I was incredibly charmed by this quaint little book about dining and dinner parties—which was originally published in 1892! I adore cookbooks that you can "read" (similar to cookbooks by Gladys Taber and Nigel Slater) and, even more, I love anything that has to do with entertaining from past decades. This subject is absolutely fascinating to me!
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| The Little Dinner with The Magic Pantry Tarot Deck—A Perfect Pairing! |
The Little Dinner by Christine Terhune Herrick (published by the wonderful NYC publishing company, Quite Literally Books) had me smirking, surprised, amused and completely enthralled from the very beginning. I made notes and bookmarked several passages to refer to later—not that I'll be giving a 1800s-themed little dinner party any time soon! 😆
I also found it interesting that, to this author (or perhaps in this time period), a "little dinner" consisted of at least 8 people and a minimum of 3 full meal courses. To me, a little dinner means simply dinner for myself or perhaps crackers and peanut butter (or hummus) with a hot cup of tea and some fruit! A baked potato added if I was really hungry. But, yikes! People coming to MY little dinner would have been deeply disappointed...and hungry!
My favorite sections were the ones discussing the table set up and dining room decor. The color scheme suggestions were wonderfully funny and also informative (if this combination can ever go together in a good way!). It was also a great delight to read through every recipe (I didn't pass over a single one, even though I'm vegan) and learn the types of foods/meals that guests would expect in the late 1800s. Frankly, I'm glad I missed all of that extra fat and meat. So much butter and deep frying! My arteries felt a bit clogged after reaching the index at the end 😱
All in all, reading this gorgeous edition by Quite Literally Books made my experience all the more enjoyable and simply a wonderful treat. Their books are so easy to read from in every way—French flaps, perfect spacing, easy-to-read fonts and a joy to hold in the hands (especially while reading in bed!)
If you're a vintage/antique cookbook lover like I am, you NEED The Little Dinner in your collection. Not only because the cover design is dazzingly attractive, but because the content is solidly engaging and thought provoking. At least a 4🌟 read! Be prepared to stay up late into the night reading this book...and, perhaps, have a snack on hand just in case you get the munchies (he he).
Endless gratitude and thanks to the awesome and always friendly QLB Team for sending me this book (and two others!) for me to read and review. The Little Dinner is a GEM!
I truly hope they will republish some of her other non-fiction books, as well! I would love to read more 😁📚
QLB, please republish more of Christine Terhune Herrick's titles! I'm very intrigued by:
❊ Cradle and Nursery
❊ First Aid to the Young Housekeeper
❊ Sunday Night Suppers
❊ Housekeeping Made Easy
❊ What to Eat, How to Serve It
❊ The Expert Maid-Servant
I can't wait to read Herland and Who Would Have Thought It? next! 🤩🌟🥳💜📚
Don't forget to check out my previous Quite Literally Books blog post!
Which title would you choose to read first? Tell me in the comments below 😍
Happy December, Friends! I hope to share at least one more blog post before the end of year. I hope it will be my TOP FAVORITE 25 BOOKS of 2025!
Much love, as always! 💕❄️🤗❄️💕
