little used words there and which seem appropriate-he accounts for many of the words in my "New Words" from this book. There are times authors like to place these words in a character's mouth just to show they know these words. With Reichl, or at least the character, they flow well, highlighting the sophistication of the character.

In one of the Beard letters, there is a reference to a Edward R Murrow broadcast from accompanying a bombing mission over Berlin. You can listen to it on YouTube.

In the past, Italians have come by the millions into (to) the United States. They have been welcomed, they have prospered, they have become good citizens, community and governmental leaders. They are not Italian-Americans. They are Americans -- Americans of Italian descent.  Reichl in one of the Beard letters quotes a speech by Franklin Roosevelt.  This sort of puts to shame all of our hyphenating-Americans. By this hyphenating, it makes us more separate than equal.

At times Reichl has Sammy being someone of great insight, such as the death of one of the people in one of the letters brings him to ask about Billie's sister. This seems like too much of a stretch.

I'd like to bottle the scent of old libraries. (Vintage Cookbooks)  There is some of these smells which I would not mind having around. Not the mustiness, but the smell of knowledge which books have.

People are scared. Said in reference to she sees things as a front and people have their own shtick to cover that fear.

Refrigerated drawers under bed. What a great concept. In the story, Mitch stores ice cream for that midnight snack. Sounds great for those warm Central Valley Summer nights

You have a lot to learn about decadence,  (Appetites) Doesn't decadence come naturally? Isn't learning to live simply really the question? I suppose learning to be decadent in style may take some doing. So why do I need to be taught?

Family love is something you take for granted until you are confronted with a situation where it is in diminished quantities. This is something which Billie learns. She has a family which cares for her as she is. While her boyfriend, Mitch, did not meet family expectations. So he became the black sheep of the family. That love without condition. Sometimes you need to be apart from your family to realize how good they are. Other times you see how different someone else's family is before you see how wonderful your own is. Either way, the goal is to appreciate and love your family.

...longevity's not all it's cracked up to be, even when you have your health. Life's not much fun when you're the last one standing. (Akron) We forget about the pains and sufferings. My parents outlived many of their generation, including my Dad's brothers and sister and their spouses. At one point he said, "I guess I am the last one". So much loneliness which even a son who was present a lot could not change.

...young people have such contempt for the old that you'll believe any foolish thing we do. (Akron) This explains the strangeness of Mrs. Coverly's substitutions. As she got older, she got more lonely. So she started calling the customer service lines. After awhile, it became a game to see how far she could go. It turns out, if you become cankerous enough, miserable sounding enough, you might be able to get away with anything.

Along with the old age theme, Reichl points out through Sammy that Any soul who has survived to age of eighty-two with nary a secret would be extremely dull. ... We all have something to hide.  (Strudel) This goes along with the everyone has something to hide theme. It is just as we age, we have more to coverup-sometimes with less and less success.

James Beard:

• Like much of the references in the book, The Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland is a real place with James Beard connections.
• Who is Marion Cunningham? The book is in memory to her. According to Wikipedia, she is an assistant to James Beard and also a renowned chef in her own right.

Evaluation:
On January 22, 1964 there was an episode of the Patty Duke Show called Author! Author!. In it Patty Duke tries to become an author and thinks the road to success is to include a recipe in it. As I was reading Delicious! I kept thinking, when will Reichl include a recipe in this book about taste, cooking, and a young woman finding herself.

The books starts with the line,  I wanted her to look at me that way again. That is the main part of the book, Billie trying to find her own image. If you read the book from this perspective, it is a rather common book. But you include the descriptions Reichl has and it at times is like reading through a small Italian restaurant, complete with pleasing scents.

Reichl writes with a great deal of humor. You can just imagine what goes through this young woman's mind when she is on the line with an incorrigible women who is trying to get a refund and is going through all of her substitutions for a recipe. I was snickering and sputtering though out the book. The richness of her humor is second to her ability to describe  food and people. On the food, she has your mouth watering for dishes which I would normally reject. On the people, the main people in the book you have a pretty good idea-they are not two dimensional. Even Jake, the editor, who turns into a minor character has enough dimension to make you want more.

The first two parts were interesting and kept me reading. But by the time the third part, where she solves the mystery of the James Beard letters, the story, or maybe it was me, ran out of steam. All in all, it is pleasant read with some good reminders for a person to understand themselves, what there gifts are, and try to explore life. Oh, by the way, yes, there is a recipe.


 
Notes from my book group:

I wanted her to look at me that way again This book is about identity. How was Billie's identity formed? What effect does formation  have on us? How does comparison's between people help or harm our ability to form?

How does fear work its way throughout the book? Souffle, cooking,

When Billie writes her article, she talks about Sal's place as a "way of life". Explain what makes something a "way of life". Have you gone into establishments like that? What was your experience?

What foods from this book would you most want to sample? Along that same lines, which of the restaurants or food places described would you want to visit? Avoid?

Reichl describes the foods and visuals of Billie's world. Were you able to enter into that world? Would you have enjoyed it? Where does decadence start and enjoyment end?

Billie has a phobia about cooking. How did it develop? How realistic is this phobia? Does Riechl describe it well?

Do you get any food magazines? What stories would you have wanted to write for Delicious!?

What wild food have you eaten?

What has been your worst meal or dish you cooked?  Do you adapt recipes? Before trying the original?

How many Beard references did you find? (Not the overt ones by names, but things like restaurants, ...) Did you consider this part of the fun of the book? Also the card catalog was a central part of the book. How realistic was this indexing? Was this part of the fun of the chase?

Sammy has a voracious vocabulary.  Did this distract from your reading? Was this natural to Sammy's character or did you feel it was forced?

Comments about Roosevelt's speech on Italian-Americans. Are we hyphenating our nationalities too much? What is the impact of this hyphenation?

Both Lulu and Mrs. Cloverly felt like because they were old, they were not looked as having ability. Do you agree with some of the old age references like  ...young people have such contempt for the old that you'll believe any foolish thing we do.


The New York Times called this book "verbal chloroform". Do you agree?




Questions from the publisher:
1. Billie eventually writes about Sal's as if it's "a way of life." Do you have a favorite establishment that you would describe similarly? What is it like, and how does it make you feel?

2. Mrs. Cloverly’s disastrous concoctions are even funnier because she’s unfazed by failure. She seems to keep trudging forward, turning ever-less-palatable dishes out of her kitchen. Have you encountered such a cook? What is the most astonishingly—and hilariously—unappetizing dish you’ve ever been served?

3. Diana and Sammy's friendships help the formerly-contained Billie become more confident. Has a friend ever given you the courage to be more fully yourself? What did you reveal?

4. Try to imagine a story that Sammy might have written for Delicious! Where in the world is he, and what is he writing about?

5. Lulu’s letters teach Billie about the relentless uncertainty endured by the people on the homefront during World War II. She learns that Lulu finds solace in cooking with Mrs. Cappuzzelli and for her mother. Can you remember a meal that helped get you through a particularly painful moment? Where were you? Who were you with? And what was the meal?

6. Rationing changed the way Americans ate. Lulu throws herself into this new food landscape, experimenting with unfamiliar vegetables like milkweed and pumpkin leaves. What would you make if you had no butter, meat, or dairy? What would you forage for?

7. If you had a victory garden, what would you grow?

8. Do you have friends or family who remember what it was like to eat during World War II? What stories have they shared with you?

9. Lulu writes: “When Mother, Mr. Jones and I were walking through those strange, crowded downtown streets, where people were sticking their hands into pickle barrels, pointing to smoked fish, and eating sliced herring, I saw the scene in a whole new way. They weren’t buying food: They were finding their way home.” What foods feel like home to you?

10. As the book closes, what does Billie discover she owes Genie?



New Words:

• Fenugreek (Guaranteed): Fenugreek is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae, with leaves consisting of three small obovate to oblong leaflets. It is cultivated worldwide as a semiarid crop, and its seeds are a common ingredient in dishes from the Indian subcontinent.
• Osmanthus (Seizing Opportunities): flowers  are used throughout East Asia for their scent and flavour, which is likened to apricot and peach.
• choleric (Seizing Opportunities): bad-tempered or irritable
• dilatory (Seizing Opportunities): slow to act.
• celerity (Magic Moments): swiftness of movement
• perambulate (Magic Moments): walk or travel through or around a place or area, especially for pleasure and in a leisurely way
• nugatory (Dripping Pudding): of no value or importance
• salubrious (Dripping Pudding): health-giving; healthy
• Orecchiette (Anzio): a variety of home-made pasta typical of Apulia, a region of southern Italy. Its name comes from its shape, which resembles a small ear.
• Pazzesca (Cake Sisters): crazy, insane
• denouement (Mad Bee Jars): the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved
• Verifax (Mad Bee Jars):  The original sheet to be copied is placed face-down against the shiny side of a sheet of translucent sensitized "negative matrix" paper, then placed with the matte side of the matrix paper against the glass. The papers are exposed to light for about 15 seconds, where shorter exposure darkens the copy, and longer exposure lightens it. The original sheet is removed, and the matrix paper is immersed into the developing solution for 30 seconds, then extracted by pulling it out through pressure rollers, finishing the negative. This wet negative is pressed against a sheet of copy paper, and fed back through the rollers, giving gentle pressure. Finally, the two sheets are peeled apart, obtaining a slightly damp copy of the original, that has to dry-out
• abstemios (Mad Bee Jars): abstaining from wine, abstemious; sober
•  approbation (Member of the Club): approval or praise.
• Alacrity  (Member of the Club): brisk and cheerful readiness.
• Butterscotch Wood (Appetites): 
• Quotidian  (A Trick of the Mind): of or occurring every day; daily.

Good Quotes:

• First Line: You should have used fresh ginger!
• Last Line: whenever I miss her, I think about time being a trick of the mind, and I know that she's here somewhere, walking down the street. And when I think that, I know you're there with her.
•  Having flavors in my head meant I could re-imagine them, put them together in entirely new ways. (Gingerbread)
• Giving people presents is such  an intimate act; you're basically telling them who you think they are... (Nowhere)
• ...age had not significance unless you have frittered your life away. (Seizing Opportunities)
•  In bad times it's the people we love who can help us. (Cake Sisters)
• when people don't know what they're looking for, they usually destroy them [details]. (Vintage Cookbooks)
• there is nothing more attractive than competence in action. (Vintage Cookbooks)
•  You have no idea what a relief it is to come home and do nothing.  (Appetites)
• ...working is the only thing which keeps you young. (A Trick of the Mind)
• ...time is only a trick of the mind. (A Trick of the Mind)
• ...one of the best things about writing letters...: You get to be the person you wish you were. (Truth or Consequences)
• The truth is often uncomfortable, but that doesn't give us the right to hide it.
  (Truth or Consequences)
•  There are many kinds of crimes...the most unforgivable is to have a gift and turn your back on it. (Gingerbread Girl)

References:

• Author's Web Site
• Wikipedia-Author
• Amazon-Book
• Amazon-Author
• Barnes and Noble
• GoodReads-Book
• GoodReads-Author
•  New York Times review. This was the a fairly negative review of the book.
• NPR Review
• Washington Post review
• Chicago Tribune review

Foods:

• Gingerbread Cake
• Kitakata ramen (Japanese): Kitakata noodles derive their name from a place in Honshu province in Japan. These noodles are flat, thick, curly and prepared from buckwheat. These noodles are traditionally known as soba in Japanese.
• http://allramenrecipes.com/tag/kitakata-noodles
• http://www.oksfood.com/noodle/kitakata_ramen.html
• Gnocchi
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/gnocchi-recipe2.html
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/18465/gnocchi-i/
• fountain's famous french nut cake
• http://bangers-and-mash.com/2013/10/30/a-vintage-tea-party-a-royal-wedding-and-a-coffee-cardamom-and-walnut-cake/
• http://www.arthurschwartz.com/diary/00000080.html
• Red salad-roasted beets, red onions, sour cream
• http://www.copykat.com/2015/04/25/sour-cream-beet-salad-recipe/
• http://www.thekitchn.com/what-can-i-make-with-roasted-beets-good-questions-218307
• Scallop mousse
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/scallop-mousse-recipe.html
• http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/scallop-mousse-scallop-recipe
• http://food52.com/recipes/5669-scallop-mousse-with-fresh-basil
• Fried pig's ears
• http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/eddie-russell/fried-pig-ears-with-hot-sauce.html
• http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/10/crisp-fried-pigs-ears-salad-recipe.html
• http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/crispy-pigs-ears-recipe
• Braised duck hearts with snails
• Pork-snout terrine with pickles and toast
• https://books.google.com/books?id=19ziBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT466&lpg=PT466&dq=Pork-snout+terrine+with+pickles+and+toast&source=bl&ots=j87xyOnB7n&sig=ZxY2DkoyeawMap1JpLQ49C9pJlU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjel67WuIrKAhUBRmMKHZDoB6wQ6AEIKTAC#v=onepage&q=Pork-snout%20terrine%20with%20pickles%20and%20toast&f=false
• http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2010/11/02/from-nose-to-tail-trotter-pigs-feet-terrine-recipe#.Vodmj1JvC24
• Grilled rabbit livers with bacon
• https://www.pinterest.com/recipes/rabbit-liver/
• http://starbrightskitchen.com/2012/04/23/going-paleo-this-is-the-best-liver-recipe-ever/
• http://raisingmeatrabbits.com.s3.amazonaws.com/WhatsForDinnerDoc_v2.pdf
• Rabbit liver terrine 
• http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Rabbit-and-Herb-Terrine
• http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/rabbit-terrine
• Whole grilled mackerel
• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-whole-mackerel-with-lemon-oregano-and-olives-109523
• http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4465/barbecued-mackerel-with-ginger-chilli-and-lime-dri
• http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to-cook/how-to-barbecue-whole-mackerel
• Lamb burgers
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/lamb-burgers-recipe.html
• http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/greek-style-lamb-burgers-with-yogurt-cucumber-sauce
• http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Lamb-Burger
• Breaded pig's tails
• http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/05/how-to-cook-pig-tails.html
• http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/09/crisp-fried-pigs-tails-recipe.html
• http://nosetotailathome.com/2010/09/06/crispy-pigs-tails/
• Gorgonzola soufflé 
• http://www.manusmenu.com/gorgonzola-souffle
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/blue-cheese-souffle-recipe.html
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/blue-cheese-souffle-recipe.html
• Calamari in aioli
• http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fried-calamari-with-roasted-garlic-lime-aoli
• http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/fried-calamari-lemon-aioli-mario-batali
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/fried-calamari-italian-hot-green-peppers-with-lemon-aioli-recipe.html
• Nutty Apricot Lace Cake
• https://thissweetwife.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/apricot-lace-cookies/
• Yorkshire Pudding
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_pudding
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/yorkshire-pudding-recipe.html
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/95339/sky-high-yorkshire-pudding/
• http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017129-yorkshire-pudding
• Blums coffee crunch cake 
• http://www.marthastewart.com/338326/blums-coffee-crunch-cake
• http://www.sfgate.com/recipes/thebaker/article/THE-BAKER-Blum-s-Is-Gone-But-Not-Forgotten-2802477.php
• http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/09/blums-coffee-crunch-cake.html
• http://www.valerieconfections.com/blum-s-coffee-crunch-cake.html
• Crybaby Cookies
• http://www.marthastewart.com/335363/crybaby-cookies
• http://www.food.com/recipe/cry-baby-cookies-114727
• http://www.food.com/recipe/cry-baby-molasses-cookies-316450
• Anzac biscuits
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_biscuit
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9816/anzac-biscuits-i/
• http://www.marthastewart.com/345469/anzac-biscuits
• http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3803/anzac-biscuits
• Chicken liver toasts
• http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-liver-toasts-with-shallot-jam
• http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/chopped-chicken-liver-toasts-michael-symon
•  http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014408-chicken-liver-on-toast
• Milkweed floss
• http://ruthreichl.com/2014/08/notes-on-milkweed.html/
• http://foragersharvest.com/milkweed-a-truly-remarkable-wild-vegetable/
• http://www.ediblewildfood.com/blog/2013/08/milkweed-pods-buffalo-style/
• Feast of the seven fishes
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Seven_Fishes
• http://www.epicurious.com/archive/holidays/christmas/batalisevenfishes
• http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/holidays/article/feast-of-the-seven-fishes
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/feast-of-the-seven-fishes/food-network-stars-feast-of-the-seven-fishes.html
• Scungilli salad
• http://www.food.com/recipe/best-scungilli-salad-265431
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9oMtpWrmLs
• http://www.mangiabenepasta.com/scungilli.html
• Sugar-dusted sfinge 
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/11083/sfinge-di-ricotta/
• https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070614132333AAIM0m7
• http://www.food.com/recipe/sfinge-de-san-giuseppe-173494
• Pumpkin leaves
• http://www.thekitchn.com/did-you-know-you-can-eat-pumpkin-leaves-tips-from-the-kitchn-207383
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/468239-how-to-cook-pumpkin-leaves/
• Perfect War Cookie
• https://www.pinterest.com/1930sgirl/world-war-2-rationing-recipes/
• cheese souffle
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/cheese-souffle-recipe.html
• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/classic-cheese-souffle-242119
• orecchiette
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orecchiette
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/239047/one-pan-orecchiette-pasta/
• http://www.marthastewart.com/1065206/eat-italian-10-amazing-orecchiette-recipes
• panettone
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panettone
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/panettone-recipe.html
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/6811/panettone-i/
• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/panettone-236704
• madeleine
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_%28cake%29
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9954/french-butter-cakes-madeleines/
• http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/madeleines-102893
• http://www.marthastewart.com/872193/madeleines
• strudel
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strudel
• http://www.npr.org/2014/10/30/359837277/a-traditional-strudel-recipe-pulled-from-the-past
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/apple-strudel-recipe.html
• http://allrecipes.com/recipe/47821/easy-apple-strudel/

Cookbooks:

• War Chest Cookery Book (1917)
• St Anthony Cookery Book (1921)
• Commonsense Cookery Book (Australian)
• The Whole Duty of a Woman (1737)
• The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy-Hannah Glasse