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Review: The Fabulous Fannie Farmer

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The Fabulous Fannie Farmer
Written by Emma Bland Smith
Illustrated by Susan Reagan
New York: Calkins Creek, 2024. Biography

As a young woman, Fannie loved to cook, but she had no plans of making it her career. However, after a debilitating bout of polio left her with a limp and prevented her from attending college, Fannie enrolled in the Boston Cooking School where her serious, scientific approach to cooking helped her excel. After assuming the mantle of school principle, Fannie further spread her studies on chemistry in the kitchen by publishing her cookbook that helped popularize the use of the standardized measures and detailed instructions we rely on today.

This biography introduces a little-known individual and her industry-changing efforts that have shaped all of our lives. Fannie's work in developing her famous cookbook and promoting standard units of measure changed the industry and made home cooking more accessible to everyone. Delightful watercolor illustrations bring her story to life, and quotations from Fannie and her contemporaries are included throughout. The book also includes two of Fannie's recipes in the text. An extensive backmatter provides more historical detail on the development of recipe measures and Fannie's life, and includes recommendations for additional reading and media for children interested in cooking. A fantastic introduction to a landmark cook.
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