The Fallingwater Cookbook: Elsie Henderson's Recipes and Memories

This is a lovely book. It's as much a memoir as a cookbook, and a delightful read. Elsie tells her story and the story of her life with the Kaufmanns at Falling Water, giving the reader a real insight into her life and their lives at that time. We have since been to Falling Water to visit and this book was a really good preparation for that.

As a huge fan of both Frank Lloyd Wright and especially Falling Water, and having visited the home many glorious times, I loved reading all the little tidbits about both the Kaufmann family and their famous house. If you are the type that wishes you could see the rooms they DON'T show you on house tours, you will enjoy the behind-the-scenes recollections of the Kaufmann's longtime cook. And if you love food, and have a nostalgia for "party" food of the 50s and 60s like I do, you will find yourself lost in her recipes.My only criticism is that the recipes at the end of the book, supplied by the co-authors, are not complementary to the earlier ones.They rely on overly complicated techniques and are a bit ostentatious next to the lovely, simple, honesty of the original Falling Water recipes which so often used fresh, seasonal and local foods. I am pretending that the end of the book simply does not exist, since the rest of the book is delightful as it stands.

I recently found out that Elise is my great aunt and I purchased the book to learn more about her and what she has accomplished in her life. She’s an amazing woman!

Elsie Henderson, Chef Bob Sendall and I (retired Pittsburgh Post-Gazette food editor Suzanne Martinson) are thrilled to have "The Fallingwater Cookbook" available as an eBook. With the help of photographer Linda Mitzel, we have added a dozen photos, including Elsie's 100th birthday parties in September 2013. The color photos of the farm-to-table foods add to the delight of eating like the avant-garde Kaufmanns, the Pittsburgh department store family who owned -- and loved -- the famed house above the waterfall designed for them by Frank Lloyd Wright.Elsie, who cooked there for more than 15 years, continues to revisit that magical place with so many memories of her life there. Go for the delicious, foolproof, kitchen-tested recipes, and stay for Elsie's wonderful stories of cooking for the rich and famous of Western Pennsylvania. We can't help but love this book. We think you will, too.

Very interesting!

Bought this as a gift for my sister, who loves Fallingwater. We grew up not far from there, but now live far across the country. So we know the history and all the gossip about this house. Visited it many times, so this book was a treat for her. Doubt if she will ever make any of the recipes but she does enjoy the stories and pictures that are included.

I like to cookbook. I met to cook in person.

Great book. Excellent condition.