The Automat: The History, Recipes, and Allure of Horn & Hardart's Masterpiece
Author: Lorraine Diehl, Marianne Hardart
List Price: $18.00
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ISBN: 0609610740
Publisher: Clarkson Potter (19 November, 2002)
Sales Rank: 53,639
Average Customer Rating: 4 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 2 out of 5
Good nostalgia, inauthentic recipes
Waiting with bated breath to try the recipe for Horn & Hardart's "authentic" macaroni and cheese, which I remember well from childhood, it was immediately apparent that this recipe is far from "authentic". The original recipe used a large, straight macaroni, while the book's recipe calls for "elbow macaroni". Oops. The original had bits of tomato, the book's recipe omits the tomato. Oops again. I didn't care to try what is clearly misrepresented as "authentic".Having said that, the nostalgia and history aspect of the book is quite good. But having purchased the book for the recipes, this was very disappointing. If you enjoy reading the history of the automat, this book is for you. If you're considering buying the book for the "authentic" recipes, save your money.
Rating: 4 out of 5
But the recipes aren't there...
As someone who grew up in Philadelphia it was fun reading about my childhood memories. The big problem is the derth of recipes.
The original ones. I have been writing to cookbook publishers for years begging for a Horn & Hardart Cookbook. I thought this would be it since it was written by a relative of one of the founders. No such luck. But if you have only heard about The Automat and never eaten there this is a fun read about a very special place.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Nice, but perhaps an ingredient is lacking
My Cousin knows the author, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I was delighted to find my cousin quoted on Pg 23(!) but the rest of the book seems to be missing something. It's undoubtedly put together with a great deal of love and affection, but I felt that the book was intended for people who can remember eating at Automats. I never had the privledge, and this book doesn't fill in the details. As another reviewer pointed out there are constant descriptions of the distinctive coffee dispensers, but not one single good picture of one.
The recipies are a nice touch, but why stick them here and there? To be really useful they should have been all together. The layout is choppy to the point of being confusing at times.
I suppose I would have wanted a book with some more technical nuts-and-bolts information on the mechanical aspect of the Automat, but this book isn't aimed at the hard core diner and restaurant fan. It's a nice light pleasant book, and an affectionate obituary for a sadly past age.
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