What a charming book! With lovely illustrations, quotes from the Secret Garden, beautiful food, and a solid mix of Secret Garden inspired recipes (scones, porridge, and a proper pot of tea!), I am already putting this one on my list of gift ideas for my daughter, a little chef who also happens to love England.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto for providing an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

“The Secret Garden Cookbook, Newly Revised Edition” by Amy Cotler
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I had never read a cookbook before. Well, yes I have read recipes from cookbooks, but never really read one from cover to cover before. Since I do love reading novels set in 1800’s England, and, I have enjoyed reading ‘The Secret Garden’ I requested the opportunity to read this cookbook. This is way more than just a cookbook.. It is loaded with history and connections to the book in it’s title. Even if you do not particularly like to cook, if you do like 1800’s England. I think you really should check out this book. Happy Reading ! !

The Secret Garden is truly a childhood classic. It is a great read aloud for an adult and child. Now, Secret Garden lovers can expand and enhance their experience with the book through this cookbook.

Following an introduction the cookbook is divided into seven sections; these are Yorkshire Breakfasts, A Manor Lunch, An English Tea, From the Kitchen Garden, Dickon’s Cottage Food, A Taste of India and finally, Garden Picnics. The introduction includes information on the reign of Queen Victoria, ruler at the time that the book is set, and the kinds of food that were available to different social classes at that time.

The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs, starting with a statue of Mary and Dickon that is in Central Park in New York City and appealing drawings. There are also many quotes from the book. There are additional interesting facts throughout as well.

Each of the sections begins with an introduction that gives context to the recipes. Some of these are Savory Muffins Spiked with Cheddar Cheese, Roast Chicken with Bread Sauce, Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, A Proper Pot of Tea, Lemon Curd Tartlets, Spring Peas with Fresh Mint, Pease Pudding, Cottage Loaf with a Topknot, Sooji with Fresh Fruit and English Crumpets. It is very tempting to list each recipe as they all look so good, but this is just a sample.

The recipes come with clear and easy to follow directions. Some have as few as three steps so cooks can choose the recipes that they feel most ready to tackle.

All in all, this is a lovely and appealing book. I recommend it highly!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read in exchange for an honest review.

Full Review on The Candid Cover

4.5 Stars

The Secret Garden Cookbook by Amy Cotler is such a fun companion to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. There are so many unique and interesting recipe ideas that are all connected to the classic children’s story. The book is so much more than a book of recipes, as it contains historical facts, quotes from the story, and beautiful images.

Recipe books that are based off of my all-time favourite childhood stories are quickly becoming some of my most treasured books. The Secret Garden Cookbook is one that really immerses you into the world of Mary and Dickson. There are so many descriptions of food in the novel that this book really pulls the themes and the ideas behind Frances Hodgson Burnett’s writing together.

❀ PERFECT LESSON PLAN EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Cotler has divided the recipe book into sections that fit with the novel and would really make perfect extension activities to a lesson plan for the classroom or at home. Each section includes a bit of history from the era of the story, beautiful illustrations, and a quote from the book that fits with the recipes. The offerings include:

Yorkshire Breakfasts

A Manor Lunch

An English Tea

From the Kitchen Garden

Dickson’s Cottage Food

A Taste of India

Garden Picnics

❀ SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS

I was most drawn to the recipes for An English Tea, as Cotler provides instructions for a Proper Pot of tea and Warm Cranberry Scones With Orange Glaze. The instructions were simple and and easy to follow, providing some tasty results. Definitely a book that will inspire some young chefs to create some of the food featured in the story.

If you, or someone you know, is a fan of The Secret Garden, this is one book to add to your collection. It is such a pretty book that is packed full of interesting information and food ideas to accompany the story. It will help make the wait for the new film a little bit easier as well!

This is such a great companion to the book! I wish I had this when I was first introduced to the magical Secret Garden. I can't wait to share this with my kids one day, and try out the recipes of the time period. These look delicious!

And I also like how the author ties in the book with chapter snippets, as well as noting various things from the Victorian Era. Fun and informative!

(This would also be a great book club read for youth at the library. As a once, or twice, a month program where we read a little bit and then do activities beyond the book, like try out a few of these recipes, craft, and garden.)

**I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

This cookbook is beautiful and delightful! Every page has sweet artful touches, fun historical and contextual facts relating to the book, and delicious and authentic recipes. I always loved The Secret Garden and was a little worried that a cookbook would not be able to do it justice. I was wrong! I hope to buy a hard copy of this soon to share with my daughter as we read The Secret Garden together. I know she will love all the applied learning, as well as the delicious rewards at the end! I definitely recommend this book, especially to parents who may be reading the original book with their kids. It really does add a whole new dimension of fun learning!

This is a charming book of traditional British recipes. It also explains the overall conditions of Victorian England and the vast diffferences in diet between socioeconomic classes. It would be a great addition to reading The Secret Garden for a classroom or homeschool, or a nice gift for a child who enjoyed the classic book. Beautiful illustrations and easy to understand recipes make it appropriate for all ages.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

This is a very prettily illustrated book that would make an ideal present for children who are developing an interest in cooking or for adults reminiscing about childhood feel good foods.

Containing recipes for food mentioned in Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden with enticing photography, it is divided into chapters relating to the type of food included such as An English Tea or A Taste of India. 42 recipes are all introduced with a brief introduction offering some facts about the dish and links back to the novel are provided throughout.

All in all, a charming present for summer days.

The Secret Garden Cookbook is a beautiful, beautiful book, with little quotes from the classic tale by Frances Hodgson Burnett tucked in amongst the recipes of Yorkshire breakfasts, Manor lunches and simple cottage fare. There is even a section of recipes titled "A Taste of India", since Mary had lived there.

I read it cover to cover in a day, and savoured the detailed descriptions of what each dish really was. I remember constantly wondering as a child, what these foods were when I read these books set in Victorian England. (Hooray for SingLit these days!)

I loved the little vignettes on how the produce were grown in those days, and the write-up before each section that gives yet more history and background.

I am certainly no cook, but this is one cookbook (and more) that I have thoroughly enjoyed.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my open and honest review.

This book now sits proudly on my cookbook shelf. I liked the e-book version of this book so much that I had to have a physical copy. All I know is that all my favorite books should have to put out a mandatory cookbook. I know this doesn't make sense financially, but that's the new rule.

This book is lovely. Beautiful illustrations, fantastic recipes reminiscent of the story, and gorgeous pictures. It has everything one could want, I tested out the famous Toffee Pudding recipe on page 32. I hear great things about this recipe on British cooking shows but had yet to try it. It was delicious and every bit as wonderful as it is purported to be.

If you are a cookbook aficionado like myself, you will seriously dig this book.

The Secret Garden Cookbook promises to bring to life the food from the classic children's book of the same name written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The majority of the recipes seem quite easy, there are fifty in total spread across beautiful and simple designs.

Some of the food is directly mentioned in the book where as Cotler has also added food that would have been eaten at the time and not just by Mary Lennox or Colin but by their poorer friend Dickon. You would think this almost enough to fill fifty pages but then Cotler does one better and also includes recipes from English ruled India. Here Cotler shows what Mary would have eaten while growing up in India.

I chose this book for one reason I wonted to decide if it was something my "The Secret Garden" obsessed sister would like. I had not even reached the first recipe when I knew that I would be buying this book for her when it comes out.

Filled with a robin, gingham and flower design it is already beautiful add to it the pictures of the food created then it also becomes a salivating display.

I will admit that I was glad to realize that Welsh Rabbit was not an actual Rabbit. And also in the text Irish stew made an appearance so I was glad we were represented.

Having watched the movie only I can see that I missed out on what a big part food was in the book, almost as important as the garden it's self. This is down to Cotler's writing, not only did this book include recipes but also quotes from the book that show how the food and characters related to each other or even how it showed their social statues.

As if all this was not reason enough to love this "Cookbook" Cotler did more, where relevant she has gone in to detail about what real Victorian life was like. Little notes here and there also add atmosphere to what should be referred to as a book.

This is much more than "Mix together until" or "Put in the oven at" this IS a story. I expected a cookbook and got a crash course in The Secret Garden.

Though I'm not a novice at cooking I can not wait to try the easy to follow recipes over Christmas. And now I know what I'll be getting my sister as an Easter present.

Enjoyed this cookbook, there are recipes I look forward to making.