The Virginia House-wife

by Mary Randolph

The Virginia House-wife was the first cookbook ever published in America. Now published in a facsimile form of the original 1824 work, this ultimate how-to cookbook was the most influential cookbook in nineteenth-century America. Regarded by many critics as the finest cookbook to ever come out of the American kitchen, it was written by Mary Randolph. She and her husband, David Meade Randolph, made their home at Moldavia in Richmond and were celebrated for their displays of lavish hospitality. In 1802, Mr. Randolph was removed from his appointive office of United States Marshal by Thomas Jefferson, and the financial fortunes of the Randolphs never again prospered. By 1808, they had given up Moldavia, and Mrs. Randolph opened a boardinghouse. By all accounts, the food and accomdations were splendid. In late 1819, they moved to Washington, D.C., where Mrs. Randolph committed to paper her culinary experience for what was to be The Virginia Housewife. She was qualified not only by her cooking skill but also by her family and social milieu to record the cookery of those early days of Virginia. Besides numerous recipes and household tips on such things as curing bacon, making lavender water, scented soap, and starch, the book also includes historical notes by culinary historian Karen Hess, a glossary of cooking terms and phrases of the time, and a vegetable chart from Thomas Jefferson's Garden Book, 1766–1824.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, History, Food, Ebooks, 19th Century, Food History

424 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Please see Mary Randolph on Wikipedia for a detailed biography.

Her book, The Virginia House-Wife published in 1824, was also notable enough that it has its own Wikipedia article.

For other authors named Mary Randolph please see this page.

Reviews

[Owen Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gotta hand it to them, they were really getting freaky with it back in the day.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel weird even rating this, but whatever. It fulfilled a reading challenge prompt. Read a cookbook cover to cover. This is the thing - I LOVE reading cookbooks cover to cover. This one was one of the first published cookbooks, and is absolutely necessary to have on hand while doing any kind of historical food research in the US. It's not a pleasurable read, though. The author was out to TEACH women on how to run a household kitchen. And be very precise while doing it.

I'm still not sure what a cimlin is.

What I really ought to do is actually cook something from the book, allowing for the use of modern conveniences like ovens and electric burners. It won't be the 'how to murder and bleed out a turtle' recipe, though. That one's going to haunt my dreams.

[Cherei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travel back in time and give thanks we're alive now!!!

What a hoot!!! This fantastic collection of food preparation way back when will surprise you and also get an insiders view of what our great great great grandmothers went through every single day just to put a meal on the table!! Loved it!!

[Nonie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missing the first 18 pages

I haven't read the entire book, but I did notice that it starts off on page 19. Hopefully there aren't any more pages missing.

[Kathryn Baron]

Note: My edition is actually free from project Gutenberg

[Deanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first practical cookbook. A trip back in time to the Colonial kitchen.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I am organizing and cleaning out my Kindle, I am finding a bunch of books I picked up long ago and never got around to reading. Now is the time, and today I present The Virginia Housewife: Or, Methodical Cook: A Facsimile of an Authentic Early American Cookbook by Mary Randolph.

This is a fantastic discovery, with recipes sure to delight and gross out. I am finding it invaluable, therefore, for my research and writing projects.

Let us take a look at what housewives were cooking up in 1860:

SOFT POMATUM. Get nice sweet lard that has no salt in it--put in any agreeable perfume, beat it to a cream, and put it in small pots.

TURKEY A-LA-DAUB. Bone a small turkey, put pepper and salt on the inside, and cover it with slices of boiled ham or tongue; fill it with well seasoned forcemeat, sew it up and boil it--cover it with jelly.

VINEGAR OF THE FOUR THIEVES. Take lavender, rosemary, sage, wormwood, rue, and mint, of each a large handful; put them in a pot of earthen ware, pour on them four quarts of very strong vinegar, cover the pot closely, and put a board on the top . . . then strain and bottle it . . .

You get the idea—

Although there are some wild and crazy recipes in this collection, there are a few I would try in my own kitchen.

🟣Kindle version.

[Laureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to read really old cookbooks. So if you don't and I'm sure that's most of you, it's not for you. It dates from the 1820s. But as old cookbooks go, this is really one of the easiest ones to read. (And the free Kindle version of this is good, unlike many old books that weren't input properly.) The language is old-fashioned but not difficult. The directions are more specific than you often find in these books, and the author has an engaging voice.

[Tibia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I love collecting cookbooks, and especially unique ones, this was a must read for me. I found this in an edition with a beautiful classic binding, so I bought several for my gardening friends. Can't say that I will be making many of these old recipes, though!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

And yet another Dover edition. This book was originally published in 1824. It is interesting as an example of an antebellum southern cookbook.

[Jonathan]

None

[Lori Spier]

The Virginia Housewife by Mrs. Mary Randolph (1984)

[Katie Hanrahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical research and the possibility of finding a new recipe---perfect reading for my highly stressed state these days.

[Nancy Motto]

I've just finished my training as a hearth cook at a living history museum and we will be using the recipes from this cookbook when we do hearth cooking demos. After reading this, I have a new appreciation for the work 18th women had to do to keep their families fed.