Shaker Your Plate: Of Shaker Cooks and Cooking

"What is Shaker cooking?" asks Sister Frances. "Basically it is plain, wholesome food well prepared." The timeless recipes in this book can hardly be described with more honesty than that. Few call for more than a dozen ingredients, most of which can be found in the average kitchen. The short instructions are easy to follow, and the results show that interesting and tasty food need not be complicated. Indeed, like Shaker furniture and textiles, these recipes are simple but artful.

Sister Frances has collected and perfected these recipes during her thirty years in the kitchen of the Shaker Community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine. Many of them, such as oyster stew and "Shaker fish and egg," had been passed down over the years and were taught to her as a child. Others, such as Brother Ted's Swedish chicken or lemon grapenut pudding, are relatively new and incorporate modern ingredients.

In addition to a wide assortment of recipes, Shaker Your Plate contains several engaging recollections by Sister Frances of Shaker cooks who played an important role in her life. There are also delightful descriptions of the Community's dairy, orchards, and herb farm. There are suggestions for using Shaker culinary herbs and charming pen-and-ink drawings throughout.