part is when I get to be let out of jail,” says John. (A variation of Megan’s
cheddar-scallion biscuits, from the couple’s courtship days, appears in the
new edition and here on p. 100.)
As Megan says, “We both feel very beholden to Irma and Marion’s legacy
and what they worked so hard to create, and [we] want to do right by them.
We like to think that they would have continued to update the book to remain
useful and relevant to readers.”
After that fateful day in the basement, John has found a measure of peace
in his role as the future of Joy and the co-interpreter of his great-grandmother’s
vision. “I have a sense of belonging, and a sense of finality. All of a sudden,
this decision that was before me had been taken away. It was a really good
feeling—and also incredibly sad. When I read the letters and see what Joy
means to people, I get a profound sense of needing to improve, needing to
contribute, needing to make Irma and Marion’s voices heard. hat may sound
weird, because we’re pretty much rewriting the whole book. But this is how
the spirit of what they were writing would translate now into us.”
Don’t worry, I tell them. It was bequeathed to you two. And you have earned
every bit of this joy.Joy of Cooking spans nearly a century of
American history, from its first publication
during the Great Depression to its forth-
coming ninth edition, due out in 2019.
Remembering the head-spinning experi-
ence of first self-publishing the book in
1931, Irma’s daughter, Marion, recalled,“Modern woman is faced with tasks almost
as diversified as St. Martha’s, and cooking
is not the least of the problems she must
meet with intelligence and understanding.”
Her illustration of St. Martha appeared on
the cover of the first edition, as well as its
1998 reissue, pictured below.90 Years of Joy
The 1998 facsimile of the
1931 first edition features
Irma Rombauer’s original
recipes and prologue.The 1943 edition included
recipes using substitutes
for ingredients subject to
wartime rationing.A section devoted to frozen
foods—a new postwar
commodity—debuted in
the 1951 edition.The 1964 edition is the first
that Marion revised without
her mother, Irma, whose
health had declined.In 1975, Ethan, Marion’s
son, came on as a
contributor; this is the
bestselling edition of Joy.The controversial 1997
edition for the first time
included recipes from paid
food professionals.99PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY THE JOY OF COOKING
visitcaymanislands.com
Cayman Cookout
January 16- 20, 2019
Eric Ripert is joined by celebrated chefs for a
medley of demonstrations and tastings that tout our
status as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean.Batabano
May 4, 2019
Named for the tracks turtles make as
they come to nest, our annual carnival is
a vibrant tapestry of Caymanian culture.Flowers Sea Swim
June 15, 2019
Whether you’re an Olympian or a first-timer,
here’s an open-water competition for all strokes
of life. What started as a one-mile, open-water
swim now also includes a 5K and a 10K swim.