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…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection, published in New Orleans in 1885, is one of the great classics of Creole cuisine, believed to be the first Creole cookbook in print. Although it was printed anonymously in 1885, Lafcadio Hearn is generally accepted as the author of La Cuisine Creole. In his introduction, Hearn…
Published in 1742 in Williamsburg, Virginia, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection is considered to be the first cookbook ever published in America, although it is basically a reprint of an English publication. Originally published in London in 1727, The Compleat Housewife was the first cookbook printed in the United States. William Parks,…
Published in Philadelphia in 1857, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection contains over 1,000 recipes personally tested by the author, who was one of the most successful and prolific cookbook authors of the 19th century. This comprehensive recipe collection of over 650 pages with 1,000 recipes contains dishes ranging from American fried chicken…
Published in 1837 in Boston, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection by an early American dietary reformer who created Graham crackers presents detailed information about the chemistry and cooking of homemade breads. Graham’s Treatise on Bread and Bread-Making includes a history of bread, discussion of various grains and which make the best breads,…
Published in 1875 in St. Louis, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection compiled by Ladies of St. Louis is a classic example of a “charity-community cookbook,” with recipes donated by women’s groups and church societies to raise funds for a local cause—in this case, the Women’s Christian Home. The category of “charity…
This volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection was published in Buffalo in 1869. In early America, cider was the alcoholic beverage of choice—more popular than beer—and many people brewed it at home. This manual for making homemade hard cider was a complete guide to the entire process, from growing the apples to pressing the…
Published in New York in 1862, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection was the first cocktail book published in the United States, and it was written by a “celebrity bartender” famous throughout the country. This seminal work is probably the most famous bartender’s guide and cocktail book of all time—nostalgic and delicious homage…
Published in Philadelphia in 1828, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection is the first French cookbook published in the United States, and it was written in English by a French chef who cooked at the court of Louis XVI in France and for the Earl of Sefton and the Duke of York in…
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…
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 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…