Miss Leslie's Directions for Cookery

by Eliza Leslie

Eliza Leslie is best known for this work, originally published in 1837, which was the most popular cookbook in America at the time, selling at least 150,000 copies. Her simple, yet comprehesive approach to cooking gave her book appeal across socio-economic classes, making her recipes popular with both urban and rural families. This version, published in 1853, is the cook book's forty-nineth edition.

Genres: Ebooks, Cookbooks

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1851

Reviews

[farmwifetwo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A facinating yet dull read. I said to dh, she cooks veggies until they are dead... but carrots today and yesterday were not the same thing . Also I found changing the water on potatoes and not peeling until after they are cooked excessive but... gardens were planted with manure, they understood that , how many people today get sick because they don't scrub the veggies ? ?? Something to wonder about .

You'd think that in a time when food wasn't premade that books like this one wouldn't be needed , which makes them even more interesting to read and see how people lived. This one assumes a fireplace is used for most cooking . Which gives ideas for cooking on a campfire using coals and a spit in a tin kitchen . Had to Google that .

Still not done and I admit to skipping sections.... the dull part... but will continue to read it off and on.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for any book that contains both the phrase and a recipe for 'pudding catchup'.

--It's brandy sauce. For your ice cream. Or your pudding, I guess, whatever.

This book is great. I can't recommend the home remedy section enough, which eventually led me down a rabbit hole to the discovery that Bacon's rebellion was in part successful because the redcoats ate jimsonweed salad en route and were tripping too hard to show up.

Don't take it so seriously, maybe don't boil your potatoes for eight hours, and enjoy Miss Leslie's voice, which shows up from time to time even in what is otherwise a pretty dry cookbook.

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Miss Leslie put together the ultimate guide for the amateur cook in the mid-19th century. She lost her father at an early age, and when her mother had to open a boarding house to make ends meet, Miss Leslie assisted with the cooking. She also attended Mrs. Goodfellow's cooking school in Philadelphia.

Miss Leslie's cookbook contained the how-to of preparing food and hints for stocking a working kitchen. Don't miss the chapters on "Preparations for the Sick" and "Perfumery." I enjoyed reading about the ingredients and how cooks had to do everything from scratch. No pre-done anything!!

Mrs. Lincoln used the 1845 edition of Miss Leslie's, so I was especially interested in such a connection.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very useful cookbook for those interested in 19th century American cooking. Leslie is writing for the less experienced cook so she provides step by step directions which in turn instructs the 21st century reader about kitchen implements and ingredients that they might not be familiar with. Particularly useful is the guide to weights and measurements that serves as a Rosetta Stone of sorts for the modern cook. She provides more specific directions for preparing some of the recipes found in Amelia Simmons first American cookbook. Leslie also provides some commentary on recipes including this gem. "We have known of a very rich plum pudding being mixed in England and sent to America in a covered bowl; it arrived perfectly good after a month's voyage the season being winter."