The Secret Garden (1993) is a movie that I found comforting yet vaguely scary to watch as a child - it being a gateway piece of gothic media, I guess- and I loved the novel once I read is as an adult, then with an all-new perspective of the story. So, being a massive fan of Mrs. Crocombe, I of course I would dip right into a cookbook with recipes either found inside or inspired by the novel that is the epitome of coziness to me. Almost every page provides trivia and simplified insights into the culinary world and household customs of 19th century Britain, including tea traditions, so-called Anglo-Indian cuisine, and picnic suggestions. With adorable illustrations and mostly beginners' level dishes, it's a cute present idea for children who are just experiencing their Victorian period drama phase (I wasn't the only one, was I?).

***I received a digital copy through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

how to cook

This book is telling me so much I didn't know about Victorian dining habits, tea, kitchen gardens, Yorkshire favorites, so much! And so well organized and appealingly designed. I am thoroughly enjoying this book.

I received an ARC of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

I loved The Secret Garden as a child and still adore it today, so I jumped at the chance to read this Secret Garden cookbook! And what a gorgeous traditional cookery book it is! This book would make a beautiful addition to any cookery book collections or shabby chic kitchens!
I love how each section of the book tells you information about things back in the victorian times such as the foods they ate, how they cooked the food/meals they made and also how they served it.
Some recipies are simple and some a little more complex, and I loved how it also included some Indian dishes and simple picnic foods aswell.
Honestly, this book is beautiful and I'm so glad to have been given the chance to read and review it.

Like my review? Check out my blog at https://taleofabookworm.blogspot.com/

Amy Cotler clearly spent a good amount of time researching the industrial era of England for when The Secret Garden takes place. The original book portrays this time period very differently than how it actually was. There were some severe social issues taking place during this time, poverty and classicism just to name a couple. Cotler was very thoughtful as to how she approached this book and selected the recipes she featured.

In the margins of each recipe are quotes, old poems, illustrations, and interesting facts about the recipe she is featuring. These little tidbits give added interest into each recipe and often clarify something that I didn't already know. This book is broken up into sections such as Yorkshire Breakfasts, The Kitchen Garden, Dickon's Cottage Food, and more. The beginning of each section gives a brief history of the type of recipes she has chosen to give readers some historical context.

This was in the juvenile section of our library, and while I agree that The Secret Garden is a juvenile read, the recipes in this book are, in my opinion. mostly too advanced and/or tedious for juveniles to undertake. There are some recipes that are more simple, but most of the recipes will need a parent to do much of the work. This is still an interesting look at history through the eyes of food for kids.

Many of these recipes are English, so I'm not sure how much my American palate will appreciate them. That being said, I plan on purchasing a copy of this book in the future and trying out some of the recipes mentioned! I've heard that it can be kind of difficult to come across a copy of this book nowadays, so here's hoping I can find one!

Adding this beautiful addition to my bookish cookbook collection! The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books to read while I was growing up, and this cookbook definitely brings back the magic! Such creative and fun recipes, inspired me to have a tea party with my niece. With so many recipes, there's something in here for everyone, although the desserts are my favorite options. A wonderful treat for fans of the story!

The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books when I was younger, and one of my daughter's favorites at the same age. The original book has enchanted several generations. My nieces were my chosen helpers when testing these recipes. They found all of them easy to follow with great results and thoroughly enjoyed my version of the original story, taking both recipes and my well loved copy of the book home to try more. This cookbook helped make some very good memories in this household. Try it yourself and see how many smiles you can make!

Last year I had the pleasure of reviewing another cookbook by Amy Cotler, The Little Women Cookbook. This series of cookbooks is based on recipes and foods that the characters of these books might have eaten or that the book mentioned. The Little Women Cookbook was a finalist in the Goodreads' Choice Awards for 2019. Now we have The Secret Garden Cookbook full of new and delicious recipes to try - and try them I did!!

I've been baking "biscuits" since I was a tiny girl - young, not skinny, I've never been skinny. These, however, are far and away the best that I've ever made or eaten!! Okay, so their official name is "Savory Muffins Spiked with Cheese," but I call them AMAZING. If you live in the US and have eaten the Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits then you will love this recipe! I've tried every "knock off" recipe on Pinterest and they all failed. We baked these and TADA - the best cheddar cheese biscuit - ever!

There are recipes for a Proper Pot of English Tea, Cucumber Sandwiches for your garden party and so many puddings among them Sticky Toffee Pudding and Yorkshire pudding. Some of you may bake these on a regular basis but just try finding a good recipes for these here in the US. It can't be done! My favorite, however, was The Best Sticky Gingerbread Parkin! My friends, you have not tasted a proper gingered bread until you have tasted this! It is was to die for and absolutely perfect for cold winter nights!

There are simply too many recipes to name them all but I can assure you, as someone who owns a Bed and Breakfast, this is a must own cookbook for those who love to bake as well as anyone who loves The Secret Garden!

You can see photos and more reviews on my blog: https://wordpress.com/post/macsbooks3...

I absolutely love bookish cookbooks! They make me happy in my heart. :) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is one of my favorite classic children's books. I've loved the story of a sad little girl discovering a hidden, overgrown garden and bringing it back to life since I was a little girl myself. So, of course, I jumped at the chance to review the new edition of this cookbook!

This book is definitely going into my collection of bookish cookbooks! Each section of the book has a bit about the Victorian traditions regarding food, serving food, and cooking meals. Each recipe is accompanied by a bit of background, color photographs and illustrations, and a concise, easy to follow, recipe. The layout is easily readable, and visually appealing. The recipes are varied, ranging from main courses to tea and lighter fare such as cucumber sandwiches. It also includes some dishes from India and picnic foods.

Lovely cookbook! And definitely an awesome companion for a much beloved classic book!

**I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book from Quarto Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

If you loved _The Secret Garden_, you will love this book as it brings back to life Dikon's family and Mistlewaite Manor house through food traditions and recipes from the 19th C. Readers get a look into what Dikon's family would have eaten in comparison to Colin's family. Many anecdotes about Victorian era eating and gardening traditions are included. There is even a section on the foods Mary would have enjoyed while she was living in India- the combining of English and foods of India. Think coriander, curry, bacon pancakes. I read this book with a friend from England, so she was able to explain and talk about many of the dishes that to American readers might be new such as Stotty Cake, Tattie Broth, Oatcakes, Welsh Rabbitt, Roly Polys, and more. Lovingly illustrated - a must for _The Secret Garden_ and food fans.

I loved this cookbook. Though it's aimed at children who have read The Secret Garden, it speaks well to adults too. It makes me want to reread the book. It's been years since I read it.
The time is Victorian England; the place Yorkshire. The people include locals and a young girl Mary who has returned from India after her parents died. Mary is rather sickly and Colin, a resident young boy is actually ill.
Getting out in the garden helps both of them gain healthy appetites. This cookbook gives both recipes they did or might have eaten and fillers about the time and place and food. Small woodcut illustrations in green highlight each page.
Each chapter contains from 5 to 8 recipes, mostly 6. Chapters are: Yorkshire Breakfasts; A Manor Lunch; An English Tea; The Kitchen Garden (this is the chapter with 8 recipes); Dickon's Cottage Food; A Taste of India; Garden Picnics.
Highly recommended to those who have loved The Secret Garden, those interested in English cooking and anybody interested in the Victorian period.

An unexpectedly deep look at some tough subjects for a juvenile cookbook. Cotler starts things right off the bat admitting that the Secret Garden takes place in a Never-Never Land version of England, addressing the fact that the Industrial Revolution left the country with some serious social issues, among them, poverty and starvation. Also, classism was a wee bit of a problem.

The book includes histories about different foods, recipes for all occasions, discussions of who ate what and when, where the food was coming from, and what menus were typical for different age and social groups. Cotler gets into how the foods tie into the themes of the book of growth and health as well as covering the fact that the foods all represent a cuisine that is not just British but distinctly Yorkshire in its flavor, with discussion on that particular culture.

Then, in a completely unexpected bonus at the end, she includes some British-Indian dishes while discussing the oppressive colonialism that lead to some opportunitive cuisine.

My one point of disagreement was the fact she is so insistent The Secret Garden is set in the late Victorian age, while I would argue (admitting perhaps to influence from some of the film adaptions) that the book has a much more Edwardian feel to it.

Hoping to try my hand at ‘summer pudding’ this weekend. :-)