Part invaluable reference book, part indispensable cookbook, Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom offers literally hundreds of ingenious ways to make time spent in the kitchen both productive and enjoyable. As an experienced homesteader and doyenne of her own country kitchen, Deborah S. Tukua has spent years collecting nuggets of wisdom from friends sand neighbors who share her way of life in rural Tennessee. Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom represents the distillation of a community's tried-and-true techniques for cooking, entertaining, and washing up, many of which have been handed down through the generations. Here are tips for every corner of the kitchen. For example: metal cookie cutters double nicely as whimsical napkin rings; custard will bake evenly without becoming runny when the custard dish is placed in a pan of water; debone chicken and turkey easily with kitchen scissors instead of a knife.Here too are recipes for preserving and canning food, including dried tomatoes, corncob syrup, and chili beans as well as recipes for dozens of country kitchen favorites such as baked maple chicken, vegetable cheese chowder, and pumpkin-pear pie. Also included is a wonderful section on cooking with children. (5 1/2 x 8 1/4, 320 pages)


Part invaluable reference book, part indispensable cookbook, "Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom" offers literally hundreds of ingenious ways to make time spent in the kitchen both productive and enjoyable. As an experienced homesteader and doyenne of her own country kitchen, Deborah S. Tukua has spent years collecting nuggets of wisdom from friends and neighbors who share her way of life in rural Tennessee. "Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom" represents the distillation of a community's tried-and-true techniques for cooking, entertaining, and washing up, many of which have been handed down through the generations. Here are tips for every corner of the kitchen. For example:

-- Metal cookie cutters double nicely as whimsical napkin rings. Spray paint them to match your decor if desired.

-- Custard will bake evenly without becoming runny when the custard dish is placed in a pan of water.

-- Debone chicken and turkey easily with kitchen scissors instead of a knife

-- Need to put out a stovetop fire? Douse the fire with salt.

-- To determine if an egg is fresh, drop it in water. A fresh egg will always sink.

Here too are recipes for preserving and canning food, including dried tomatoes, corncob syrup, and chili beans as well as recipes for dozens of country-kitchen favorites such as baked maple chicken, vegetable cheese chowder, and pumpkinpear pie. Also included is a wonderful section on cooking with children.

"Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom" is the perfect book for anyone who wishes to bring a fresh country breeze in a city or suburban kitchen.