Books: The Encyclopedia of Country Living
The first book has to be the book before the first book: the one single book we had in common when we met.
We were both older, had established households, and both had plenty of books and varied interests. But the only book we had in common was
Carla Emery's The Encyclopedia of Country Living. Neither of us had the original mail order edition, and his edition was one previous to mine. Mine still has the BDalton Booksellers price tag on it: $14.95.
What IS this book even? Subtitled "An Old-Fashioned Recipe Book", it's part memoir, part philosophy, part how-to. I already had the idea that, given the choice, I'd like to live out somewhere with lots of different animals, but I'm sure it was this book that planted the idea of homesteading with me. This book helped give me vision, an idea of the possible, a positive view of children and family and "living off the land".
The first thing I learned from this book was how to make bread. It certainly gave me the idea that bread was doable and forgiving and didn't have to be perfect to be good -- and it probably still influences how I write recipes! Eventually I made soap from the instructions in this book. I loved reading the sections on "what to look for when looking at land". I first read of preserving eggs in this book, although I remember her talking about waterglassing them, and we use a lime water method instead.
Still, it's the ideas, and the idea that it can be done.
2 comments:
Hey CG! Long time no see! So, if you were to purchase this book again, would you go for the older version or would you go for the newer updated version? I've always wanted this, just never got around to getting it. Thanks for your review of books. I love it!
jules
Sorry I'm an idiot and didn't see this until now but...I think I'd go for the new one. She was always expanding and updating. Now, on the moosewood cookbook, I like the original best! But for some reason I have both of them.
Post a Comment