From Publishers Weekly
As the title implies, in her first book, freelance writer Schenone has attempted to cover more than a millennium in women's history, tossing in historically interesting recipes along the way. The results of this ambitious project, however, can't help but be broad, and the book is full of sweeping statements such as, "As cooks, Native American women lay the first claim to some of the greatest ingredients in the history of the world." A turgid introduction reaches even further back than 1,000 years to conjure a figure Schenone names "All Woman," whom she imagines as the first female on earth and imbues with all kinds of knowledge and curiosity. Later chapters are more fact-based and reliable. Indeed, when Schenone delves into the specific, her writing immediately improves. For example, a section in a chapter on the 19th century that details the development of urban peddlers and more specifically "hot corn women," is rich with description, evocative and offers information that is probably new to most readers. The author also does a commendable job of drawing the often-ignored connections among politics, women and food when describing events such as the 1917 food riots in New York City and lunch counter sit-ins in the 1960s. The book is chockablock with recipes (often for oddities such as Apple Crisp Pronto from 1943, a concoction of packaged bread, margarine, honey and apples meant to help Rosie the Riveter get dinner on the table), period illustrations and sidebars, including one on Sara Josepha Hale, who standardized the Thanksgiving holiday. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
For centuries, society has dictated that one of a woman's most important roles is feeding the family. The integral process of feeding the family often involved more than merely cooking meals. For many women, food preparation might have also included planting, gathering, foraging, storing, shopping, socializing, serving, and cleaning up. In America, as in most other countries, women have traditionally been perceived as natural nurturers responsible for providing both food and comfort in large quantities. Schenone interweaves more than 50 diverse recipes with a wealth of historical anecdotes, trivia, and illustrations. Drawing from a wide variety of backgrounds and recipes, this lively, loving tribute to the female culinary experience crosses cultural and socioeconomic divides in authentic American fashion. Fascinating social history with a heaping helping of home cooking thrown in for good measure. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Barbara Haber, author of From Hardtack to Home Fries: An Uncommon History of American Cooks and Meals
A book filled with historic insights, moving anecdotes and lively illustrations.


Dr. Vertamae Grovenor, NPR cultural correspondent and author of Vibration Cooking
A passionate, groundbreaking book.


Mollie Katzen, author of The Moosewood Cookbook
In this beautifully written work, Laura Schenone takes on the dual roles of historian and story teller.


Newsday
Lively, well-researched and thoroughly engrossing.


Utne
This fascinating culinary history documents the intimate, ever-changing ties between American women and food.


Chicago Tribune
[Schenone's] delicious book is truly food for thought.


Providence Journal
An amazing and wonderful book.


Booklist
Fascinating social history with a heaping helping of home cooking.


January
A millennium's-worth of history, social commentary, anecdotes and recipes in one literary stewpot.


Book Description
A stunningly illustrated book that celebrates the power of food throughout American history and in women's lives. Filled with classic recipes and inspirational stories, A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove will make you think twice about the food on your plate. Here is the first book to recount how American women have gathered, cooked, and prepared food for lovers, strangers, and family throughout the ages. We find native women who pried nourishment from the wilderness, mothers who sold biscuits to buy their children's freedom, immigrant wives who cooked old foods in new homes to provide comfort. From church bake sales to microwaving moms, this book is a celebration of women's lives, homes, and communities. Over fifty recipes, from Federal Pancakes to Sweet Potato Pie, are beautifully presented along with over one hundred images from artists, photographers, and rare sources. A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove is the shared history of all American women and the perfect gift for anyone who ever put food on the table. 140 illustrations.


About the Author
Laura Schenone is a freelance writer living with her husband and two children in Montclair, New Jersey. This is her first book.