Place of Origin

United States

Date of Composition

recipes likely ca. 1828-ca. 1840

Description

Jane Debevoise attended the Fresh Pond School, which may have been the school by that name that was located in Riverhead, Long Island, New York. In 1850, a Jane Debevoise was living in New Town, Queens County, New York. She may possibly have been the person who wrote this book.

The book is primarily given over to arithmetic exercises. However, it also contains over one hundred recipes, some written on the last few pages of the notebook, and a surprising number crammed on both sides of the back cover. The recipes focus on cakes, tea and breakfast cakes, puddings, pickles, preserves, and cordials. The inclusion of recipes for "pofford," waffles, crullers, New Year's Cake, and "oil cakes" (doughnuts), all of which are associated with Dutch baking, further suggest that the book was compiled in New York.