Picture Book Biography – The Fabulous Fannie Farmer

THE FABULOUS FANNIE FARMER:
Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook

Written by Emma Bland Smith

Illustrated by Susan Reagan

(Calkins Creek; $18.99, Ages 7-10)

 Starred Review – School Library Journal

Written by Emma Bland Smith and illustrated by Susan Reagan, The Fabulous Fannie Farmer is a humorous and fascinating story of a quiet, kitchen revolutionist who transformed the notion of home cooking from “meaningless” work to a serious business. 

Like many girls during the late 1800s, Fannie Farmer most likely grew up learning how to cook in her home kitchen, using recipes that had been in her family for generations. Yet recipes in Fannie’s day were more poetic than precise. Phrases like “a suspicion of,” “a good lump,” and “as many as may be necessary” not only hindered consistent results but perpetuated the myth that cooking was “all about feminine instincts.” I love how author Emma Smith emphasizes the strangeness and silliness of this misguided belief by adding humor to her storytelling. Sentences like, “instructions were often cloudier than clam chowder” and “… who needs standard measurements when you’ve got your trusty feminine instincts, right?” create a light-hearted, conversational tone that brings Smith’s retelling of culinary history to life. Susan Reagan’s period-perfect illustrations add whimsy and authenticity, allowing readers to see what life was like at the turn of the last century. 

Despite suffering the aftereffects of (what many believe was) polio, Fannie continued to cook and bake in her kitchen, testing out recipes with precision by using measuring cups and spoons. When she enrolled in the Boston Cooking School at age thirty-one, Fannie truly excelled. As a student, then assistant, and finally a principal, she taught her students to think like “kitchen scientists.” 

When she fulfilled her wish to rewrite the school’s old cookbook, she and her students tested every recipe, transforming the school’s kitchen into a chemistry lab. Fannie paved the way for cooks and bakers everywhere to finally have access to clear and precise recipes with reliable results. But more than that, Fannie created a cultural shift in the way people thought about home cooking. Since it involved “planning and budgeting, health and nutrition,” she insisted the work deserved serious recognition. 

The Fabulous Fannie Farmer opens readers’ eyes to the importance of Fannie’s impact on our everyday lives. A great resource for teachers, this book can also be fun for readers at home, learning a bit of culinary history while snacking on a treat. Two recipes from Fannie’s book and extensive back matter are included.

• Reviewed by Armineh Manookian

Click here for a soup recipe.