Four Historical American Cookbooks

Looking for Something Special For a Home Cook This Year?

Dover Publications recently sent me four historical American cookbooks to review and discuss. Dover, founded in 1941 by Hayward and Blanch Cirker, specializes in republishing books no longer available from their original publishers. Known as Dover Books, the company has a rich catalog, including classic works of literature, public domain titles, and even scientific gems like Albert Einstein’s The Principle of Relativity.

In 2000, the same year Hayward Cirker passed away at 82, Courier Corporation acquired Dover. Despite this change, the company has stayed true to its mission of bringing classic works back into circulation.

The cookbooks I received, unsurprisingly, all center on the art of cooking. Three are reprints, and the fourth, The First American Cookbook, is a facsimile of American Cookery originally published in 1796.

What’s a facsimile? It’s not a transcription or modern reimagining. Instead, it’s an exact photographic reproduction of the original pages, cover, and illustrations. Holding a facsimile feels like holding a piece of history—it looks and reads just like the original. These books aren’t just a window into historic recipes; they’re a glimpse into the culture and craftsmanship of the past.

Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook

These reprinted cookbooks bring back some of the most popular works of their time. One standout is Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer. This 1896 classic introduced groundbreaking concepts like "a level cupful, teaspoonful, and tablespoonful," which are now standard in cooking.

The book is hefty and includes step-by-step instructions for both beginners and experienced cooks. It’s described as “a delightful repository of information for nostalgia buffs and a useful aid for today’s homemaker.” Over the years, the book has been updated, with the most recent being Marion Cunningham's 13th edition. However, this reprint of the original 1896 version offers a fascinating glimpse into 19th-century American cuisine.

The First American Cookbook

Another gem is The First American Cookbook, a facsimile of Amelia Simmons’s work. This short book features authentic American recipes, such as Indian pudding, slapjacks, and Johnny Cakes, and even instructions for brewing spruce beer. It’s also the first publication to include the words "cookie" and "slaw."

If you’re curious about dressing a turtle (and not with a coat and slippers), Simmons has you covered. The old-style typeface, where “s” looks like “f,” adds charm, though it may take a moment to adjust. A detailed introduction by Mary Tolford Wilson provides valuable context about Simmons’ culinary world.

Native Harvests - American Indian Wild Foods and Recipes

Native Harvests by E. Barrie Kavasch was first published in 1977, and Dover republished it in 2005. It is way more than a cookbook filled with recipes; it is a guide to “foraging” and living off the land. As Craig Claiborne said, “It is the most intelligent and brilliantly researched book on the food of the American Indian.”

Yes, it has recipes for clam chowder and sautéed mushrooms, but it also includes recipes for clover soup, acorn coffee, and purslane salad. And who doesn’t want to know how to make Gruel, a combination of water, white cornmeal and maple syrup.

At the end of the book, there is a chapter called Wild Medicines and Cosmetics, where you’ll learn about wild plants like American White Hellebore and Bloodroot and how these plants can be used in medicine.

There is also a chapter on Wild Smoking Mixture describing some of the plants used by the American Indians for smoking. Did you know it was the American Indians who first introduced smoking to the early settlers? The Indians used smoking for medicinal and ceremonial purposes and appeared to smoke just about anything they could get into their pipes.

This is an interesting book for anyone who is interested in early Indian culture and the foods our American Indians ate.

The Picayune’s Creole Cookbook

If you are interested in New Orleans Creole cooking, this unabridged reproduction of the 1901 2nd edition of The Picayune newspaper is a must-have. It contains hundreds of recipes, including gumbos, French breads, soups, rice dishes, and jambalaya, which were influenced by Spain, France, Africa, and native Choctaw Indians.

Suppose you like reading about or cooking various foods not normally found in modern-day cookbooks, like eel, frogs, turtles, lamb's brains, partridge, and much more. In that case, this cookbook will be a gold mine of recipes. For the less adventurous, there are plenty of wonderful recipes for shrimp, crab, chicken, and beef, and they all have one thing in common: Creole-style cuisine.

A collection of recipes “collected directly from the cooks and housekeepers who were the finest practitioners of Creole cuisine, this volume is the bible of many of Louisiana cooks and a delight to gourmets everywhere.

Great Gift Ideas

If you are looking for something different for a friend or family member who loves to cook and enjoys the history of various cuisines from this country and the countries that influenced them, any one of these books is worth looking at.