Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? by Mary Drake McFeeley, Paperback, 9781558493339 | Buy online at The Nile
Departments
 Free Returns*

Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?

American Women and the Kitchen in the Twentieth Century

Author: Mary Drake McFeeley  

In the rural America of the past, a woman's reputation was sometimes made by her cherry pie - of her chocolate layer cake, or her biscuits. This work shows how cooking evolved during the 20th century as new challenges arose to replace the old.

Read more
Product Unavailable

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

In the rural America of the past, a woman's reputation was sometimes made by her cherry pie - of her chocolate layer cake, or her biscuits. This work shows how cooking evolved during the 20th century as new challenges arose to replace the old.

Read more

Description

In the rural America of the past, a woman's reputation was sometimes made by her cherry pie - of her chocolate layer cake, or her biscuits. As America modernized and women left the home to enter the paid labour force, mastery of cooking remained a sign that a woman took her gendered responsibilities seriously. Ironically, over the course of the 20th century, as ready-made foods and kitchen appliances made home cooking less essential and labour-intensive, culinary skill continued to be perceived not only by society but often by women as a measure of a woman's true value. This work shows how cooking evolved during the 20th century as new challenges arose to replace the old. Still tied to the kitchen, women found that instead of simply providing sustenance for the household, they now had to master more complex cooking techniques, the knowledge of ""ethnic"" cuisines, the science of nutrition, the business of consumerism, and, perhaps most important of all, the art of keeping their families happy and healthy.

Read more

Critic Reviews

“This book would be an excellent beginning for in-depth research or for a pleasant introduction to the field. It will have a wide appeal to those interested in women's roles in the 20th century and in home cooking.”

- Choice ""An easy read - graceful and often witty. I was often charmed and just as often instructed. It is a book that could be used in American studies and women's studies courses."" - Linda K. Kerber, author of No Constitutional Right to Be Ladies

Read more

About the Author

MARY DRAXE MCFEELY is an independent scholar. She is author of Lady Inspectors: The Campaign for a Better Workplace, 1893-1921.

Read more

Product Details

Publisher
University of Massachusetts Press
Published
30th September 2001
Edition
New edition
Pages
208
ISBN
9781558493339

Returns

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.

Product Unavailable