Meta Given (1888–1981)

I've had this two-volume set for over 60 years, and they are like old friends. With lovely legible print, a vast storehouse of recipes, a useful glossary, and cooking tables, it's everything a cookbook should be. There are no colored photographs, but the black and white ones are more than adequate. It's a joy reading and referring to a cookbook of this caliber.

Great first cook book. Menus for every month of the year with explanation of how to use the menus. Table of contents include all kinds of foods, each chapter has a description about the food with recipes. There is a wealth of information about food, glossary, stretching the food dollar, canned foods, freezing and care of food once you get it home. 21 Tables that will assist when there are multiple pieces of information about cuts of meat, fish, substitutions, roasting turkey, home canning of show more fruits and vegetables. There is a great section on Altitude Cookery, this is great for baking. There's a whole section for cake making, yum. This is a great cook book for someone who is a novice and for the experienced cook alike. I highly recommend the cook book. I have used it for about 20 years. show less

This book was the precursor to Meta Given's wildly famous cookbooks that came after "Modern Family" (1942) and "Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking" (1947). I have read all three books and found them fascinating. They provide a history, but they also provide good sound advice. I recommend anyone of these three books especially Meta's 1942 & 1947 cookbooks as they have economical and nutritious information that you will be hard pressed to find in any other resource about cooking, nutrition and show more economy. show less

Comprehensive, older cookbook, two volumes. Has a good index. Used by my Mother for many, many years, and she had re-covered it in shelf paper to keep it from falling apart. A treasured item...