OLD DOMINION COOK BOOKS A BIBLIOGRAPHY Virginia Writers' Project By Henry I. Bowles Williamsburg Art of Cookery, or. Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion, arranged by Mrs. Helen Bullook, printed for Colonial Williamsburg, Incorporated, by August Dietz & Son, Richmond, Virginia, 1938. 276 p., illus., bibl. Based on, and as far as possible a reproduction of. The Compleat Housewife, or Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion, printed in 1742 by William Harks in Williams­ burg, Virginia. Mrs. Bullook brought the earlier work up- to date and consulted many old books on cookery — some printed in London, others in this oountry as early as 1812, and many of origin in this country, considered Virginian in their oookery traditions, publish­ ed as late as the year 1922. The bibliography lists a number of manuscript cook books in the possession of persons in Virginia or nearby States and believed to date from the year 1801 to the year 1839. Both as a cook book and a work of art, the volume is outstanding. In addition to the recipes, it contains "An Account of Virginia Eospitality; Treatises on the various Branches of Cookery; an account of Health Drinking; some Considerations on the Observation of Christmas in Virginia, with traditional Recipes for this Season; with the Author's Explanation of the Method of Collecting and Adapting these ohoioe Recipes; and an alphabetical IHDLX to the Whole." The book is printed on especially made rag-content paper. "The Illustrations, by Elmo Jones, of Richmond, Virginia, are newly drawn in simulation of the Technique of the eighteenth Century Engravers and are reproduced with Line Cuts." "The Bind­ ing, hand-forwarded, by Meister and Smethie, of Richmond, Virginia, is styled on the simple Designs used by Harks on his less ambitious productions." Thomas Jefferson Cook Book, by Marie Kimball, MCMXXXVIII (1938). Richmond — Garrett & Massie — Publishers 111 p 2 Under the heading, "The cpioure of Montioello," Mrs* Kimball presents an ac­ count of Jefferson's development from a rather provincial Virginian in the matter of cookery to what appears to have been a not uncommendable master of the "art*" His may be designated the first modern American cook book. "When Jefferson set sail for France in 1785, as Minister Plenipotentiary to the court of Louis XVI, he was, all unwittingly, leaving behind him the Virginia tradi­ tion of ham, fried chioken, Brunswick stew, greens and batter bread. * * * During the four years he lived in .Paris, Jefferson devoted himself to the intrioacies of French oooking." The first American reoipe for ice cream, then no vulgar commonplaoe, is in the writing of Thomas Jefferson. Most of the recipes are signed. Apparently Jefferson obtained them from friends and from the chefs he employed while in France, in Washington as President, and later at Montioello. The book reproduced is the one made by Virginia Randolph, Jefferson's fifth daughter, born in 1801, who married Nicholas P. Trist, later Amerioan envoy to Mexioo. The recipes have been modernised to suit present-day conditions. Although not so extensive as the Williamsburg Art of Cookery, the book should prove useful to modern housewives. The Martha Washington Cook Book, by Marie Kimball. Profusely Illustrated. New York City. Coward — MoCann. 1940. 204 p. The book may be oalled "A Picture of the old Virginia." In the "Acknowledgment," it is stated that the material has never before been published. A sketoh of "The Mistress of Mount Vernon" covers some phases of the life of George and Martha Washington at Mount Vernon, Hew York, and Philadelphia. The in­ scription on the original readsi "This book, written by hleanor Parke Custis' great grand mother, Mrs. John Custis, was given to her by her beloved Grandmama Martha Washington — formerly Mrs. Daniel Custis." 3 The volume is divided into "A Book of Cookery,". of 206 reoipes, and "A Boake of Sweetmeats,” of 326 pages. The pages are written in black ink, "in a bold angular hand." Inasmuch as Frances Parke was married in 1706, the reoipes must date from early in the eighteenth oentury or before. From a modern standpoint — aside from the differences in materials, leavening, shortening, and flavoring — the reoipes appear to contain many emissions, especially the common artioles of food, such as vegetables. They run largely to meats, fish and fowl. Reoipes have been modernised as to leavening and flavoring materials, and as to quantities used. As it stands, the book is excellent in the matter of the heavier foods, although it lacks the lighter touoh of the latest cook books or even of the Jefferson book. The Compleat Housewife, or, accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion* being a Col­ lection of several Hundred of the most approved Reoipes * * * by H. Smith. Collected from the Fifth Edition. Williamsburg, printed and sold by William Parks, 1742. One copy of this work, stated as "the first American book on Cookery," out of but four extant, is owned by Colonial Williamsburg, Incorporated. It forms the basis of the present Williamsburg Art of Cookery. The Art of Cookery made plain and easy, by a Lady (Mrs. Hannah Glasse) London, 1774. A oopy of this book is owned by Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The first American edition of this work was published in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1805. Ho copy of this can be located. "A New Edition, with Modern Improvements, Alexandria. Printed by Cotton and Stewart, 1812," 268 p., is in the Virginia State Library. The title reads: The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and aasy; "Lxoelling any thing of the kind ever published 4 By Mrs. Glasse." Containing "Directions how to market," and a long list of in­ structions on how to cook all sorts of dishes from roast to the art of preserving. "Also - - - The Order of A Bill of Fare for each Month, in the manner the dishes are to be placed upon the table; in the present taste." In its day, it must have been unusually useful to housewives. Directions for Cooking by Troops, "in camp and hospital." Prepared for the Army of Virginia and published by order of the Surgeon General with Essays on "Taking Food," and "What Food," by Florenoe Nightingale. Richmond, J. W. Randolph, 1861. 35 p. The only oopy available, a photostat, is in the Virginia State Library. The re­ cipes run to soups and other hospital foods. It is interesting as a curiosity. The Virginia Housewife; or Methodical Cook. % Mrs. Mary Randolph."Method is the Soul of Management•“ "Fourth Edition with Amendments and Additions." Washington. Published by P. Thompson, Way and Gideon, printers, 1830. 186 p. Also: a"Stereotype Edition, with Amendments and Additions." Baltimore, Plaskitt & Cugle, 1831. An edition published by E. H. Butler & Co., Philadelphia, 1846, contains numerous manusoript additions. Another edition by E. H. Butler & Company, Philadelphia, appeared in 1855. The original copyright is to William B. Randolph, January 29, 1828. An excellent cook book, comprehensive and practical. The recipes are not essen­ tially Virginian. Its numerous republications indioate it must have been popular. Copies of all these editions are in the Virginia State Library. Common Sense in the Household: a manual of practical housewifery, by Marion Harland New York. Charles Scribner's Sons. 1880. 529 p 5 A revision of the first cook book of Mary Virginia (Hawes) Terhune. A first edition, published by Charles Scribner & Co,, 1871, could not be found. The work ran into various editions over a long term of years. Copies of some of these later editions are in the Virginia State Library. The book is especially interesting because of the personal touoh. Mrs. Terhune was born in Virginia, her grandfather a planter of Henrioo County, near Riohmond; and she was wife of a oountry parson of Charlotte Court House. She explains that she put into the cook book muoh of her experience as a housewife of moderate means in a small community. Comprehensive and up-to-date for its time. House and Home, A Complete Housewife’s Guide, by Marion Harland, with Original Engravings, issued by Clawson Brothers, Philadelphia. Copyrighted by Mary Virginia Terhune, 188y, b26 p. A book on pumers and homemaking as well as oookery. Along many lines, es­ pecially sanitation, the author anticipated by years practices that are commonplace today. Marion Harland*s Complete Cook Book. A Practical and Exhaustive Manual of Cooking and Cookery and Housekeeping. By Marion Harland (Mrs. Mary Virginia (Hawes) Terhune.) hew Edition, Revised and Enlarged. Indianapolis. The Bobbs-Merrill Company. June, 1903; March, 1906. 728 p* The copy consulted, evidently not a first edition, is in the Virginia State Li­ brary. Mrs. Terhune’s great vrork on cookery and homemaking was for years the last word on those subjects for housewives all over Amerioa. Not essentially Virginian, the book inoludes many dishes still popular in the Old Dominion. With but little re­ vising, it would be up-to-date now. The Story of Canning and Recipes; Marion Harland. Copyright 1910. Rational 6 Caimers * Association. 40 p. U l us. Atoz Printing Company, South Whitley, Indiana. The first known oook book devoted entirely to modern dishes from preserved foods, it anticipates the era of the oan-opener expert and is still up-to-date. Virginia Cookery Book. Compiled by Mary Stuart Smith, hew York, Harper & Brothers. 1885. 350 p. "In the simplest and most unpretending manner, two Virginian ladies would here­ in lay before their sisters a collection of recipes such as have been constantly used in the families of their State for many years back, and tested by the experience of several generations." An excellent collection of recipes for making good things to eat. Still use­ ful if obtainable. Virginia Cookery Book: Traditional Recipes, Riohmond, Virginia, League of Woman Voters, Richmond, 1S22.