George Erdosh

Found this at the children's grocery store at the Strong Museum of Play, standing proudly and seductively next to the rubber baguettes. I had spent some of the day reading Haddix's Sabotaged, set during the Roanoke civilization period, and the characters were finding ruins and scrounging for food at that very minute, so I had to put this supplement in the cart and read it quickly.
Well, it was good. The recipes were SUPER easy and for kids: butternut squash with butter and brown sugar on show more top, mashed turnips, etc. Things that don't need recipes but show just how simple and maybe boring the food of the Pilgrims actually was. More importantly, it explained how clueless the Pilgrims were about food when they got here, how the natives helped, and the new information I took away from this was which food came from England and which grew here naturally. I'm sure I had learned this somewhere before, but I didn't remember, so I guess I didn't REALLY learn it.... Reading this book was a terrific way to spend 10 minutes. show less

George Erdosh offers us part history lesson, part cookbook with “Food and Recipes of the Civil War.” It is a short book from a series, and only offers four recipes from the era, but it is a reasonable introduction to the American Civil War for younger elementary students. There are useful pictures, and highlighted words are defined in a brief glossary. It also has an index, making it by far the shortest book (24 pages) that I’ve seen with an index. Overall, Erdosh hasn’t given us a show more masterpiece, but I do find it to be a sufficient introduction to a difficult topic for young kids. Also, the recipes would be fun for a parent to try with their child as they study the Civil War. show less

Summary: Briefly describes some of the foods eaten in the North and South before and after the Civil War and the impact of the war on what foods were available and how they were prepared. Includes recipes.

Summary: Describes the kinds of foods grown and prepared by the Pilgrims during their first yeears in America and their dependence upon Native people to ward off starvation. Includes recipes.