Manuscript Location

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

Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

1821-1841

Description

This English recipe book was compiled by Emma Higgins Samson, who wrote "Emma Higgins now Mrs. Samson" on the first page. Written during the years 1821 to 1841, it contains culinary, medical, and household recipes. The culinary recipes cover a wide range of meat and fish dishes, pickled foods, condiments, desserts, and cakes. They include meatballs; fried oysters and sole; cucumber, mushroom, and walnut catsups; bread and butter pudding, cheesecakes, flummery, and syllabub; and drop cakes and ginger cakes. Recipes for fruit and flower wines such as black currant, cowslip, damson, elderflower, gooseberry madeira, and strawberry occur throughout the volume. There are also a few beer recipes.