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"Goodfellow combines methodical historical research, a compelling personal story, and surprising connections for the development of present-day cooking schools, which results in fascinating insights into the times of a nineteenth-century baker, culinary instructor, entrepreneur, woman, and widower."
-Dr. Glenn R. Mack, EdD President, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta
MRS. GOODFELLOW
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Reader's Guide for Mrs. Goodfellow
- 1. Mrs. Goodfellow's Cooking School was much different from those today whose focus is graduating students with a culinary arts career. What did you think of this early model? 2. 2. What impact did it have on the young women who attended, and cooking in general at that time?
- 3. Cooking preparation took an incredible amount of time and energy in the 19th century. Did this make you think differently about how we cook and prepare food today?
- 4. Did recreating Mrs. Goodfellow's day throughout the book make it easier to imagine what her life might have been like, or was it confusing?
- 5. Even though the author did extensive research, there was still much about Mrs. Goodfellow and her family that could not be determined. What missing details would you have liked to have known?
- 6. Many of the recipes and foods fashionable in Mrs. Goodfellow's day (e.g. terrapin, "catchups," Spanish buns, and Indian pound cake) have since fallen out of favor. Which of these dishes would you most like to try? Which sound unappetizing to modern palates? Why do you think these dishes area no longer popular?
- 7. Were you surprised to learn that Philadelphia had such a fine culinary reputation in the early 1800's? Did this make you think of the city differently?
- 8. Mrs. Goodfellow paid strict attention to quality and detail in her products and teaching, using only pure, wholesome ingredients. How does this compare to the ingredients in many modern foods, and today's preparation methods? Do you think people are now coming back around to this idea of using more natural products to cook and bake with? If so, why?
- 9. While she was alive, Mrs. Goodfellow had an impeccable reputation and was rather famous for her teaching skills and baked delicacies not only in Philadelphia, but up and down the east coast of America. Why do you think she is not well known today? What impact and influence do you think she has had on cooking over the years?