Cookbook Exploration

     The cookbook that I chose to explore is entitled, Feast of Goodness, by the W.M.U. of Bethlehem Baptist Church.  The cookbook tells you a lot about this group of women.  On the second page of the cookbook, they have included the times of the different services at their church, as well as, an open invitation for all visitors to come.  Then on the fifth page they included common emotions, such as afraid, bereaved, depressed along with where you can find it in the Bible.  Throughout the cookbook they have included inspirational quotes and Bible verses as well.  If you did not know that the W.M.U. of Bethlehem Baptist Church put this cookbook together, you would be able to tell that some sort of church group put it together just by looking at what they have included in their cookbook.  Throughout the book, it is clear that they are targeting mothers and wives.  On page 24 of the cookbook it says, “You can’t always tell what makes a man tick until you meet his wife. She may be the works.”  This insert shows that the women who made this cookbook, intended for it to be read and used by wives. 

In David Sutton’s article, “Cooking Skills, the Senses, and Memory” he says,” Skill raises issues of apprenticeship and repetition, and the education of the senses that allow for the comparisons necessary to judge the successful dish (Sutton 300).”  At the end of this cookbook they include many different tools for the cooks.  Some of the tools include cooking tips, a calorie counter, measurements, napkin folding, microwave hints, equivalency chart, and food quantities. Sutton claims that education is a major part of cooking, and this cookbook reveals this as well.  All of the tools and hints are to help educate the person using these recipes to cook. I found it interesting that the cookbook included a page on microwave hints.  Sutton says, “The microwave is another such device which seems to deskill the cook in relation to the traditional oven (Sutton 304).”  Sutton makes it seem that the microwave should not be used; however, in Feast of Goodness it is clear that it is okay with these women to use the microwave during cooking.  Sutton also mentions that food is “a symbol of identity (Sutton 317).”  I think this is relative to the cookbook I have chosen, given that throughout the cookbook the women form an identity for this person cooking.  The identity of a Christian wife/mother is the identity that is conveyed throughout Feast of Goodness. I never really thought about analyzing a cookbook, but it was very interesting seeing how an identity is formed throughout the cookbook.