Cooking Advice for Those in Hard Times

Summary

Cooking Advice for Those in Hard Times is a collection of recipes and culinary advice for those that are going through times of trouble and shortage. It is geared towards peasants and those of meager means. This book, written by Olwenna Browett, uses simple language and plenty of images to teach anyone to cook and prepare their kitchen. It does not assume anyone's wealth or status and is portrayed as a guide for those needing to learn how to cook during hard times.   It includes easy recipes for foodstuffs like Oatcakes, Pottage, and more. It also has instructions on how to prep your stone oven or hearth for baking, or how to get by with limited tools and supplies.  

Writing and Popular Reception

Cooking Advice for Those in Hard Times was written by Olwenna Browett, a native of Heldrin. Before she wrote this book she lived with her four children and spouse in a small collection of peasant farms less than a day from Sumner. Sadly Browett was widowed during the Bone Wars and was left to care for her children alone. Less than two years after her spouse's death she would compete the first version of her book. Which she initially wrote as a simple collection of her own recipes and methods, in which she only intended for personal use.   However, on occasion, she would lend the book out to a neighbour or friend. The unnamed collection quickly became popular amongst the small community, with all of Browlett’s neighbours clamouring to be the next one to borrow it.   Eventually, her neighbours convinced her to write a more comprehensive version and submit it for a larger scale publication. Once finished, she reached out to an old friend of her spouse, a scribe, who worked in one of the many merchants quarters of Sumner. The scribe would broker a book distribution deal for a limited release on behalf of Browett.   This limited release would sell out quickly, becoming a must-own book for the residents of Sumner and surrounding farming communities. It was praised as being the most accessible and easily understood collection of culinary teachings and recipes. Many more printings would be made and it continues to sell regularly to this day, nearly twenty years after it’s initial publication.   Olwenna Browett has continued to release new culinary books over the years, and now has a series of cookbooks for various levels of skill and wealth. She and her family now live a luxurious lifestyle and live in a beautiful home in Sumner. A rare turnaround for a widowed peasant in Heldrin.