Ichord, Loretta Frances. Double Cheeseburgers, Quiche, and Vegetarian Burritos: American Cooking from the 1920s Through Today. Illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis. Millbrook Press, 2007. ISBN 9780822559696. $25.26. 64 p.
Reviewer: Holly Dickman
Reading Level: Intermediate, Young adult
Rating: Excellent
Genre: Informational books;
Subject: Cookery, American--History--Juvenile literature; Food habits--United States--History--21st century--Juvenile literature; Books--Reviews;
“What's been cooking in America during the past 100 years?” This creative informational text on the evolution of American food offers the answer. Beginning with the 1920s, Ichord discusses the influences of culture, wartime, and technology on recipes and eating habits. Ichord then moves into the latter 20th century and writes about the importance of international foods and popular food movements. Finally, the text ends with the 21st century and the realities of the American diet. This book has been cleverly sprinkled with decorative illustrations, and each chapter ends with a suitable recipe for the reader to try at home. In the appendix, the reader can find ways to scale the recipes to produce enough for a classroom of 32 students. The information written in this book is entertaining and appropriate for intermediate readers. Ichord has designed a captivating read which provides broad knowledge of the history of America's foods. The source notes, bibliography, and index in the back of the book also provide helpful information for the reader who wants more. This book would be useful for a report on American culture, or for simply gaining personal knowledge on the history of foods in the United States.
