I noticed this at my local library as a Staff Pick on a kiosk. I have the other Beekman cookbook and found the recipes I tried from that book were successful.

The recipes aren't all heirloom (Rocky Road Potstickers), but the book itself is beautifully done, although some of the recipes are Cardamom Cake with Coffee Glaze, Olive Oil Pound Cake and Toasted Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango Sauce.

I will probably be adding this to my cookbook collection. ( )

Review first published on fefferbooks.com. A free advanced reader copy of this book was provided by Rodale Books in exchange for an honest review. The review below is in no way influenced by this consideration.

I have to admit to being duped, a little, by The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook. Some of you may have seen my Facebook post, excitedly exclaiming about getting to review a cookbook full of recipes from the early 19th century. Um…whoops? All I can say is, even proficient readers miss things in their excitement sometimes because, HELLO, the info is RIGHT THERE in the synopsis:

…what began as a way to reconnect with their own style of modern country living soon exploded into a wildly successful brand, Beekman 1802, named after their historic home.

Oh. To quote Liz Lemon, “Uh, doi!”

That said, the book is beautiful: filled with fabulous food photography and tasty-sounding desserts (Chocolate Rocky Road Potstickers? Sweet Green Tomato Hand Pies?), all organized by season, so that the home cook can look up a dessert that will work perfectly with whatever produce is fresh (or, in the case of Winter, what we love to eat when it’s cold outside–AKA chocolate.). It’s a great concept, and the book is beautiful.

I confess to being a little disappointed by the layout of the book: the recipes are nicely written, but these days, it’s fairly surprising not to have a photo of each recipe alongside the text. Several are skipped altogether, and I thought that was a shame. A lot of the plates are shots of the Beekman Boys on the farm–nice, pastoral shots, to be sure, but not really that relevant to the cooking, itself.

As for the recipes, as much as I adore baking, I have yet to try one. I bought peaches, thinking I’d make the Peach Cobbler, then found in the end, I wanted Ina Garten’s, instead. Many of the recipes have a universal quality: i.e., they’re universally appealing, and for that reason, you may find you already have a version of each you prefer. Then again, maybe not, and this compilation is quite nice.

3 stars. ( )

he Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook

Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Brent Ridge, Sandy Gluck

This is one beautiful cookbook. The photos are worth having the book but the recipes are very inciting. I was very impressed how they divided the chapters into seasons of recipes. The chapter started with a picture of the home in the season followed by seasonal produce photos and recipes. This really made the cookbook quite impressive. If you are looking for heirloom type vegetables recipes for different seasons this would be the cookbook for you. I really can’t wait to try some of these recipes when my garden begins producing produce.Now I want to go outside to plant some seeds but because it is January it is still only 20 degrees outside. ( )

(93) Many of us first "met" the Beekman Boys on their reality television show or the Martha Stewart program, and it's easy to think that their dessert cookbook will have many of the mammal-chasing shenanigans of their early farmer days. Instead, this cookbook reeks with Americana elegance. The recipes chosen, say the authors, reflect those that have stood the test of time (or will do so), were easy to make, and had easily-procured ingredients. The early pages include classics like lemon meringue pie and new favorites like Rocky Road potstickers (a s'more-like dessert packed in potsticker dough) and malted milk ball-studded brownies. Each recipe includes space on the page where readers can jot the customizations that will make the Beekman's recipe your new go-to. Accompanying the recipes are artful, nearly sepia-toned full-page photographs. Highly recommended, whether you like to cook or just to let your mouth water. ( )

Styled like the older cookbooks I used to flip through as a child while my grandmother flittered around the kitchen, this cookbook brings those cherished recipes to our homes with easy to follow steps. Sure to please and bring tasty results, or even strike up conversation from the coffee-table. About the only thing I didn't like was the lack of photos showing what each recipe should look like. I enjoyed looking through this. A great addition to the kitchen library. ( )