This 1903 volume by Mrs. Frances Owens provides recipes and hints for economical household management.

The unnamed author of this charming almanac/cookbook concoction was as a “lady of [New York] who has kept an extensive Boarding-house, for twenty-two years in Pearl St.” She took her almanac word for word, even using the same typesetting, from the most recent Farmer’s Almanac for 1840 by David Young. But in addition to the traditional almanac information on daily and monthly calendars, weather, and astronomical events, she included over 250 recipes in the art of cooking, pastry, and confectionary, useful household memorandums, and simple cures. This edition of The Housekeeper’s Almanac was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.

When Seth Arnold’s wife became ill, he took over management of the household until he himself became temporarily unable to perform the chores. He soon realized that although his daughters could perform various tasks, they had no idea how to take over planning and everyday maintenance of the home. He wrote The Intellectual House-keeper to help the girls plan for and anticipate the tasks necessary in order to become household managers and not just domestic servants of their parents. Through a series of questions organized by day of the week and season of the year, Arnold encourages the girls to think for themselves, develop independence, and plan in advance for home and kitchen chores. There are also sections on managing illness, wounds, furniture, and clothing. “This may be used as a kind of family school-book, to assist parents in educating their daughters for business. If mothers will take the pains to teach their daughters in a regular manner, one week [of chores], by a series of practical questions . . . How much might they save their girls from unpleasant and mortifying circumstances, and their husbands from great trouble, care, anxiety, and unhappiness!”

Although the author of this collection is anonymous, her intention was clearly stated on the title page of the book—a thousand practical ways to make good cakes, pies, puddings, and more for the young, inexperienced cook. True to her word, the cookbook is extremely thorough, covering not only the following categories, but including dozens and dozens of recipes for all types of baked goods: cakes, pastry, buns, biscuits, custards, ice cream and ices, tarts, crumpets, puddings, muffins, candy, breads, and more. The back of the book contains advertisements from local merchants for dancing instruction, telegraph service, joke books, and a book titled The Little Flirt, with secrets of handkerchief, glove, fan, and parasol flirtations—a fascinating window on lifestyles of the day. This edition of The Young Cook was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.

Although there is no biography available for author Philomelia Ann Maria Antoinette Hardin, the subtitle of her book, “But More Particularly Designed for Buckeyes [Ohio], Hoosiers [Indiana], Wolverines [Michigan], Corncrackers [Kentucky], Suckers [Illinois], and All Epicures Who Wish to Live with the Present Times,” beautifully demonstrates the down-to-earth, local quality of this regional Midwestern cookbook—reputedly the first cookbook printed west of the Allegheny Mountains. In the mid-nineteenth century, many cookbook writers emphasized the practicality of local ingredients and culinary techniques since the isolation of communities and poor transportation made it difficult to cook with East Coast or European recipes. Hardin’s cookbook contains a full range of recipes from soup to nuts as well as “Valuable Rules” for housekeeping, simple remedies and medical recipes, and advice on the management of bees and care of fruit trees. Locale specific recipes such as Buckeye Dumplings, Wolverine Junket, Hoosier Pickles and Corncrackers Pudding are threaded throughout. This edition of Every Body’s Cook and Receipt Book by Philomelia Hardin was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.

An important and fascinating document of American social history, The Housekeeper’s Manual, or Complete Housewife is believed to be an adapted version of the British best seller The Cook’s Oracle; and Housekeeper’s Manual by Dr. William Kitchiner. Intended as “a Guide for Families,” the cookbook provides recipes for “the most simple and most highly finished” dishes, all tested personally by the author, which was uncommon in the early 19th century. Furthermore, each household tip or skill was also performed by Dr. Kitchiner to test each method before writing the entry. The contents include helpful and quaint information such as “large pears should be tied up by the stalk” or “to preserve blankets from moths [it is best] to fold them and lay them under the feather beds that are in use” as well as recipes for stewing oysters, dressing halibut, preparing beef broth, and boiling ground rice milk. Combined with the charming household information and the treasured recipes, The Housekeeper’s Manual, or Complete Housewife also calls for wives to be involved in the financial concerns of the household and serve as active members of the family, making this tome a particularly significant historical collection. This edition of The Housekeeper’s Manual, or Complete Housewife was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.

The Frugal Housewife, or Complete Woman Cook was the only cookbook published in the United States during the 50-year period before publication of American Cookery by Amelia Simmons—the first truly American cookbook. Originally published in the United Kingdom, Susannah Carter’s work was hugely successful, and after achieving best-seller status in that market, it was published for an American audience. Again, it was well-received, this time by colonial housewives. The first American printing actually included plates engraved by Paul Revere. The Frugal Housewife contains a fascinating array of recipes including: Baked Indian Pudding, Eel Pie, Peach Sweetmeats, Maple Beer, Method of Destroying the Putrid Smell which Meat Acquires during Hot Weather, and Spruce Beer out of Shed Spruce. The cookbook and author Carter are credited with influencing author Amelia Simmons, who wrote the first American-specific cookbook, but the The Frugal Housewife, or Complete Woman Cook is historically significant in its own worth as well for its recipes, social information, and time period when it was published. Later US editions included some Americanization for New World ingredients and methods. This edition of The Frugal Housewife, or Complete Woman Cook was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.

Published in San Francisco in 1875, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection by an unidentified group of ladies from California provides a fascinating historical example of local culture and regional cooking of the day. As the American nation spread west, women began compiling cookbooks based on their lifestyles and experiences with new ingredients and living conditions. These regional cookbooks provide valuable insights into early American family lifestyles and culture. About the quality and value of this regional cookbook, the California Recipe Book states that “the merit of the work consists in its reliability; no recipe having been inserted without the endorsement of some responsible person. Believing it to be a valuable aid to housekeepers we offer it to the public with confidence increased by the reputation it has already attained.” This concise little tome published in California is 1875 by a ladies’ society group contains over 165 recipes covering a wide range of home cook favorites from Parker House rolls, soda biscuits, hot cakes, and omelets to oyster pies, corn pudding, apple pie, and summer squash. Besides the value of the recipes themselves, California Recipe Book also showcases the 19th century version of a modern-day church or group cookbook collection, providing a portrait of contemporary lifestyles and significant historical information. This edition of California Recipe Book was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.

Published in 1848 in Massachusetts, The People’s Manual offers practical and valuable guidance on the daily activities of farming, caring for livestock, cooking, and preparing medicinal cures—all of which provide the entire community with better products and health. As stated in the introduction, the author strove to write “valuable matter” that is of “highly practical importance” and divides the work into two primary sections: making butter and farm care, and preserving health through medicinal recipes. From constructing the best milk cellar and working butter to fattening swine, saving manure, preparing bedbug poison, and curing lock jaw, The People’s Manual by a self-sufficient carpenter offers readers of the 19th century recipes and instructions of “the highest practical moment to every family” as well as giving modern readers a rare glimpse into the roots of self-sufficiency and farm-to-table living. This edition of The People’s Manual was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the society is a research library documenting the lives of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection comprises approximately 1,100 volumes.