Food History: Printed and Manuscript Recipe Books, 1669-1990
Over 330 cookbooks range in publication date from Charles Carter’s The Complete Practical Cook, published in London in 1730, to Susan Anna Brown’s Mrs. Gilpin's frugalities: remnants, and 200 ways of using them, published New York in 1883, to Ruth Ellen Church’s Mary Meade's magic recipes for the electric blender, published in Indianapolis in 1952. This is a delectable collection comprising centuries of recipes for the kitchen, medicinal formulas for the home, advice for the housekeeper, practical ways to cook on a budget, tips on serving and table etiquette, guidance concerning household management, how to grow one’s own food, how to select and buy food, and much more. Food History shows the types of foods that were being eaten, different cultural cuisines, and the diversity of foodways.