This was a very interesting, informative and yummy read. The author is the director of a culinary program at New York's Tenement Museum (located--you guessed it---at 97 Orchard St. on the Lower East Side). She explores the food cultures of 5 immigrant families--German, German Jewish, Irish, Italian and Lithuanian--who came to New York for various reasons between the 1860s and the 1930s. In doing so, she covers a lot of ground both inside and outside the kitchens, including general living conditions in the tenements, pushcart street vendors, the raising of poultry and pigs in courtyards and city streets, religious practices, food prejudices, Americanization of traditional European dishes and the adoption of ethnic foods by native born Americans. Every chapter made me crave something, from oysters to corned beef to strudel to pizza. It was a treat to read. ( )

A history of the culinary life of New York City’s Lower East Side, featuring the stories of five families who lived in the tenement located at 97 Orchard Street between the years of 1860-1930. The book takes a broader look at how immigrants of various nationalities affected the city’s foodways, from pushcart merchants to delicatessens to urban poultry farmers raising geese in tenement basements. It’s fascinating stuff, especially if you’re interested in culinary history or in New York City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I was hoping to recognize some of my own family food traditions, but nothing struck a particular chord. Still, very interesting reading! ( )

97 Orchard is a richly detailed investigation of the lives and culinary habits—shopping, cooking, and eating—of five families of various ethnicities living at the turn of the twentieth century in one tenement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. With 40 recipes included, 97 Orchard is perfect for fans of Rachel Ray’s Hometown Eats; anyone interested in the history of how immigrant food became American food; and “foodies” of every stripe.

There is a lot of jumping around here, and Ziegelman has little info about some of the families she's building the book around, but I liked the way she drew on all sorts of documents (novels, restaurant menus, Ellis Island menus,newspaper articles, family budgets, comic strips--remember Maggie and Jiggs?--photos...). Loved reading about Ellis Island.

One thing. Maps, please. I don't understand why people don't put maps in books! There's so much about neighborhoods in here, I'd love to be able to consult a map.

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This the history of five immigrant cultures, food and living conditions in NYC are explored. "97 Orchard" is the address of the Tenement Museum in NYC. Very interesting. Fact filled, dense reading. ( )