Becky Diamond
featured Appearance: SATURday, October 18th
Becky Libourel Diamond has had a varied career combining writing and research. Her latest book is The Gilded Age Cookbook, published by Globe Pequot in August 2023. Her second book, The Thousand Dollar Dinner, tells the unique story of a nineteenth century “Top Chef”-style competition between Philadelphia restauranteur James Parkinson and the Delmonico family of New York. The result was a luxurious seventeen course feast that helped launch fine restaurant dining in America as we know it today. She is also the author of Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s Cooking School, a successful nineteenth century pasty chef who also ran an innovative cooking school for young woman - a Philadelphia first.
Featured Book: The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook: Cookies and Treats from America's Golden Era
Although most Americans have heard of sugar plums thanks to the famous holiday poem A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore, many have likely never have had the pleasure of tasting one of these luxuries, or even know what they really are (hint: they are not sugar-dusted plums). This is because sugar plums are one of the Gilded Age era holiday sweets that got eclipsed as America moved into the twentieth century. But The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook will bridge the past and present, bringing back sugar plums and other confections not typically found in modern cookbooks, while revisiting some beloved favorites.
With origins that date back to the nineteenth century and even earlier, the recipes in The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook have been adapted for today’s ingredients and appliances, allowing cooks to recreate them in their own modern kitchens. Each recipe will provide a colorful glimpse into the era, featuring the fascinating history behind each cookie, its ingredients and baking methods. There will also be sidebars throughout, offering tidbits of Christmas lore of the era.
A perfect gift to bring sparkle to the holiday season for anyone who enjoys food, history, culture and Christmas traditions, The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook is a unique way to revitalize any baker’s holiday repertoire while looking to past foodways for inspiration. With all the opulence and enchanting allure of the Victorian period, this nostalgic book is chock-full of delicious holiday treats.
