When this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection was published in 1857, the American “West” was in Indiana, making this cookbook the first to be published in Indiana. This first cookbook published in Indiana was originally titled in its first edition Mrs. Collins’ Table Receipts: Adapted to Western Housewifery. It became so popular that…
Published in Boston in 1857, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection was written by Mary Mann, wife of Horace Mann, to demonstrate how to prepare foods that are healthful, nutritious, and appealing to the Christian appetite. Mary Mann, one of the famous Peabody sisters—reformers and pioneers of modern educational theory—believed that good digestion…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, published in Boston in 1865, is a practical collection of recipes that any homemaker of post-Civil War American society could use for everyday cooking. Although we have no biographical information about Mrs. S.G. Knight, we know that her intention was to compile recipes for dishes that were…
Published in New York in 1863, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection is a comprehensive homemaking and cookbook reference compiled by the author to bring “excelsior” (excellence) into every housekeeper’s kitchen and home. There is no information available about Laura Trowbridge, but her goal in compiling Excelsior Cook Book is clear. Using her…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, published in New York in 1877, is a cookbook, patent medicine advertisement, and medical manual all combined in one small volume published by the manufacturer of a well-known and widely used nineteenth century home remedy, Atwood’s Bitters. Historical records assert that in 1840 Moses Atwood of Boston…
Published in Cincinnati in 1875, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection is a classic example of a mid-nineteenth century charity cookbook, compiled by local women from family recipes and published in service of a particular benevolent goal, in this case, the Missionary Society of the Southern Presbyterian Church in Paris, Kentucky. The category…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, published in New York in 1852, is a fascinating collection of Americana including basic, everyday cooking recipes, medical remedies, and letter writing advice that amounts to a form of contemporary “pop psychology.” The author of this fascinating mid-nineteenth century collection is not credited, but hints suggest that…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, published in New York in 1870, is a comprehensive baking and confectionary book designed to teach new brides and new homemakers everything they need to know about the most popular cooking topic, then and now. Although the author of this collection is anonymous, her intention was clearly…
Published in 1868 in New York, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection is unique in its approach as a bill of fare, a cookbook that provides menus for breakfast, tea or lunch, and dinner for every day in the year. In the unknown author’s preface, she describes her purpose as to provide ladies…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, published in 1867, is a thorough compilation containing several hundred recipes for post-Civil War southern country cuisine, along with housekeeping tips and medical remedies. We do not have specific information about how Mrs. E.J. Verstille of Georgia acquired her cookery skills, but it is likely that one…
Published in Davenport, Iowa, in 1907, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, is a thorough compilation of ice cream, frozen pudding, and ices recipes. The author was in the business of manufacturing ice cream, so it is also a guide to the business aspects of being an “ice cream maker.” All we know…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, published in 1845 in Philadelphia, is one of the great masterpieces of English cooking, adapted for local American households by an important and influential cookbook writer, the editor of the classic nineteenth century women’s magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book. Eliza Action’s masterpiece set out the fundamentals of domestic…