Manuscript Location

Folger Shakespeare Library, Manuscripts

Place of Origin

England

Date of Composition

ca. 1725-ca. 1750

Description

This book appears to have been compiled in two stages. The original book consisted of culinary recipes written on the rectos of 81 numbered leaves, with an index to these recipes at the front, followed by an inscription: "Jane Webb Her Book." The original recipes appear to be in two alternating hands, suggesting that the book was a collaboration. (The first hand, possibly that of the inscriber, predominates through leaf 32; the second hand debuts on leaf 3 but writes few recipes until leaf 33, whereafter the hand is common.) After the book was completed, additional culinary recipes were written on the versos of some of the 81 leaves, as well as on leaves 82 to 93, some likely in the hands of the original writers and others in new hands. In addition, the book includes a medical section written on 7 numbered leaves from the back of the notebook going toward the center. These recipes appear to be in the hands of the two original culinary writers and perhaps one other hand.

Unusual for the period, this cookbook is primarily concerned with the dishes of the two principal courses of dinner, particularly meat dishes (fricassees, ragoos, stews, hashes, collops, and cutlets) but also soups, vegetable dishes, puddings, and preserved foods. The index lists just a handful of dessert creams, little cakes, and large cakes and, suprisingly, very few recipes for fruit preserving. Noteworthy recipes include the brown fricassee of chicken or rabbits on leaf 7 (fricassees were typically white); the four "lears" for sweet (meat) pies, savory pies, fish pies, and pasties on leaf 20; the "Regalia of Cowcumbers" on leaf 21 (fried cucumbers in a red wine meat gravy); and the uncommon recipe for "Tea Creame" on leaf 89. The trifle on leaf 25 is a rennet cream and all of the large cakes are yeast-raised (leaves 37, 50, 51), which suggests that the original book was compiled rather early in the eighteenth century. Some of the added recipes may be a bit later.