Manuscript Location

University of Iowa Main Library, Special Collections, Szathmary Culinary Archive

Place of Origin

England ➔ Surrey ➔ Staines-upon-Thames

Date of Composition

1811-1821

Description

The inside front cover of this 54-page recipe book is inscribed Mrs. Howard Staines Middsx [Middlesex] 12 Jan 1811. The book is in at least two hands besides Mrs. Howard's; a date of 1821 appears on page 45. The book is primarily medical, containing remedies for whooping cough, toothache, typhus, warts, corns, consumption, and rheumatism, among other complaints. However, it does contain a number of drink recipes, some common, such as ginger, raisin, parsnip, elder, gooseberry, and raspberry wines, and some less common, including Receipt for making British Madeira in imitation of Foreign, To make champagne equal to foreign, and To make six gall good table drink, which is a sort of molasses beer. The book also contains five pages of different directions for curing hams near the end.