Manuscript Location

University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Kislak Center for Special Collections - Manuscripts

Place of Origin

United States

Date of Composition

ca. 1842-1848

Description

This American cookbook of 27 written pages contains the names Ellen Fitzhugh and Mrs. H. W. Fitzhugh, which are written in the same hand as most of the recipes. (There is some evidence of a second hand.) The presumed date of the manuscript is based upon notes dated 1842 on the inside front cover and a recipe for apple jelly dated 1848 that is laid in the volume. Probably from the mid-Atlantic region, the book contains recipes for jumbles, waffles, ice cream, cranberry jelly, and oyster soup, as well as recipes for various cakes and puddings. There are several recipes for preserving meat and fish, including "To Cure Bacon," "To Cure Tongues," "To Cure Shad," and "To Dress a Rock[fish]." The book also contains a handful of household and practical recipes.