The Early American Cookbook Authentic Favorites for the Modern Kitchen

by Kristie Lynn, Robert W. Pelton

Here's the perfect book for history buffs and cooks alike! "The Early American Cookbook" presents a collection of authentic recipes by historical figures from the colonial period to 1879. Recipe favorites by Dolly Madison, Thomas Jefferson, William Penn, John Paul Jones, and many more famous people created these tasty dishes, all adapted to modern kitchens.

This unique cookbook includes little known historical facts and many new ideas for creative dinners.

(From back cover)

Also includes recipes by region (i.e. Old West, Old Southern, Boston School, etc.).

Genres: Cookbooks, History, Reference

169 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1983

Reviews

[William Bahr]

Recreating and Enjoying Early American Eats

This recipe book is great! As a Revolutionary War reenactor, I have events where I need to contribute my share of fascinating fare to our occasional fabulous feasts. Of course, it must be period correct, so this cookbook is a super resource to have fun making and eating historical food. As there’s no “Look inside” giving one an idea of what the book contains, I thought I’d list the Table of Contents:

1. Introduction to Cooking America p 3
2. Authentic colonial Cookery p 11
3. Favorites of American Patriots 23
4. The Jefferson Family p 37
5. The First First Lady—Martha Washington p 47
6. Traditional Early New England p 57
7. A Taste of the Old West p 71
8. Indian Style Food Preparation p 83
9. Traditional Old Southern Flavor p 95
10. Authentic Recipes of Plantation Mammys p 107
11. The Original Midwestern Taste p 117
12. Presidential Parade of Favorites p 129 [Sampling from Washington to Pierce]
13. America’s Earliest Cooking School p 141
14. The Boston Cooking School of 1879 p 149
15. Bibliography of Interesting Old Cookbooks p 159
16. Old-Time Measurements p 163
17. Index p 165

As an example, Chapter 5 (The First First Lady—Martha Washington), contains
1. An overview of Martha Washington’s cooking
2. Recipes (ingredients and directions):
a. To Make Excellent Pancakes
b. Mary Washington’s Oyster Sauce for Roast Chicken
c. English Plum Pudding—A Favorite of Nellie Custis
d. Martha’s Special Ham and Parsnips
e. George Washington’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie
f. George and Martha’s Favorite Mince Meat
g. Yorkshire Country Captain—Eaten by Charles Peale [portrait artist]
h. Lamb Casserole—A George Washington Favorite
i. Mount Vernon Cucumber Soup
j. Martha’s Most Delicious Ale Fritters
k. Veal Rice Pie Enjoyed by George and Martha

Not to be missed, the book also has a nice collection of drawings of referenced famous people and scenes, in addition to photographs of period kitchens and dining rooms.

Bottom (don’t eat too much) line, this is a buzz-worthy book about old-time eating and a treat for both tummy and mind. Highly recommended!

Of possible interest: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key - the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul, a best-seller at Mount Vernon. “Character is Key for Liberty!”

[Beth]

A fun reminder of how things were cooked in the early days of the USA. I enjoyed the snippets of information about each contributor of a recipe. I look forward to trying Noah Webster's (He helped frame the Constitution) New England Clam Chowder, Miss Juliet Corson's (who ran the first cooking school in New York City 1874) Coffee Souffle along with many others.

[Darla Taylor]

Very interesting read with historical facts about people, recipes, cooking utensils, and regions.

[Jessica Morse]

This book converted recipes loved by notable people in American history. As a cookbook addict, I found it historically interesting with some recipes I hope to try.

On another note - I’ve been trying out Fable as an alternative to Goodreads, and I am really enjoying it. It provides graphics and analysis of my reading style and has relevant and interesting prompts for reviews. I’m hoping some of my friends here will try it out. They have a paid version, but I’m finding the free one to be just great.