The American Gilded Age (1868 to 1900) and its extreme extravagance continue to be a source of wonder and fascination, particularly for foodies. The style and excessiveness of this era has ties to modern popular culture through books, films, and television shows, including The Alienist and the new Julian Fellowes TV series The Gilded Age, slated for release in 2022. Fellowes' former series, Downton Abbey, spawned a whole range of cookbooks based on the show's themes.

The Gilded Age Cookbook will transport the reader back in time to lavish banquet tables set with snow-white linen tablecloths, delicate china and sparkling crystal glasses. Cuisine featuring rich soups, juicy roasts and luscious desserts will come to life through historic images and artistic photography by Heather Raub, whose work has been seen via Zest Culinary Services, Pastry Chef Bakery, LE'COEUR magazine and Malvie magazine. Gilded Age details will be melded with historic menus and recipes updated for modern kitchens. Organized into chapters highlighting themes from the era, cooks will enjoy duplicating meals and gatherings from the past while celebrating today.

Now that people are socializing and entertaining once again, this book will be a welcome addition to their kitchens. Gourmets, history buffs and pop culture enthusiasts will delight in learning about epicurean pleasures associated with the Gilded Age, from ice cream socials and oyster roasts to exclusive eating clubs and live food demonstrations presented to packed auditoriums. Entertaining stories of Gilded Age celebrities such as the Vanderbilts, Astors, Carnegies and Rockefellers will be peppered throughout. Culinary roles for women and minorities became more significant during this time frame, and innovative technologies such as kitchen appliances and packaged food were game changers. The splendid yet accessible and easy-to-follow recipes in The Gilded Age Cookbook will take readers on a delicious journey from a bygone era to the present day.

About the Author

Becky Libourel Diamondhas enjoyed a varied career combining culinary research and writing. She has been writing and blogging about food since 2008, parlaying her passion for food and history into the publication of two critically acclaimed books. The Thousand Dollar Dinner was called "a mouthwatering tale of one luxurious 1851 dinner" (Entertainment Weekly), and this "rehearsal dinner for the Gilded Age is engagingly resurrected, deconstructed and served up for modern readers" (The Wall Street Journal). Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America's First Cooking School was declared "a fascinating sociocultural and commercial history" (Publishers Weekly) that is "a delicious exploration of the life and legacy of one of America's most influential cooks" (Pennsylvania Heritage magazine). Her Delmonico's-themed cookbook, The Delmonico Way, co-written by Max Tucci, will be published by Rizzoli in fall 2022. She enjoys transforming culinary and historical research into informative, engaging narratives, and has been referred to as "a prudent and careful chronicler of one of the most deliciously over-the-top dinners ever served in America" by The Wall Street Journal.

Diamond serves as the historical-food consultant and food blogger for the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion, Philadelphia's only authentically restored Victorian house museum. She specializes in reconstructing historical recipes and frequently gives presentations and food demonstrations. (A list can be found on her website, www.beckyldiamond.com). She has also written about food and history for Eaten Magazine,Newtown Lifestyle, Dianne Jacob's Will Write for Food blog, BookPage, Table Matters: The Journal of Food, Drink and Manners, The Historical Cooking Project, IFIS Food and Health Information, Prose Media and Philadelphia's Mutter Museum.

Diamond holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Rider University and a Master of Library Science (MLS) degree from Rutgers University.

Book Information
ISBN 9781493069453
Author Becky Libourel Diamond
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Globe Pequot Press
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 794g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 185mm * 21mm