Potluck Paradise

Book excerpt: Here is the book that answers the age-old question: What should I bring? Foodies Rae Katherine Eighmey and Debbie Miller combed through hundreds of folksy cookbooks--often spiral-bound or homemade --compiled by groups around the Midwest. Then they tested hundreds of the most popular recipes before winnowing the list to 125 of the tastiest crowd-pleasing dishes: treats such as Swedish Tea Ring, Oven Barbecue Spareribs, Blueberry Buckle, and Party Punch. Recipes are organized by course, so it's as easy as pie for the reader to find the perfect dish for the long community table. Seven 1950s menus-with-recipes for gatherings such as a Card Party and a Ladies Club Luncheon will help today's savvy host create memorable retro gatherings for friends and family. Food and entertaining lore gleaned from the cookbooks and the authors' recollections of growing up in the Fabulous Fifties transport readers back to a time when shared food and hospitality reigned supreme. Rae Katherine Eighmey is a food historian who has written several books of recipes and lore, including Hearts and Homes and A Prairie Kitchen (MHS Press). Debbie Miller is a historian and aficionado of community cookbooks who works as a reference specialist at the Minnesota Historical Society. Dave Wood is the author of numerous books about midwestern culture.