Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

ca. 1800-1820

Description

This cookbook comprises a complete index on two unnumbered pages at the front followed by 43 numbered pages of recipes. The first 22 pages are mostly in one hand; the remaining pages are in one or more other hands.

The library believes the book is American, but the vocabulary strongly suggests that the book is English, specifically the words "penny worth" (pages 3, 20), "treacle" (pages 13, 17, 20, 36), and "barm" (pages 6, 20). Also arguing for an English origin are the recipes for Everton Toffy and York Cheese; the use of materials rare in contemporaneous American cooking, including orange flower water, anchovies, and cow heels; and the attribution of a recipe for Port Wine to a Lord Pembroke on page 14. Finally, there are accounts on the inside back cover, dated 1818, written in English currency.

The book is of particular interest for its many recipes for making fruit wines and cheeses, curing hams, potting meats and mushrooms, and preserving butter and eggs. However, it includes a range of dishes, including "Queen Cakes," "Meagre Soup," "Spanish Flummery," and "Mock Turtle Soup." There are also some medical and household recipes.