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Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader
Millions of Mitford fans around the world will agree—it’s easy to put on a pound or two reading a Mitford novel. Scene after scene of the bestselling series’ colorful characters enjoying tantalizing dishes can immediately start a craving. Then, before you know it, you’ve read several pages by the glow of the refrigerator lightbulb. Packed with more than 150 recipes from the Mitford novels and from the author’s own recipe box, Jan Karon’s Mitford Cook-book & Kitchen Reader is loaded with tips, hints, jokes, culinary quotes, and delightful side-dish sidebars guaranteed to start a stomach rumbling. From Miss Sadie’s Apple Pie to Puny’s Cornbread, from Emma’s Pork Roast to Marge’s Sweet Tea with Peppermint, beloved characters come alive through their own favorite recipes. Here, too, are Karon’s reminiscences of her own family’s food traditions and—as dessert—four stories never before published in her books. Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader is a charming companion to the Mitford series that will have readers clamoring to bring into their own kitchens the aromas and flavors that swirl within the little town with the big heart.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 21, 2004
18 people are currently reading
762 people want to read
About the author
Jan Karon
144 books2,654 followersBorn Janice Meredith Wilson in 1937, Jan Karon was raised on a farm near Lenoir, North Carolina. Karon knew at a very early age that she wanted to be a writer. She penned her first novel when she was 10 years old, the same year she won a short-story contest organized by the local high school. Karon married as a teenager and had a daughter, Candace.
At 18, Karon began working as a receptionist for a Charlotte, N.C. advertising agency. She advanced in the company after leaving samples of her writing on the desk of her boss, who eventually noticed her talent. Karon went on to have a highly successful career in the field, winning awards for ad agencies from Charlotte to San Francisco. In time, she became a creative vice president at the high-profile McKinney & Silver, in Raleigh. While there, she won the prestigious Stephen Kelly Award, with which the Magazine Publishers of America honor the year's best print campaign.
During her years in advertising, Karon kept alive her childhood ambition to be an author. At the age of 50, she left her career in advertising and moved to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, to pursue that dream. After struggling—and failing—to get a novel underway, Karon awoke one night with a mental image of an Episcopal priest walking down a village street. She grew curious about him, and started writing. Soon, Karon was publishing weekly installments about Father Tim in her local newspaper, The Blowing Rocket, which saw its circulation double as a result. "It certainly worked for Mr. Dickens", says Karon.
The Father Tim stories became Karon's first Mitford novel, At Home in Mitford. That book has since been nominated three times (1996, 1997, and 1998) for an ABBY (American Booksellers Book of the Year Award), which honors titles that bookstore owners most enjoy recommending to customers, and the only book ever nominated for three consecutive years. The fourth Mitford novel, A New Song, won both the Christy and Gold Medallion awards for outstanding contemporary fiction in 2000. A Common Life, In This Mountain, and Shepherds Abiding have also won Gold Medallion awards. Out to Canaan was the first Mitford novel to hit the New York Times bestseller list; subsequent novels have debuted on the New York Times list, often landing the #1 spot.
Karon has also published two Christmas-themed books based on the Mitford series, The Mitford Snowmen and Esther's Gift, as well as Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. Other Mitford books include Patches of Godlight: Father Tim's Favorite Quotes, a compilation of wit and wisdom, and A Continual Feast: Words of Comfort and Celebration, Collected by Father Tim. In addition, Karon has written two children's books, Miss Fannie's Hat and Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny, and an illustrated book for all ages, The Trellis and the Seed.
Karon says her character-driven work seeks to give readers a large, extended family they can call their own. Though Light From Heaven is officially the final novel in the series, there's yet another Mitford book in this prolific author. Karon urges her millions of ardent fans to look for the Mitford Bedside Companion, releasing in the Fall of 2006. "It has everything in it but the kitchen sink", says Karon.
At 18, Karon began working as a receptionist for a Charlotte, N.C. advertising agency. She advanced in the company after leaving samples of her writing on the desk of her boss, who eventually noticed her talent. Karon went on to have a highly successful career in the field, winning awards for ad agencies from Charlotte to San Francisco. In time, she became a creative vice president at the high-profile McKinney & Silver, in Raleigh. While there, she won the prestigious Stephen Kelly Award, with which the Magazine Publishers of America honor the year's best print campaign.
During her years in advertising, Karon kept alive her childhood ambition to be an author. At the age of 50, she left her career in advertising and moved to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, to pursue that dream. After struggling—and failing—to get a novel underway, Karon awoke one night with a mental image of an Episcopal priest walking down a village street. She grew curious about him, and started writing. Soon, Karon was publishing weekly installments about Father Tim in her local newspaper, The Blowing Rocket, which saw its circulation double as a result. "It certainly worked for Mr. Dickens", says Karon.
The Father Tim stories became Karon's first Mitford novel, At Home in Mitford. That book has since been nominated three times (1996, 1997, and 1998) for an ABBY (American Booksellers Book of the Year Award), which honors titles that bookstore owners most enjoy recommending to customers, and the only book ever nominated for three consecutive years. The fourth Mitford novel, A New Song, won both the Christy and Gold Medallion awards for outstanding contemporary fiction in 2000. A Common Life, In This Mountain, and Shepherds Abiding have also won Gold Medallion awards. Out to Canaan was the first Mitford novel to hit the New York Times bestseller list; subsequent novels have debuted on the New York Times list, often landing the #1 spot.
Karon has also published two Christmas-themed books based on the Mitford series, The Mitford Snowmen and Esther's Gift, as well as Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. Other Mitford books include Patches of Godlight: Father Tim's Favorite Quotes, a compilation of wit and wisdom, and A Continual Feast: Words of Comfort and Celebration, Collected by Father Tim. In addition, Karon has written two children's books, Miss Fannie's Hat and Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny, and an illustrated book for all ages, The Trellis and the Seed.
Karon says her character-driven work seeks to give readers a large, extended family they can call their own. Though Light From Heaven is officially the final novel in the series, there's yet another Mitford book in this prolific author. Karon urges her millions of ardent fans to look for the Mitford Bedside Companion, releasing in the Fall of 2006. "It has everything in it but the kitchen sink", says Karon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
December 30, 2020
I like reading cookbooks cover to cover, especially one like this! It had excerpts from all the Mitford books throughout the book, particularly excerpts about food (I'm not sure I realized how much they talk about food in the books!). Then you get the recipes that were just mentioned. The cookbook is divided by each Mitford book, so its organization isn't intuitive if you are just looking for pie recipes, or salads, or chicken, etc. However there is a very helpful index in the back for that reason.
The recipes are mostly Southern type cuisine (lots of biscuit recipes, for example) and they range from super fancy roasts, cakes (including the famed orange marmalade cake!) etc to reeeally simple recipes, like Dooley's grilled bologna sandwich. 😂 I've tried a few of the recipes with good results. Since we eat vegetarian at home, I will have to skip a lot of the entrees as they are heavy on meat. Even a lot of the sides use pork fat, etc. The desserts, veggies, and other sides I look forward to trying!
Besides enjoying the excerpts from the Mitford books, I also enjoyed other little essays about food that Jan Karon has included throughout the book. It really is nice just to read!
The recipes are mostly Southern type cuisine (lots of biscuit recipes, for example) and they range from super fancy roasts, cakes (including the famed orange marmalade cake!) etc to reeeally simple recipes, like Dooley's grilled bologna sandwich. 😂 I've tried a few of the recipes with good results. Since we eat vegetarian at home, I will have to skip a lot of the entrees as they are heavy on meat. Even a lot of the sides use pork fat, etc. The desserts, veggies, and other sides I look forward to trying!
Besides enjoying the excerpts from the Mitford books, I also enjoyed other little essays about food that Jan Karon has included throughout the book. It really is nice just to read!
March 11, 2022
I use a lot of the recipes from this over and over. It has our favorite lemon squares, brownies and biscuits. I used to make the meatloaf from it a lot and still use most of that one with a few of my own tweaks. I attempted the OMC once (many years ago, before kids lol) and it was delicious but A LOT of work. I did it once more but with lemon and that was also delicious. There are others I've tried that we enjoy but none I can think of off the top of my head without looking at it...
July 11, 2018
On display in my kitchen...great recipes and delicious reading!
June 11, 2025
As someone who loves the Mitford series, I had always thought this book would be fun to peruse, but I never wanted to buy it because I thought I wouldn't use it. my local library never got a copy and at this point it's been out so long my local bookstore never had it in stock either. I finally broke down and bought one used on Ebay. I loved it! Reading it was like stepping back into the books ( lots of kitchen based excerpts ). Now I can't wait to make Puny's corn bread, Lew Boyd's chocolate cake, and so many other recipes from the book.
November 29, 2014
I had such fun reading about all the different things cooked by the people of Mitford that when I saw this I had to get it.
The recipe for Esther's Orange Marmalade Cake made this book totally worth it! Best cake ever!
The livermush can be left out. That's not great.
But still so fun to see it in the book!
The recipe for Esther's Orange Marmalade Cake made this book totally worth it! Best cake ever!
The livermush can be left out. That's not great.
But still so fun to see it in the book!
August 18, 2009
This is a good down home comfort food cookbook. I really enjoyed it and gave it as a gift to my bro-in-law and his partner at Christmas.
June 10, 2014
The recipes were good but I could do without the preachiness of the stories
September 3, 2014
I love this cookbook. Food is such an important part of Jan Karon's Mitford series and all the recipes are in this cookbook. Even better are the little stories and quotes.
July 31, 2020
So if you know me at all, you'd know that this cookbook would get five stars from me no matter what. I just LOVE Mitford. But really, if I put on my impartiality hat, I'd still give it at least four stars, and maybe five. It's a really well-developed cookbook, chock full of recipes related to the book series. So many recipes! Interspersed are excerpts from the books PLUS one never-before-published bonus story!
I tried several recipes: Father Tim's Company Stew, Puny's Cornbread, Rector's Meatloaf, Dooley's Fried Baloney Sandwich Supreme, Louella's Cornbread, Jan Karon's Banana and Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Esther's Orange Marmalade Cake, Harley's Brownies, Puny's Macaroni and Cheese. ALL DELICIOUS. There are more than 4 dozen recipes in this beautiful hardcover cookbook. The only thing that might detract half a star: no photographs of food. But it's so full of special features and stories... you could read this cookbook like a book. And with so many recipes, you're sure to find at least a few recipes to suit your tastes!
Major props and gratitude to my SIL for gifting this one to me. I spent much time poring over every excerpt, story, recipe intro, and recipe. I will treasure and consult this cookbook for many, many years to come. I should probably make her an OMC to thank her!
I tried several recipes: Father Tim's Company Stew, Puny's Cornbread, Rector's Meatloaf, Dooley's Fried Baloney Sandwich Supreme, Louella's Cornbread, Jan Karon's Banana and Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Esther's Orange Marmalade Cake, Harley's Brownies, Puny's Macaroni and Cheese. ALL DELICIOUS. There are more than 4 dozen recipes in this beautiful hardcover cookbook. The only thing that might detract half a star: no photographs of food. But it's so full of special features and stories... you could read this cookbook like a book. And with so many recipes, you're sure to find at least a few recipes to suit your tastes!
Major props and gratitude to my SIL for gifting this one to me. I spent much time poring over every excerpt, story, recipe intro, and recipe. I will treasure and consult this cookbook for many, many years to come. I should probably make her an OMC to thank her!
February 1, 2023
I can’t imagine a better series of books to read than Jan Karon’s stories that take place around the life of a small-town rector, in an imaginary village called Mitford.
I also can’t imagine a better cookbook than The Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader.
To read, that is.
And who doesn’t love reading through a good cookbook?
My granddaughter and I made Marge’s Chocolate Pie from page 335 for my hubby’s birthday. It was delicious, and I let her write the note in the margin: “Grammy and Kenner made this pie for Grumpys bday. We ate allmost the hole thing. We had it after stake, potato and salaid.”
She was nine years old.
Another note appears in my own handwriting on page 226, where the author shares the recipe for Louella’s Buttermilk Biscuits: “Absolutely delicious! 11/29/06”.
The recipes are wonderful. It took a year to test and develop them for publication. But it’s the story excerpts, peppered all through its pages, that make this cookbook such a treasure. It’s as if all the characters we’ve grown to know and love as family have stopped by and made their own personal notes in the margin.
The Mitford Cookbook is destined to become a tattered-page classic for many generations of Southern cooks (and cookbook readers) to come.
Five stars!
I also can’t imagine a better cookbook than The Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader.
To read, that is.
And who doesn’t love reading through a good cookbook?
My granddaughter and I made Marge’s Chocolate Pie from page 335 for my hubby’s birthday. It was delicious, and I let her write the note in the margin: “Grammy and Kenner made this pie for Grumpys bday. We ate allmost the hole thing. We had it after stake, potato and salaid.”
She was nine years old.
Another note appears in my own handwriting on page 226, where the author shares the recipe for Louella’s Buttermilk Biscuits: “Absolutely delicious! 11/29/06”.
The recipes are wonderful. It took a year to test and develop them for publication. But it’s the story excerpts, peppered all through its pages, that make this cookbook such a treasure. It’s as if all the characters we’ve grown to know and love as family have stopped by and made their own personal notes in the margin.
The Mitford Cookbook is destined to become a tattered-page classic for many generations of Southern cooks (and cookbook readers) to come.
Five stars!
January 12, 2022
This is what a book-tie-in cookbook should be. - Great recipes (including the spectacular orange marmalade cake !!)
- lovely photography and illustrations
- Passages from the books
- Original short story/character blurbs
- Feels very personal, like Jan Karon was very involved in the crafting of this book
Tie-in cookbooks can sometimes feel slapped together and inauthentic, but this one is absolutely delightful. A pleasure to simply page through and drool over.
(And if you haven't made the orange marmalade yet, do it! Bring it to your next dinner party or church picnic -- it's a stunner, and absolutely delicious).
- lovely photography and illustrations
- Passages from the books
- Original short story/character blurbs
- Feels very personal, like Jan Karon was very involved in the crafting of this book
Tie-in cookbooks can sometimes feel slapped together and inauthentic, but this one is absolutely delightful. A pleasure to simply page through and drool over.
(And if you haven't made the orange marmalade yet, do it! Bring it to your next dinner party or church picnic -- it's a stunner, and absolutely delicious).
March 9, 2022
IF YOU ARE A MITFORD FAN (AS MY WIFE CERTAINLY IS), THEN YOU WILL LOVE THIS EDITION OF MITFORD IN THE FORM OF A COOKBOOK AND READER. FILLED WITH LOTS OF RECIPES FROM THE MITFORD NOVELS, KEEN INSIGHTS TO THE AUTHOR'S OWN TASTES AND EXPERIENCES, BEAUTIFUL PICTURES AND RECIPES THAT LOOK GOOD ENOUGH AND EASY ENOUGH TO TRY. IT IS CERTAINLY A NICE GIFT TO GIVE SOMEONE THAT LOVES HER SOME MORE MITFORD. I LEARNED A THING OR TWO ALSO ABOUT FOOD PREPARATION AND TIPS TO MAKE LIFE EASIER WITH A SENSE OF THANKFULNESS THROUGHOUT FOR WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR ALL OF US.
December 15, 2019
I bought the cookbook just to get the recipe for Esther's famous Orange Marmalade Cake. I haven't made it---but I could! If one has read the Mitford Series , one can better appreciate this cookbook--as certain comfort foods are often associated with certain beloved Mitford characters. Plus, there are cute little stories next to the recipes that will make more sense to a Mitford reader.
February 9, 2021
I’m a huge Jan Karon fan and I love this book. The story snippets that go with the recipes make them feel like something I’ve received from family. I’m one of those strange people who enjoys reading recipe books, but this one really touches my heart and inspires me to step into the kitchen and get busy!
February 20, 2023
I finished the Mitford series awhile back and loved it. I was able to revisit it through the Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. I love to cook and bake so I enjoyed reading the recipes, revisiting the characters and getting to know more about the author. I took my time reading a bit at a time!! Highly recommend it!! If you have not read the Mitford series I also recommend it!!
September 5, 2017
Just adorable stories and the recipes look easy and are clearly written. I read a friend's book ,which had clearly been used, cause there was batter on the pages :) (One of my cookbooks is COVERED in batter). Loved the personal stories and photos
August 15, 2019
All those wonderful, recipes described in her books are now in their own cookbook. Very well done. Each is extremely easy to follow. If you have read The Mitford Series, you have already read half the cookbook. A great review of delightful fictional town where you feel you know everyone like family.
Enjoy the yummy recipes!
Enjoy the yummy recipes!
August 27, 2019
This is actually my second time reading this book. I love the whole Mitford series and especially love how this book weaves the stories from all the other books with the dishes that are discussed in those books and gives us “the” recipes!
July 7, 2021
Love the idea of getting recipes for things that I feel like I have already tasted. That's the way the Mitford series is. It makes you feel like you have been a part of every day life with the characters. Excellent series and a great cook book.
July 26, 2021
I bought this book (used) solely to have the recipe for the Orange Marmalade cake. LOL There are some other good looking recipes in there that I am going to try. It is a lovely cookbook and worthy of displaying.
September 10, 2022
My wife and I spent the spring and summer reading this book to each other. Each morning we read 3-4 pages aloud and picked recipes we thought we might one day do. Having read Karon's books, it was a great way to remember the stories as well as be introduced to the food in the stories.
May 13, 2023
I enjoyed the series and a friend found the cookbook for me at a book sale!
Well organized and honestly I cannot wait to make some of the cakes in particular. I will keep you posted on progress!!
Well organized and honestly I cannot wait to make some of the cakes in particular. I will keep you posted on progress!!
May 15, 2024
I love the Mitford and Father Tim books and I love cookbooks. You can find recipes mentioned in the books as well as some of Jan's family recipes. While I checked out most of her books from library, had to have tis for my collection.
January 15, 2018
Positively lovely! A must for the Mitford fan.
October 31, 2018
This is the type of book I would keep in my own library for future reference, so I can revisit Mitford, the beloved town of Father Tim.
April 5, 2019
I forgot how much I love Mitford and all the quirky characters
August 16, 2019
Love it! All the Mitford recipes!
September 26, 2019
This Cookbook has all the wonderful dishes that I read about in the Mitford books.
April 3, 2020
Love so many of these recipes..directly from the Mitford series books. I've tried many of these recipes and have added them to my personal family recipe book.
December 27, 2020
So much fun!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews