Mud Pies and Other Recipes

by Marjorie Winslow, Erik Blegvad (Illustrator)

Overview

Whether you’re entertaining garden sprites, feeding a regiment of toy soldiers, or simply whiling away a lazy afternoon, Mud Pies and Other Recipes is the only make-believe cookbook you’ll ever need. With Marjorie Winslow’s timeless guide on hand, you’ll never be at a loss for something to do in your backyard or by the seashore; you’ll be busy scooping up sand (a filling for Stuffed Sea Shells), hunting for flower petals (they make lovely hors d’oeuvres), and collecting raindrops (essential for brewing up Fried Water). The book is organized by course, and includes a general discussion of yard cookery along with detailed ingredient lists, methods for preparation, and helpful serving suggestions. And on every page, Erik Blegvad’s delightful pen-and-ink drawings ensure that Mud Pies and Other Recipes is a feast for the eyes as well as the imagination.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590173688
Publisher:	New York Review Books
Publication date:	10/05/2010
Series:	New York Review Children's Collection Series
Pages:	56
Sales rank:	166,016
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Marjorie Winslow (1923-2012) lived in Arizona, California, Indiana, New York, and Massachusetts and found an abundance of doll food everywhere. Prior to publishing Mud Pies & Other Recipes in 1959, Winslow entered and won Vogue’s prestigious Prix de Paris competition, which launched a career in publishing first as a copywriter, then as a fashion editor. But this was not the extent of her occupations, which also included Mexican restaurant owner, carpenter, upholsterer, clothing designer, cook, and, as she said in the update she wrote for a class reunion, “a housewife, a mother, an author, a corporation president, a free spirit, a sober citizen, a failure, a success.”

Erik Blegvad was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1923. He has illustrated more than one hundred books, including seven written by his wife, Lenore. His memoir, Self-Portrait, was published in 1978.

Editorial Reviews

This charming and fastidiously complete resource has been reissued thankfully by the New York Review Children's Collection…. Mud Pies delights because, like the very best children's books, it gives young folks their due. Winslow's recipes appeal to the considerable wit, sophistication and imaginative prowess of many young children…. Winslow's book is a gem.” —Prospero, on The Economist website

“When I was about five years old, Granny gave me my first cookbook—Mud  Pies and Other Recipes. Even though it was a pretend cookbook, it somehow persuaded me that real cooking must be fun.”—Sara Moulton

“This is a free spirited, mildly subversive little cook book for dolls...the minutely observed, densely crosshatched drawings are the work of the late Danish-born illustrator, Erik Blegvad.”—Kim Koch and Rod Clarke, Scout Magazine (CAN) 

"Designed for five-year olds, this will, I suspect, appeal to the little girl within us all...a charming beautifully illustrated handbook for doll's tea-parties and fairy picnics. A great stocking filler. Make sure you wrap it in pink tissue." -The Bookseller (UK)

“An adorable little book with charming pictures and a deadpan text.” –Publishers Weekly

“The children’s book sensation of the year…” –Newsweek

“Delightfully digestible…” –Life

“Heaven on Earth–for the young and their readers-out-loud.” –Harper’s Bazaar

“One of the most charming picture books ever published.” –Horn Book

“Children will race with it to back yard, beach, or woods and get right to work.” –Chicago Tribune

“The nicest oddball cookbook of the year…it has Escoffier and Brillat-Savarin beat a literary mile.” –Life

“…a haunting little engraving on each page and recipes that are poetry.” –Indianapolis News

From the Publisher

Mud Pie is but one of the 45 delicacies contained this slim cookbook for dolls. Ingredients run the gamut, including tossed leaves, sand, seaweed, buttons, dirt, water and pine needles. The regular backyard cook won't be surprised by the imaginative methods. The recipe for Left-handed Mudloaf is particularly amusing, instructing the chef to "reach out and add a fistful of whatever you find there." The Right-Handed Mudloaf is naturally created with the opposite hand. The introduction indicates that the diners are dolls, but they are hardly mentioned in the recipe portion. That and the messy nature of this kind of cookbook makes it equally fun for boys and girls. Suggested menus at the rear include recommendations for a summer luncheon, buffet dinner, a wedding banquet or a picnic. Erik Blegvad's drawings of the many natural ingredients and kids hard at work in their outdoor kitchens add to the overall whimsy. An additional purchase for most libraries, but this reprint is a wonderful gift purchase for young friends and family members. Reviewer: Kristy Kilfoyle

Children's Literature - Kristy Kilfoyle