Historic Cookery

*****14th CENTURY**********

Master Cooks of King Richard II (England): The Forme of Cury;
commentary and “translation” by Samuel Pegge (1704-1796);
Forgotten Books, 2008.
[NOTE: This is thought to be the oldest known British cookbook. There
are many different published versions of this book available. Several
can be found online (i.e. FREE).]

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Taillevent, Guillaume Tirel (1326-1395): The Viandier of Taillevent,
An Edition of All Extant Manuscripts; Edited by Terrence Scully;
text in Old French, followed by the English translation; first published
in 1988, reprinted 2008.

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*****16th CENTURY**********

Dawson, Thomas: The Good Housewife’s Jewel, with an introduction
by Maggie Black; Southover Press, England, 1996; reprinted 2002.

Bartolomeo Scappi: The Opera of, The Art and Craft of a Master Cook (1570),
translated with commentary by Terence Scully, London, England, 2008.
[NOTE: This gem has illustrations of 16th Century cooking equipment.]

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*****17th CENTURY**********

Digby, Kenelm: The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened; London,
England, 1669; published by The Echo Library, England, 2007.

Markham, Gervase: The English Hus-wife, London, England, 1615.
[NOTE: This is a great little book of receipts (both culinary and medicinal),
with sections on spinning, dairying, and baking, as well as copious notes,
an extensive bibliography, and a glossary.]

Massialot, Francois: Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois, 1691; “faithfully
translated out of French into English by J.K.,” The Court and Country Cook,
London, England, 1702.
Available on CD from Carolyn Smith-Kizer.

May, Robert: The Accomplisht Cook, London, England, 1685 ed. (first
published in 1660).

Unknown: de Verstandige Kock, 1683 edition (orig. 1667) translated
(and edited) as The Sensible Cook, by Peter G. Rose, Syracuse University
Press, NY, 1989.
[NOTE: Includes sections on butchering and confectionery. For historic
cooks, be aware that, according to the author herself (see the book's
Introduction), this cookbook was meant for the wealthy, particularly
those who owned houses in the country and had servants to do all
the work. In addition, only the first sections contain actual receipts
translated from the original Dutch; I suggest sticking to them. The
last section is largely comprised of modern adaptations.]

Wolley, Hannah: The Queen-like Closet, London, England, 1672.

 
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*****18th CENTURY**********

Ashfield Family: Receipts, 1720s-1790s, manuscript cookbook published
as Pleasures of Colonial Cooking, by the Miller-Cory House Museum and
The New Jersey Historical Society, The New Jersey Historical Society,
Newark, NJ, 1982.

Ayres, Ralph ‘Radolphus’: Ralph Ayres’ Cookery Book, with an Introduction
and Glossary by Jane Jakeman; Bodleian Book Shop, Co., UK, 1721.

Bradley, Mrs. Martha: The British Housewife, London, England, 1756.
[NOTE: This book is comprised of six (6) volumes. Unfortunately, I only
have Volume V (5). I've tried to purchase a complete set, to no avail.]

Bradley, Richard: The Country Housewife and Lady’s Director, London,
England, 1736.

Briggs, Richard: The English Art of Cookery, Dublin, 1798.

Burling, Polly: A Book of Receipts April 1770, manuscript cookbook
published as Colonial Burlington Cookery, transcribed by Sue Huesken
and Mercy Ingraham, includes several modern adaptations, RanMer
Publishing, Riverside, NJ, 2008.

Cleland, Elizabeth: A New and Easy Method of Cookery, Edinburgh,
Scotland, 1755; facsimile with an introduction by Peter Brears,
published by The Paxton Trust and Prospect Books, London,
England, 2005.

DiMarco, Vincent: Egg Pies, Moss Cakes, and Pigeons Like Puffins,
Eighteenth-Century British Cookery from Manuscript Sources;
iUniverse, Inc., Lincoln, Nebraska, US, 2007.

Eales, Mrs. Mary: Mrs. Mary Eales’ Receipts; London, England, 1733 edition
(1st published 1718).

Farley, John: The London Art of Cookery, London, England, 1783.
[NOTE: Farley "borrowed" many receipts from others, including Hannah Glasse and
Eliza Smith. A fellow hearth cook once referred to his book as "The London Art
of Plagarism." ]

Gardiner, Anne Gibbons: manuscript cookbook of, published as Mrs. Gardiner’s
Family Receipts from 1763, Edited and Annotated by Gail Weesner, Rowan
Tree Press, Boston, MA, no publication year given.

Glass, Hannah: The Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy, London, England, 1747;
also, a later edition, specifically for an American audience: Alexandria, VA, 1805.

Hogg, Alexander, published by: The Farmer’s Wife
or The Complete Country Housewife;
London, England, circa 1770.

Horry, Harriott Pinckney: The Receipt Book of, South Carolina, 1770;
published as A Colonial Plantation Cookbook, Introduction by Richard J. Hooker,
University of South Carolina Press, 1984.

Kidder, Edward: Kidder’s Receipts of Pastry and Cookery, London, England, 1740s.
[NOTE: My copy, a facsimile published (the actual pages have been replicated) by Ashmolean Museum Oxford in 2001, with an Introduction and Glossary by Jane Jakeman, has marvelous full-color photos inserted throughout.]

Lloyd, Martha: manuscript cookbook, selections published as The Jane Austen
Cookbook, by Maggie Black & Deirdre Le Faye, McClelland & Stewart, Ltd.,
Ontario, Canada, 2002; original edition published by The British Museum
Press, 1995
[NOTE: Martha lived with the Austens for many years.]

Mason, Charlotte: The Lady’s Assistant, for Regulating and Supplying
the Table; London, England, 1787.

Nutt, Frederick: The Complete Confectioner, or, The Whole Art
of Confectionary Made Easy; New York, 4th Ed. 1807
(1st 1789, London, England).

Powys, Mrs. Philip Lybbe: manuscript cookbook, selections published as
The Jane Austen Cookbook, by Maggie Black & Deirdre Le Faye, McClelland &
Stewart, Ltd., Ontario, Canada, 2002; original edition published by The British
Museum Press, 1995
[NOTE: Mrs. Powys was a friend of Jane Austen's mother and connected
to the family by marriage.]

Raffald, Elizabeth: The Experienced English Housekeeper, London, England, 1769.

Randolph, Jane Bolling and Anonymous: two manuscript cookbooks
(JB 1739-1743 & Anon. 1700), contained in Katharine E. Harbury’s Colonial
Virginia’s Cooking Dynasty, University of South Carolina Press, 2004.

Simmons, Amelia: American Cookery, First Edition, Hartford, CT, 1796
(facsimile of the actual original first edition, including author’s corrections;
with an introduction by Mary Tolford Wilson, published in 1958; reprinted
by Dover Publications, 1984).

ALSO – - -

Simmons, Amelia: American Cookery, Second Edition, Albany, NY, 1796
(facsimile of the original second edition containing corrections of the first
and additional “American” receipts; with an introduction by Karen Hess,
published by Applewood Books in 1996).
[NOTE: American Cookery was the first cookbook written by an American
and published in America.]

I think it’s important to have BOTH of the above books, particularly
since it indeed is the first known truly American book of receipts.
Your knowledge and understanding of later works will be enriched.
The two facsimiles ARE different. Wilson’s and Hess’ notes are
invaluable, as well.]

Smith, Eliza: The Compleat Housewife, London, England, 1758 (16th ed.),
First edition published in 1727.
[NOTE: This was the first cookbook published in America, by William Parks
at Williamsburg, VA, in 1742.] 

Unknown: A Book of Simples, published manuscript, circa 1700-50,
London, England.

Van Rensselaer: manuscript cookbook selections of several family members
published as Selected Receipts of a Van Rensselaer Family, 1785-1835,
compiled & edited by Jane Carpenter Kellar, Ellen Miller, and Paul Stambach,
Historic Cherry Hill, Albany, NY, 1976.

Washington, Martha: manuscript cookbook published as Martha Washington’s
Booke of Cookery, transcribed by Karen Hess “with historical notes and copious
annotations,” Columbia University Press, NY, 1981, 1995
[NOTE: Although kept by Martha 1749-1799, it's believed to have originated
in Medieval times. It had been given to her, and she later passed it on. Again,
Hess' notes, explanations, etc. are priceless.]

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*****19th CENTURY**********

Bryan, Mrs. Lettice: The Kentucky Housewife, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1839.

Child, Mrs. (Lydia): The American Frugal Housewife, Boston, Mass., 1833.

The Genesee Farmer, Selected Receipts from, 1831 to 1856: compiled and
edited by Lynne J. Belluscio, self-published, LeRoy, NY, 1981.

Hale, Sarah Josepha: The Good Housekeeper, Boston, Mass., 1841.

Kitchiner, William, M.D.: The Cook’s Oracle, London, England, 1817.

Knowlton & Rice (publishers): The Cook Not Mad, Watertown, NY, 1830.

Lea, Elizabeth Ellicott, The Domestic Cookery of: manuscript cookbook
originally published in Baltimore, MD, 1853; re-published as A Quaker
Woman’s Cookbook, edited by William Woys Weaver, Stackpole Books,
Mechanicsburg, PA, 2004.

Lee, Mrs. N.K.M.: The Cook’s Own Book, Boston, Mass. 1832.

Leslie, Eliza: Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, etc., Boston, Mass., 1828.

Nutt, Frederic: The Complete Confectioner: Or, The Whole Art of Confectionary
Made Easy; London, England/New York Reprinted; Fourth Edition, “with considerable
additions,” 1807.

Nutt, Frederic: The Imperial and Royal Cook; London, England, 1809.

Oliver, Charles: Dinner at Buckingham Palace; Metro Publishing,
London, England, 2007.
[NOTE: I struggled with where to list this book. It IS a cookbook, containing
numerous recipes, from the late Victorian period (late 1800s) to the present.
Most are taken from the writings of Charles Oliver, son of a royal servant,
who continued in that occupation. I found the book to be extremely interesting.
It's easy to see that the recipes (still in use today) are firmly rooted in many
older English works (right down to the frequent use of lard!)]

Randolph, Mary: The Virginia Housewife, Washington, D.C., 1824.

Roberts, Robert: The House Servant’s Directory, An African American
Butler’s 1827 Guide; re-publication of original published in 1827;
Dover Publications, Mineola, NY, 2006.
[NOTE: Contains numerous receipts as well as instructions for servants. Gives
a glimpse into daily life in the better households.]

Rundell, Maria Eliza Ketelby: A New System of Domestic Cookery,
London, England, 1816.

Rutledge, Sarah: The Carolina Housewife, Charleston, S.C., 1847.

Unknown: Die Geschickte Hausfrau (The Handy Housewife), Pennsylvania
Dutch (German) cookbook, originally published in Harrisburg, VA, 1851;
translated by William Woys Weaver and re-published as Sauerkraut
Yankees, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA, 2002.
[NOTE: Receipts are presented with modern adaptations and copious
historical notes.]

***More to come***