Thanksgiving is Only One Week Away! Let Cosimo Help You Prepare with a Classic Cookbook!

Are you frantically trying to clean the house for your guests and prepare mounds of food for the fast-approaching Thanksgiving holiday? Look no further, these classic cookbooks and household guides are sure to bring you comfort, advice, and possibly, a few laughs.

Old Time Recipes For Home Made Wines, Cordials and Liqueurs from Fruits, Flowers, Vegetables and Shrubs by Helen Wright

Old Time Recipes, originally published in 1909, is a descriptive, charming cookbook for those who want to make their own wines and liqueurs from any and all available ingredients, including fruits, flowers, vegetables, and shrubs. It includes an introduction from the author and the ingredients and instructions for making and fermenting your own spirits, from wine and ale to sherry, brandy, cordials, and even soda. Not only is this book interesting for those who want access to recipes from the old country, it's also good for those looking for a laugh: cock ale, cowslip wine, koumiss (a tartar wine that uses fresh mare's milk), and elephant's milk recipes are all included.

Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book and Household Guide by Isabella Mary Beeton

Isabella Mary Beeton was the 19th century's Martha Stewart, and she is responsible for organizing the rules of domestic life into the first easy-to-follow guide. Eminently browsable and still highly useful today, Beeton's tome is a masterly compendium of practical information, and covers such essential topics as: recipes of cooking all manner of meat, fish, vegetable, pudding, and pastry; hints on the proper arrangement of a functional kitchen; ideas for table decorations (including the correct way to fold napkins); tips for carving poultry; charts on the seasons and prices (in the 1800s, of course) of all manner of edibles; and much more.

The Cook's Oracle by William Kitchiner

Care for a bit of Colcannon? Craving some Winter Hotch-Potch? Wishing for Wow-Wow Sauce? This newly released edition of The Cook's Oracle is an exact replica of Dr. Kitchiner's original book first published in 1829. A bestseller in its day, Kitchiner's fundamentals of 19th-century cookery cover the gamut from meat & fish to gravies & sauces to puddings & pies, including many of his favorite "receipts." Interestingly enough, he toured with a moveable taste cabinet; a folding cupboard stocked his unique mustards and sauces. And, unlike most food writers of the era, he whipped up the recipes himself, carried out the dreaded after-dinner clean up, and did all his own housework! A marvelous culinary artifact of 19th-century cookery, this book is certain to delight both social historians and food-lovers alike.

National Cookery Book: America's First Cook Book by Elizabeth D. Gillespie

Compiled in honor of the American centennial in 1876 and consisting of recipes solicited from American women all over this country, this 1876 work is the best reflection we have today of how and what Americans ate in the mid 19th century. But this isn't just a vital work of culinary history—it's also bound to make you hungry for the hearty fare it promotes. Renowned for its extensive selection of recipes for cooking game (venison, rabbit, and game birds were staples of the American diet at the time), but instructions for preparing them became hard to find after game fell out of favor. This book also includes such delicious-sounding dishes as: New Orleans Gumbo Soup, Barbecued Fish, Oyster Omelet, Beefsteak Pie, Squabs in Olives, General Washington's Breakfast Cake, and Sweet Potato Pudding.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Cosimo!

Need Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas? Grab one of these Cosimo Classics!

Are you frantically trying to clean the house for your guests and prepare mounds of food for the fast-approaching Thanksgiving holiday? Look no further, these classic cookbooks and household guide are sure to bring you comfort, advice, and possibly, a few laughs.

Old Time Recipes For Home Made Wines, Cordials and Liqueurs from Fruits, Flowers, Vegetables and Shrubs by Helen Wright

Old Time Recipes, originally published in 1909, is a descriptive, charming cookbook for those who want to make their own wines and liqueurs from any and all available ingredients, including fruits, flowers, vegetables, and shrubs. It includes an introduction from the author and the ingredients and instructions for making and fermenting your own spirits, from wine and ale to sherry, brandy, cordials, and even soda. Not only is this book interesting for those who want access to recipes from the old country, it's also good for those looking for a laugh: cock ale, cowslip wine, koumiss (a tartar wine that uses fresh mare's milk), and elephant's milk recipes are all included.

Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book and Household Guide by Isabella Mary Beeton

Isabella Mary Beeton was the 19th century's Martha Stewart, and she is responsible for organizing the rules of domestic life into the first easy-to-follow guide. Eminently browsable and still highly useful today, Beeton's tome is a masterly compendium of practical information, and covers such essential topics as: recipes of cooking all manner of meat, fish, vegetable, pudding, and pastry; hints on the proper arrangement of a functional kitchen; ideas for table decorations (including the correct way to fold napkins); tips for carving poultry; charts on the seasons and prices (in the 1800s, of course) of all manner of edibles; and much more.

The Cook's Oracle by William Kitchiner

Care for a bit of Colcannon? Craving some Winter Hotch-Potch? Wishing for Wow-Wow Sauce? This newly released edition of The Cook's Oracle is an exact replica of Dr. Kitchiner's original book first published in 1829. A bestseller in its day, Kitchiner's fundamentals of 19th-century cookery cover the gamut from meat & fish to gravies & sauces to puddings & pies, including many of his favorite "receipts." Interestingly enough, he toured with a moveable taste cabinet; a folding cupboard stocked his unique mustards and sauces. And, unlike most food writers of the era, he whipped up the recipes himself, carried out the dreaded after-dinner clean up, and did all his own housework! A marvelous culinary artifact of 19th-century cookery, this book is certain to delight both social historians and food-lovers alike.

National Cookery Book: America's First Cook Book by Elizabeth D. Gillespie

Compiled in honor of the American centennial in 1876 and consisting of recipes solicited from American women all over this country, this 1876 work is the best reflection we have today of how and what Americans ate in the mid 19th century. But this isn't just a vital work of culinary history—it's also bound to make you hungry for the hearty fare it promotes. Renowned for its extensive selection of recipes for cooking game (venison, rabbit, and game birds were staples of the American diet at the time), but instructions for preparing them became hard to find after game fell out of favor. This book also includes such delicious-sounding dishes as: New Orleans Gumbo Soup, Barbecued Fish, Oyster Omelet, Beefsteak Pie, Squabs in Olives, General Washington's Breakfast Cake, and Sweet Potato Pudding.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Cosimo!

March Classic of the Month: Life of St. Patrick and His Place in History

Today is Saint Patrick's Day and in honor of this Christian holiday we at Cosimo are celebrating by reading our classic of the month: Life of St. Patrick and His Place in History by J.B. Bury.

This renowned biography of the great Catholic saint, famous for converting Ireland to Christianity, is also a stunningly vivid portrait of life in the British Isles in the fifth century. Born in Britain as a Roman citizen and kidnapped by raiders to Ireland as a teenager, where he remained to do his holy work, Patrick's life encapsulates the themes of the era, as the new religion won out of paganism as the Roman Empire fell. Almost as valuable as the biography itself are Bury's complex appendices, which comprise more than half the book, and include such important scholarly details as the author's notes on Patrick's own writings, the memoirs of the saint by other writers including Tírechán and Muirchu, an examination of other Irish source materials, and a look at the historical evidence for such events as the dates of Patrick's birth and captivity, his possible visit to Rome in 432, his consecration, the location of his burial, and much more.
About the Author:
British historian John Bagnell Bury (1861-1927) was professor of modern history at Cambridge. His writings, known for a readability combined with a scholarly depth, include History of the Later Roman Empire (1889), History of Greece (1900), and Idea of Progress (1920). 

Life of St. Patrick and His Place in History is available on Amazon (hardcover and paperback), at Barnes & Noble (hardcover and paperback), and at your favorite bookstores.

Series of the Month: The Complete Works of Charles Dickens

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!"   - A Christmas Carol

With Christmas right around the corner, it's inevitable that Scrooge and Oliver Twist will be popping up on everyone's television. However, Charles Dickens' fascinating works are truest in their original form--books. This month, Cosimo is excited to present The Complete Works of Charles Dickens as our December Series of the Month.

Charles Dickens is iconic, legendary, and masterfully clever. In these thirty beautiful volumes, which include each and every work written by Charles Dickens, readers can immerse themselves in the mind of one of history's most celebrated literary geniuses. He is entirely responsible for the popular image of Victorian London that still lingers today, and his many celebrated characters are mentioned time and time again. But it was his stirring portraits and his fervent cries for social, moral, and legal justice for the working poor in the grim early decades of the Industrial Revolution that powerfully impacted social concerns well into the 20th century.

This essential collector's set will excite librarians, professors, students of literature, and the passionate reader. Cosimo offers this series by individual volume at leading online bookstores or as a full 30-volume set in hardcover or paperback. If you are interested in purchasing the full set, please contact us.
 
The paperback retail list price for this series is: $389.70 but now our price is: $311.99 (you save $77.71 or a 20 percent discount) and free shipping.

The hardcover retail list price for this series is: $899.70, but now our price is: $719.99 (you save $179.71 or a 20 percent discount) and free shipping.

December Classic of the Month: Old Christmas

In the spirit of the holiday season, Cosimo is happy to announce Old Christmas by Washington Irving as our Classic of the month for December!

"After the dance was concluded, the whole party was entertained with brawn and beef, and stout home-brewed. The Squire himself mingled among the rustics, and was received with awkward demonstrations of deference and regard." -- from Christmas Day

Warmly convivial and delightfully festival, this charming and long forgotten holiday classic, by one of American literature's most beloved writers, was inspired, in part, by Dickens' A Christmas Carol and other celebrations of oldtime Yule.

Splendid suppers and rural churches, cheerful dances and hearty spirits imbue this short novel with the magic of the season. This festive work, first published in 1896, deserves to be a holiday tradition alongside Dickens in the celebrations of the winter solstice.

About the Author
American author Washington Irving (1783-1859) wrote extensively in the areas of history and historical biography but is best known for his short fiction, including "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."

Old Christmas is available on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, and at your favorite bookstores. From everyone here at Cosimo, we wish you a very merry and festive holiday season!

December Book of the Month: The Christmas Mice

"Isn't that strange? It took some babies to teach grown-ups to be nice to each other. Do you suppose that has anything to do with Christmas?" - The Christmas Mice

Our festive Book of the Month for the last month of 2015 is The Christmas Mice by John White and illustrated by Dorothy L. Hall.

The Christmas Mice, a tale for children, is a heartwarming story of love and acceptance. It tells of two mice, Roger and Emily, who are outcasts from their community because they are different. One is green, the other is red-the colors of Christmas.

Encouraged by the birth of his children and the beauty of a Christmas tree, Roger teaches the rest of the meadowmice an important lesson about love and brotherhood. As the two main characters gain acceptance and understanding from the other mice, the importance of peace and oneness of all life is sensitively communicated.

The Christmas Mice is a touching tale with a powerful message that will delight young readers of all ages. The book is available in paperback at Amazon, and in paperback at Barnes & Noble. It is also available for your Kindle.


About the Author
John White is an internationally-known author in the fields of consciousness research and higher human development. His writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, Omni, Esquire and Woman's Day, and his books have been translated into ten languages. He holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and a master of arts degree in teaching from Yale University. He has served on the governing and consulting boards of various academic and research organizations. He has also lectured at various colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada, and has made numerous radio and television appearances.

About the Illustrator
Dorothy L. Hall is an illustrator, art teacher, and cartoonist. She worked as a visual journalist for 20 years and taught Newspaper Design and Magazine Editing and Production at Southern Conn. State University. During the 70’s she was a muralist for the Peabody Museum in New Haven, Connecticut, and has had seven one-woman shows of her paintings.

Holiday Selections for the Book Worm

As the holidays approach, we'd like to offer some suggestions for the Book Worm in your family.

You can check out our Classic Holiday Books page here, but we'd like to make some additional suggestions for the various types of literature lovers in your family.

FOR THE READER WHO LOVES CHRISTMAS STORIES:

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, by L. Frank Baum


From the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, comes a charming work that imagines Santa Claus was raised by a fairy  queen in an enchanted forest. This wonderful paperback tale explains why Santa travels at night, enters homes by chimney, and how Santa ended up traveling with the eight reindeer we know so well. [B&N/Amazon]

FOR THE READER WHO LOVES FAIRY TALES:

Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, by Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm

Any fairy tale lover will enjoy this replica of an 1886 edition of tales by the Brothers Grimm. This lovely addition features 53 of their beloved stories, translated by Lucy Crane and featuring line drawings by her brother, William Crane. These wonderfully creepy tales are available in hardcover and paperback. [B&N/Amazon]


FOR THE READER WHO EMBRACES THE SUPERNATURAL:

Mothman and Other Curious Encounters, by Loren Coleman

This haunting book details encounters with strange and wondrous creatures, including thunderbirds, lizardmen, and the infamous Mothman. It even includes extensive appendices that detail areas of the US that suffer from "high strangeness"--an affinity for supernatural phenomena and unusual occurrences. Mothman is a great introduction to cryptozoology scholarship, and one of many unique cryptozoology titles available at Cosimo in paperback or digital formats. [B&N/Kindle/Amazon/ePub formats]

FOR THE READER WHO LOVES AMERICAN HISTORY:

Abraham Lincoln: A History (10 volume set), by John M. Hay and John G. Nicolay

Our large collection of American history books includes many works by and about the American Presidency.

 This incredible 10-volume set (available by individual volume or set) details Lincoln's life and administration as told by his personal secretaries, Hay and Nicolay. These replica volumes are available and hardcover or paperback, and feature the original illustrations. History fans can read the whole series or select volumes based on particular interest, including his childhood, early legislative practices, or the Civil War. (Contact us directly for a discounted full-set price.) [Amazon/B&N]

For more suggestions visit our shop to browse by interest.

2012 Holiday Gift Selection: This Season, Offer the Gift of Classics

This holiday season, Cosimo has put together a collection of Christmas and Classics titles sure to delight book lovers of all ages. In addition to the launch of a new Christmas book, we've added favorite titles that make wonderful gifts for friends and loved ones.

Included in our selection is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Gulliver's Travels, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Little Women, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, and The Works of Eugene Field. Read more about this fabulous selection of classics in our press release, and be sure to visit the website for more information.

Our holiday book selection is headlined by a new title and our December book of the month, The Christmas Mice, by John White and illustrated by Dorothy Hall. A tale for children, The Christmas Mice is a heartwarming story of love and acceptance. It tells of two mice, Roger and Emily, who are outcasts from their community because they are different. One is green, the other is red--the colors of Christmas. Encouraged by the birth of his children and the beauty of a Christmas tree, Roger teaches the rest of the meadowmice an important lesson about love and brotherhood. As the two main characters gain acceptance and understanding from the other mice, the importance of peace and oneness of all life is sensitively communicated. The Christmas Mice is a touching tales with a powerful message that will delight young readers of all ages. Read more about this title in the press release.

John White is an internationally-known author in the fields of consciousness research and higher human development. He has published fifteen books, including Everything You Want to Know about TM, Including How to Do It, and his writing has appeared in publications in the United States and abroad. Dorothy Hall has been an accomplished artist all her life; she is also an illustrator art teacher, and cartoonist. You can find her online at dorothyhallarts.com.

Barbara Bizou’s Joy of Family Ritual is May’s Book of the Month

With mother’s day around the corner, it made sense for us to choose a book about families and celebrating families for our book of the month.  Every day families are performing rituals: eating dinner together, celebrating birthdays, taking walks, and more. Most activities families do together become rituals for how they grow and live as a family. 

The Joy of Family Rituals: Recipes for Everyday Living is a recipe book for families who want to further enrich their lives with rituals. By reflecting on the significance of the everyday rituals and making them a part of daily life, families can strengthen their bond. Rituals help a family communicate, foster spiritual connections, and provide a secure foundation for growth. Though rituals are probably already a part of your family life, The Joy of Family Ritual can help incorporate even more rituals into your daily life.

BARBARA BIZIOU is an internationally acclaimed teacher of practical spirituality and global rituals. She is a life coach, voice dialogue facilitator, interfaith minister, and motivational speaker. She has lectured and taught around the world. She currently resides in New York managing her company, Blue Lotus Productions. You can visit her online at www.joyofritual.com. 

As a tribute to upcoming Earth Day, Cosimo picks Earth Fever as April's book of the month

With spring officially here, the trees growing greener, the flowers starting to bloom, and the weather starting to warm up it’s time to announce a new book of the month. April is filled with many important days, holidays, and themes. But here at Cosimo we decided to focus on Earth Day, which falls on Sunday April 22 this year. 

The purpose of Earth Day is to bring awareness to the environmental issues that continue to have an impact on the health of our Earth.  Climate change is warming the Earth up and we need to find a way to cool down the effects our actions are having. Earth Fever: Living Consciously with Climate Change discusses not only the small ways everyone could change their habits to reduce their carbon footprint but also how they could better their own lives by helping the Earth. A truly original take on climate change this book focuses on the individual's growth as well as their ability to effect change in the current environmental woes. To learn more about the book visit EarthFeverBook.com.

• "Links a crisp and clear explanation of the climate problem to a spiritual quest for solutions... Earth Fever is something special... Read it and subsequently do something." -Pierre de Winter, in Platform for Managers and Professionals  
• "Ends with a positive, hopeful scenario. Living more consciously is not only good for our planet, but also for ourselves... The fever can be decreased, we can become healthy again." -Lisette Thooft, in Happinez
• "Inspiring... The authors show that there is a third way, a path that weaves between doomsday thinking and unfounded optimism..." -Derk Hueting and Klaas van Egmond, in Milieu

Authors Judy McAllister, Erik van Praag, and Jan Paul van Soest bring to bear their diverse experience in the fields of sustainability, leadership, and entrepreneurialism on the challenge of building a radically different belief system about life such an endeavor will require.

April Fool's Day, what is it really all about?

 I'm sure you know what April Fools Day is. It's a day when you have an excuse to play all kinds of pranks on anyone and call it a holiday tradition. For instance, you could put a very large spider in your boss's drawer (its safer if its fake) and laugh out loud when they jump out of their chair and fly from their office. Make sure you take credit though, otherwise it's not as fun. But where did it all come from? And why April 1st?

The Romans celebrated Hilaria, which was one day in a week long festival, and was a day of joy and happiness. In The Canterbury tales, Geoffrey Chaucer mentions the 32nd of March, which would technically be the 1st of April, and on that day the rooster is tricked by the fox. During the Middle Ages, when New Years Day was March 25 many areas had a week long celebration that ended on April 1. The thought process being that those who celebrated New Years on January 1, thought those who celebrated a week long New Years festival that ended on April 1 were fools. Therefore the origins are sketchy. And so is the significance of April 1st.

So we don't exactly know why or where, but we certainly know how people celebrate! And it really does vary. In France and Italy they tape cut-out paper fish to each others backs. In England they give you until noon to pull off a prank. If you play a joke after noon you become the April Fool. The US celebrates without any rules, simply trick, lie, joke, and steal (just kidding about that last one stealing is wrong) and call the person afflicted by your actions an April Fool! Start thinking of your pranks now and happy fooling!

Saint Patrick's Day, more than just a break from lent

Saturday is Saint Patrick’s Day. A day that has become associated with leprechauns, beer, and corned beef, is really a celebration of Saint Patrick who was responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland. His technique of using the Shamrock to describe the Holy Trinity is well-known and one of the reasons he was chosen as the Patron Saint of Ireland. 

Saint Patrick’s Day is traditionally celebrated with a church service in the morning, the color green, and an Irish Feast. Many countries now celebrate this holiday and each has their own way of doing so. Ireland has a five day festival that includes parades. Argentina holds an all night party and those in attendance drink nothing but beer. Canada celebrates with one of the longest running St. Patrick’s Day parades in North America. Even Japan celebrates this day with some parades and fun. The United States celebrates with the typical feast, drinking, green adorned celebrations, and of course parades. 

While all these celebrations are great in their own way, they all are focused on one thing: celebrating Saint Patrick, a man who many know very little about. If you’re an avid St. Patrick’s Day celebrator, then perhaps this year you’d like to know a little about the man you’re celebrating. Read The Life of St. Patrick and His Place in History by J.B. Bury to find out more about this fascinating saint who is more widely celebrated than any other saint.