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The Golden Age Cook Book
I SEND this little book out into the world, first, to aid those who, having decided to adopt a bloodless diet, are still asking how they can be nourished without flesh; second, in the hope of gaining something further to protect "the speechless ones" who, having come down through the centuries under "the dominion of man," have in their eyes the mute, appealing look of the helpless and oppressed.
168 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 24, 2020
I've had this public domain vintage cookbook on my kindle for a while but this weekend was the first time I read it throughout. There's so much that I really like about it. It's from 1898 and is one of the first vegetarian cookbooks that was written in the United States.
(Side notes for anybody as interested as I was: The author felt very strongly about the rights of animals and children, writing about the benefits of taking up a "bloodless diet" for health and for the animals. She includes nutritional information about protein from "Dr. Alcott," a reference to Louisa May Alcott's father, who was a big vegan advocate of the day and raised the Alcotts as vegans. I was so intrigued by Mrs. Latham Dwight that I looked her up and found out that her husband made his fortune as a stockbroker and quartz miner in the time of the California gold rush. His brother went on to become the governor of California. Mr. Latham was also vegetarian but sadly died in his early 40's and she went on to marry again and also became a noted watercolor artist. Mr. Latham left the family so financially secure that they spent their lives trying to do good with their money. Two of their three children established a charity in their parents' name that exists to this day -- The Latham Foundation -- in order to keep the kindness of their parents going. They are especially interested in funding programs that use animals as service companions and similar causes.)
On to the cookbook -- it is grouped by chapter into types of dishes like breads, vegetables and desserts. It does rely heavily on eggs and dairy, so it will be of limited use to vegans. It is written in the standard style of the time, meaning the recipes are generally one short paragraph and the ingredients are included in the text. Sometimes measurements like gills are used instead of cups and tablespoons, or measurements like "a lump of butter the size of a walnut." I have no problem with this (you can easily look up the amount of a gill, I have in the past) and I like cooking from this kind of simple recipe, but it may be challenging for new cooks. You do need to know things like that a slow oven will be around 325 and otherwise assume it's about 350.
Most of the ingredients called for can still be easily sourced -- eggs, cream, bread crumbs, flour, standard vegetables and fruits, etc. A few more wild foods are used like gooseberries and jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) but not many, showing that the author had traditional English roots in her cooking background and didn't realize how many tasty foods were all around her like elderberries and ramps. She also doesn't use wild mushrooms, some of which (like chicken of the woods and morels) can be excellent vegetarian staples. The recipes are not terribly healthy, relying a lot on wheat, rice and dairy, and also using lots of boiling that reduces the nutritional content of veggies. There are a few recipes that I made a note to try. It's a great basic cookbook for things like rice pudding, pies and old fashioned salad dressing. The biggest appeal for me is the wonderful glimpse into the past and into this remarkable lady's world.
(Side notes for anybody as interested as I was: The author felt very strongly about the rights of animals and children, writing about the benefits of taking up a "bloodless diet" for health and for the animals. She includes nutritional information about protein from "Dr. Alcott," a reference to Louisa May Alcott's father, who was a big vegan advocate of the day and raised the Alcotts as vegans. I was so intrigued by Mrs. Latham Dwight that I looked her up and found out that her husband made his fortune as a stockbroker and quartz miner in the time of the California gold rush. His brother went on to become the governor of California. Mr. Latham was also vegetarian but sadly died in his early 40's and she went on to marry again and also became a noted watercolor artist. Mr. Latham left the family so financially secure that they spent their lives trying to do good with their money. Two of their three children established a charity in their parents' name that exists to this day -- The Latham Foundation -- in order to keep the kindness of their parents going. They are especially interested in funding programs that use animals as service companions and similar causes.)
On to the cookbook -- it is grouped by chapter into types of dishes like breads, vegetables and desserts. It does rely heavily on eggs and dairy, so it will be of limited use to vegans. It is written in the standard style of the time, meaning the recipes are generally one short paragraph and the ingredients are included in the text. Sometimes measurements like gills are used instead of cups and tablespoons, or measurements like "a lump of butter the size of a walnut." I have no problem with this (you can easily look up the amount of a gill, I have in the past) and I like cooking from this kind of simple recipe, but it may be challenging for new cooks. You do need to know things like that a slow oven will be around 325 and otherwise assume it's about 350.
Most of the ingredients called for can still be easily sourced -- eggs, cream, bread crumbs, flour, standard vegetables and fruits, etc. A few more wild foods are used like gooseberries and jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) but not many, showing that the author had traditional English roots in her cooking background and didn't realize how many tasty foods were all around her like elderberries and ramps. She also doesn't use wild mushrooms, some of which (like chicken of the woods and morels) can be excellent vegetarian staples. The recipes are not terribly healthy, relying a lot on wheat, rice and dairy, and also using lots of boiling that reduces the nutritional content of veggies. There are a few recipes that I made a note to try. It's a great basic cookbook for things like rice pudding, pies and old fashioned salad dressing. The biggest appeal for me is the wonderful glimpse into the past and into this remarkable lady's world.
May 16, 2022
✔️ Published in 1898.
Though I would most likely not try the majority of these recipes included in The Golden Age Cook Book, this is an entertaining work to read. There are many odd-to-me meals and concoctions, and there are a few that sound good enough to attempt.
For example: Cream of Lima Beans, Cream of Lettuce, Cream of Chestnuts. Then there is Parsnip Croquettes with Walnuts. If that does not stimulate the appetite, here is Pineapple and Celery Salad.
This might be good:
And to top everything off:
The Golden Age Cook Book is interesting, and Henrietta Latham Dwight presented it well.
🟣Kindle version.
Though I would most likely not try the majority of these recipes included in The Golden Age Cook Book, this is an entertaining work to read. There are many odd-to-me meals and concoctions, and there are a few that sound good enough to attempt.
For example: Cream of Lima Beans, Cream of Lettuce, Cream of Chestnuts. Then there is Parsnip Croquettes with Walnuts. If that does not stimulate the appetite, here is Pineapple and Celery Salad.
This might be good:
Stuffed Dates. Wash the dates as in the other recipes, drain in a colander and shake from time to time until they are dry. Stone them and fill with blanched almonds, or chopped nuts or cocoanut grated.
And to top everything off:
Ladies’ Locks Filled with Strawberries. Roll the puff paste thin, cut in strips an inch wide and about twelve inches long; wind these around the forms overlapping the paste as it is wound. Brush over with beaten egg and bake on the forms. When baked slip the forms out, fill with strawberries prepared as for strawberry shortcake.
The Golden Age Cook Book is interesting, and Henrietta Latham Dwight presented it well.
🟣Kindle version.
April 11, 2018
Public domain vegetarian (decidedly non-vegan) cookbook. I am not a fan of the organization/layout and did not find the book healthy (as a mostly paleo eater the grains, milk and cheese were problematic).
September 23, 2026
A wonderful historical collection offering classic recipes from a bygone era. The traditional dishes provide a fascinating glimpse into past culinary practices, making it an essential and highly enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews