The Fallingwater house in the Laurel Highlands, completed in the late 1930s, may be Frank Lloyd Wright's most beautiful building. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and an incredibly popular tourist attraction. As of Jan. 1, more than 4 million people have visited the house, which opened its doors to the public in 1964. Countless books have been written about it, but few could be as true to the spirit of the house as Suzanne Martinson's "The Fallingwater Cookbook: Elsie Henderson's Recipes & Memories." Newly published by the University of Pittsburgh Press, it sells at Fallingwater and elsewhere for $29.95.

How could a cookbook give us new insight into a historical monument? Fallingwater was the weekend home of Edgar Kaufmann Sr., who owned the beloved department store, as well as his wife, Liliane, and their son, Edgar Jr. When Edgar Kaufmann Jr. donated the house to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, he felt it was important that people experience it as a home, rather than a museum. That's why visitors can walk though the rooms, among many of the same furnishings and objects that the Kaufmanns chose and used.

While visitors can try to imagine what life was like for the Kaufmanns and their guests, "The Fallingwater Cookbook" allows readers to glimpse family life through the eyes of Elsie Henderson, who was not only the weekend cook at the property, but also was one of the family's most trusted employees. The recipes and stories about meals at Fallingwater provide a unique perspective into the rhythms of life on a country estate in Southwestern Pennsylvania in the mid-20th century.

When she worked at Fallingwater, Ms. Henderson lived in the city during the week, and on Friday she would be driven to Fallingwater by one of Mr. Kaufmann's chauffeurs. A few weeks ago, I drove her from her home in Shadyside along the familiar route, and as we left the city behind she began to describe to me what she called "the best job I ever had."

As we walked through the house, it was clear that to Ms. Henderson, Fallingwater isn't a museum, but rather a fondly remembered home, and while the house clearly brings up mostly happy associations, her visits also make her a little sad.

In the living room, she emphasized how much fuller the room had been, with a lot more artwork, books and knickknacks. Shaking her head, she remarked, "It could never be like it was, because the Kaufmanns are gone."

In introductions to each section of the cookbook, award-winning food writer, and retired Pittsburgh Post-Gazette food editor, Suzanne Martinson interweaves Ms. Henderson's recollections with a narrative history of the house and the Kaufmanns, along with details of life in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.

Breakfast was served whenever people got there, though "always ... before 10 o'clock" and Ms. Henderson's luscious baked goods were accompanied by "rich whole milk from the farm's Jersey cows ... grapefruit, fresh-squeezed orange juice, [and] home-canned tomato juice." Lunch was served "in the French style, with soup first, then the main course, followed by salad. The dessert was served at the table too."

Ms. Henderson, almost entirely a self-taught cook, infused her dishes with a sense of whimsy that must have been a pleasure to her guests. In the morning, they might be greeted with a cream puff "bowl" filled with sliced fruit or scrambled eggs. At memorable lunches, a whole trout might be presented with a loaf of rye bread baked in the shape of a trout.

In general, the Kaufmanns favored simple, well-prepared food at Fallingwater, but they were wealthy people, and they thought nothing of having luxury ingredients flown in from all over. Ms. Henderson proudly recalled that every ingredient had to be the best quality, and she was never asked to keep to a budget until after Edgar Sr. passed away.

Of course, being a good employee also meant taking Edgar and Liliane Kaufmanns' preferences into account. "It was beneath [Mrs. Kaufmann] to tell you what to prepare," said Ms. Henderson, but Mrs. Kaufmann did like some things done a certain way. If a recipe called for cooked corn, such as the H.J. Heinz Corn Chowder included in the cookbook, only the tips of the corn kernels could be used; the rest were thrown away with the cob.

Special requests were no problem for Ms. Henderson, who brought to her job an impeccable attention to detail. Every Friday, before Ms. Henderson was driven out to Fallingwater, she checked with the Kaufmanns' city cook to find out what they'd been served so she wouldn't duplicate anything on the weekend.

Just as socialites might keep track of where they've worn each designer gown, she kept track of every guest that had been to Fallingwater and what they had been served, so she would never repeat a dish.

Her organization and impressive memory certainly came in handy to Ms. Martinson when it came to preparing the cookbook. "I had to get the recipes from Elsie and they were all in her head. How she could carry all those recipes in her head, I don't know, but she did and still does," she marveled.

The two women met when Ms. Martinson wrote a story about Ms. Henderson for the magazine of the former Pittsburgh Press in 1991. After that, "We would have occasional lunches," Ms. Martinson recalled. Ms. Henderson was always a devoted reader of the Post-Gazette food section (as well as numerous other food magazines and newspaper sections) and would call Ms. Martinson to tell her what she thought of articles.

Not too long after they met, Ms. Martinson suggested that they write a cookbook together, but her job as food editor kept her too busy to make much progress. When she retired in 2005, she turned to it in earnest. "It's been 10 years but it finally happened," she said in a phone interview from her home in Kelso, Wash. "I probably never could have finished it if I hadn't stopped working."

The glossy hardcover book, with dozens of gorgeous pictures of the food and Fallingwater, is lovely enough to keep on a coffee table. While it contains more than 100 recipes, it's also small and light enough to cook from easily.

Ms. Henderson's recipes feel remarkably current. After all, the foundation of her cooking style -- cooking seasonally with primarily local ingredients -- is now the height of fashion.

"All Elsie's recipes," said Ms. Martinson, "they're really perfect in the farm-to-table movement because Mr. Kaufmann was kind of a gentleman farmer. They raised lamb, they raised their own beef at one time, they bought from Amish gardeners who came by. Mrs. Kaufmann had her own herb garden on the terrace. "They didn't have commercial salad dressings, so she made her own salad dressings. They didn't have commercial breads."

Though portions provide interesting details about historical foodways, it's not a stagnant cookbook. The first half consists of recipes from Ms. Henderson's time at Fallingwater, from 1947 to 1964. But, besides a few recipes such as egg foo yung and avocado mousse, which are amusing enough to justify inclusion, these recipes would be at home on any modern table.

Since Ms. Henderson did little meat or fish cookery (at the time, the butler would have been responsible for these tasks), Ms. Martinson decided to organize the second half of the cookbook around recipes created by other chefs who have had relationships with Fallingwater: Robert Sendall, who has served as the primary special events chef at Fallingwater since the early 1990s; the late cookbook author and cooking teacher Jane Citron, who frequently co-taught with Mr. Sendall; and Mary Ann Moreau, former chef of the cafe at Fallingwater. These three created a wonderful series of seasonally organized menus that are ideal for entertaining.

Ms. Martinson seems equally fond of both parts of the book. She notes approvingly that "With Elsie's recipes, you probably don't have to go to the store, you probably have the ingredients," while praising the more complex recipes created by the other chefs as "without exception ... pretty special."

The foundation of this lovely book is clearly the relationship between Ms. Martinson and Ms. Henderson. Ms. Martinson's affection for her subject brings liveliness and lightness to a text that could easily get too bogged down in the details. Though Ms. Henderson, who turned 95 a few weeks ago, has a remarkable memory for dates and names as well as for recipes, Ms. Martinson, the consummate journalist, fact-checked every memory to the best of her ability, just as she carefully tested every recipe.

PG TESTED

The pumpkin serving dish is an easy special touch. It's worth going the extra mile and making the pumpkin puree yourself from fresh pie pumpkins.

• 3/4 cup bacon, fat back or duck fat, medium dice
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 43/4 cups pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
• 21/2 cups milk
• 1 cup cream
• 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice, plus grated rind of 2 oranges
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Garnishes

• 2/3 cup whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted (or pecans, coarsely chopped)
• Reserved crispy bacon or fat back

In a soup pot on medium heat, cook bacon or fat until all the fat has been rendered; do not burn. Remove and reserve the browned pieces.

Saute the onions in rendered fat and butter until golden, but not brown. Add the pumpkin puree, milk, cream, 3 cups chicken stock, and honey, stirring constantly.

Add the ginger, brown sugar, spices, and citrus; heat slowly. Do not boil.

Let simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, stirring often. At this point, check the consistency.

If the soup seems too thick, add the remaining chicken stock and adjust seasonings.

For the garnish

In a small mixing bowl, mix whipped cream, herbs, and pepper together. Set aside.

To serve: Pour soup in bowl. Top with herbed seasoned cream, crispy bacon, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately. The cream will melt on the top of the soup and will help finish the soup to a smooth consistency.

Serves 12.

Notes: If you used canned pumpkin and the soup is too thick, add chicken stock, water, or orange juice to taste. The soup may be made the day before serving and refrigerated. This intensifies its flavor.

-- "The Fallingwater Cookbook"

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PG TESTED

Elsie Henderson adapted her mother's recipe and it was a staple of Fallingwater Thanksgivings.

For the crust

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
• 1/2 cup finely ground pecans

For the filling

• 2 eggs plus 1 yolk, lightly beaten
• 2 cups cooked yams, pureed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup 2-percent milk
• 2/3 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

For the crust: With a pastry blender, cut chilled shortening into flour that has been mixed with the salt. Sprinkle with cold water. With a fork, mix in the water until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Gather into a ball, flatten and chill for at least 15 minutes. Roll out to fit a 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Sprinkle pie crust with pecans.

For the filling: With an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients, except the melted butter; mix well. Stir in the butter. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes, lower temperature to 350 degrees, then bake an additional 45 minutes, or until set.

Note: True yams aren't available in the United States. The vegetables sometimes sold as yams are orange sweet potatoes. This recipe will also work with the variety that has yellow flesh.

-- "The Fallingwater Cookbook" by Suzanne Martinson with Jane Citron and Robert Sendall (University of Pittsburgh Press, $29.95)

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PG tested

This cake was a favorite with the Kaufmanns and guests, and is still served in the Fallingwater Cafe. The intensity of the cloves is balanced by the cinnamon, and the hefty dose of spices creates a spectacular aroma. Though Mr. Kaufmann used to enjoy it with a glass of milk (from his own cows), coffee or tea also would be good accompaniments.

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they are lemon-colored. Beat them into the butter-sugar mixture.

In another large bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

In a second small bowl, combine the milk and lemon juice; let the mixture stand undisturbed for five minutes, or until it is thickened.

Add to the butter-sugar-egg mixture in the electric mixer bowl one-third of the flour mixture and one-half of the milk mixture, combining well.

Add another one-third of the flour mixture. Add the baking soda to the remaining milk mixture. Combine that with the batter in the electric mixer bowl, and stir in the remaining flour mixture. Beat well.

Pour the batter into the tube pan and bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Let the cake cool in its pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely. Lay the cake on a pretty plate. To serve, sprinkle the cake with sifted confectioners' sugar.

-- "The Fallingwater Cookbook"