Plantation Feasts and Festivities: A Celebration of the Grandes Dames of Virginia Food and Hospitality

by Angela Mulloy and Edna Lewis

Book Overview

Organized by season, this marvelous cookbook explores the traditions and feasts of Virginian plantations during the time of James and Dolly Madison. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1570984034
• ISBN13: 9781570984037
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Roberts Rinehart Publishers
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.1" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

A Wonderful Blend of Food, History, Hospitality

This book has given me the opportunity to try many new recipes as well as enjoy the historical tidbits depicting the life of James Madison and his entertaining wife, Dolley.Unlike most restaurant-related cookbooks, the recipes in this book, although very gourmet in their presentation, can be easily followed by any home cook. Coupled with the beautiful table settings featuring rare antique china--beautiful portrayed in the magnificent color photos throughout the book--the writing brings forth many unique ideas for entertaining on any usual or special celebration.

Epitome of Southern Hospitality

Plantation Feasts and Festivals is a celebration, published on the occasion of the 250th birthday of President James Madison. Worthy of coffee table prominence, Plantation Feasts and Festivals is filled with beautiful photographs of Montpelier and neighboring estates of family and friends. A treasure trove of cultural and historical traditions, this volume's greatest value is in the kitchen. With recipes organized by seasonal occasions and celebrations, the sumptuous menus are connected with the land and its seasonal bounty, Southern tradition and hospitality. Edna Lewis, a native of Orange County and known throughout the country for her primers on Southern cuisine, shares her reminiscence of each season and many of the occasions. She says, "All recipes have been developed for special occasions, for those times when you want to indulge. Therefore we took no shortcut in preparation of ingredients."Angela Mulloy's thirst for perfection must surely be quenched with the selections she included in this book celebrating Virginia heritage. Each menu is a beautiful balance of seasonal taste and tradition filled with ingredients that embrace the locale: shad roe, potted trout, quail, Chesapeake crab, country ham, fried chicken and venison; profoundly delicious uses of corn meal, greens, and fruits; and desserts made elegant in their simplicity and exquisite presentation. Each occasion depicts a certain mood and a traditional style. The Hunt Breakfast, Afternoon Tea, Lawn Party, Wedding Dinner, Holiday Feast, and Twelfth Night Ball all bespeak the gentility of the time and place, and yet each recipe is on the leading edge of today's most sought after techniques and tastes.Plantation Feasts and Festivities would make a grand addition to anyone's library and a wonderful gift for any celebration.

Highly recommended for fine gourmet dining

Plantation Feasts And Festivities: A Celebration Of The Grandes Dames Of Virginia Food And Hospitality combines a regional culinary and cultural history with delicious recipes carefully modified for today's kitchens and adjusted to serve from six to eight adults. Superbly enhanced with spectacular color photography, Plantation Feasts And Festivities is organized around the four seasons of Spring, Summer Autumn, and Winter. From Hand-Churned Honey Vanilla Ice Cream, Streusel Peach Pie, Savory Bread Pudding, and Bourbon-Grained Mustard, to Cornbread and Country Sausage Dressing, Caramel-Pumpkin Custard, Sweet Potato Gratin, and Scalloped Tomatoes, This inspired and inspiring collection is highly recommended for fine gourmet dining and a true reflection of Virginia's impressive culinary history.

Plantation Feasts and Festivities: A Celebration of the

A wonderful blend of the history of some of Virginia's finest plantations and a delicious sampling of the famous and not-so-famous recipes of Southern Cooking! An excellent presentation divided by seasons of the year and further divided into menus celebrating the elegance of southern hospitality.