Month: February 2018

Cooking was an important part of my childhood. My mother, with her German background, filled our home with the many recipes her mother taught her. Pot lids rattled under the steam, sweet smells escaped from the oven, spatulas with cookie dough were offered with a smile. The kitchen was the heart of my home. For the first number of years, I kneeled on a chair to see over the counter to watch as my mother taught me the fine art of cooking. She disclosed secret ingredients that “made all the difference” and demonstrated cooking techniques. Later, when I was ten, my mother allowed me to partake in the cooking process–simple tasks of whisking egg whites until they formed snowy peaks, carefully measuring ingredients, and stirring, stirring, stirring. To this day, I still love preparing meals, experimenting with exotic spices and recipes, and tinkering to create a new, totally amazing meal. And the kitchen is still the heart of my home.

Today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday shows that cooking an important meal is by far more important than bruising from sleeping on a well-cushioned pea.

Without further adieu…

Princess and the Peas. Yes, you read that right. Peas (plural).

Title – Princess and the Peas

Written by – Rachel Himes

Illustrated by – Rachel Himes

Published by – Charlesbridge – 2017

Topics – Fairytale twist, mother and son, cooking.

Opening – Ma Sally was the best cook in CharlestonCounty, South Carolina. Everybody knew it, especially Ma Sally. When she fixed supper, the tables groaned under crocks of collard greens, piles of sweet potatoes, and heaps of hot rolls. But Ma Sally was most famous for her black-eyed peas. When she brought them to the Sunday evening potluck at First Baptist, folks lined up ist to get a taste.

Amazon’s Review –  View it HERE. In this adaptation of The Princess and the Pea, Ma Sally cooks the best black-eyed peas in Charleston County, South Carolina. Her son, John, is a highly eligible bachelor, and three local women vie for his hand in marriage by attempting to cook as well as Ma. At the last minute, a surprise contestant named Princess arrives at the door. Princess and John are well-matched, but Princess has her own ideas. When told she has won John’s hand, she asks him to scrub the pots and pans before she’ll give him an answer. Her answer, it turns out, is that she wants to spend some time getting to know John first.

Why do I like this book? The author’s story behind this version of Princess and the Pea answers this question perfectly. Ms. Himes wondered why, in the original telling of this story, was it so important that the princess be sensitive enough to feel a pea through all those mattresses? Focusing on things that are truly important, she has created a story which places the emphasis on love and family. This story shows us that being a capable woman who can cook a fine meal is far more important than being overly delicate. And what man would prefer a wife who bruises over the slightest discomfort to a wife who can cook up the finest meal in town? As an added bonus, the recipe for the scrumptious pot of black-eyed peas is included in the book!

If you have a family favorite meal that was passed down to you, feel free to share it in the comments.