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    American Cookery: The First American Cookbook
    American Cookery: The First American Cookbook
    American Cookery: The First American Cookbook
    Ebook73 pages54 minutes

    American Cookery: The First American Cookbook

    By Amelia Simmons

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    About this ebook

    Little is known of Amelia Simmons, the author of the first American cookbook, except that she was probably a domestic worker and lacked any formal education. Some assumed that she was a New Englander based on the location of the first editions; however, later editions published around the Hudson River Valley, and the inclusion of several Dutch words in the book, reinforce the belief that Simmons was probably from the Hudson River Valley region. The book first appeared in 1796 to popular reception, as all other cookbooks being printed and used in the United States prior to this were British. Simmons presents the best methods of picking, preparing, and cooking a variety of ingredients, and her recipes do not shy away from generous use of herbs and wine. This is the first cookbook known to use pearlash, the precursor to modern baking powder, and it contains the first known printed recipe for turkey with cranberries. A classic of early American culinary literature, “American Cookery” gives a wonderful insight into the cuisine of early America.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDigireads.com Publishing
    Release dateJun 24, 2019
    ISBN9781420962666
    American Cookery: The First American Cookbook

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      Book preview

      American Cookery - Amelia Simmons

      cover.jpg

      AMERICAN COOKERY

      OR, THE ART OF DRESSING

      VIANDS, FISH, POULTRY AND VEGETABLES,

      AND THE BEST MODES OF MAKING

      PASTES, PUFFS, PIES, TARTS, PUDDINGS,

      CUSTARDS AND PRESERVES,

      AND ALL KINDS OF CAKES,

      FROM THE IMPERIAL PLUMB TO PLAIN CAKE.

      ADAPTED TO THIS COUNTRY, AND ALL GRADES OF LIFE.

      By AMELIA SIMMONS

      American Cookery: The First American Cookbook

      By Amelia Simmons

      Print ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-6265-9

      eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-6266-6

      This edition copyright © 2019. Digireads.com Publishing.

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

      Cover Image: a detail of Plucking the Pigeon, by Leon Reding (19th century) / Private Collection / Photo © Berko Fine Paintings, Knokke-Heist, Belgium / Bridgeman Images.

      Please visit www.digireads.com

      CONTENTS

      Preface

      How to Choose Flesh

      Fish: How to Choose

      Poultry: How to Choose

      Hares and Rabbits

      Butter, Cheese & Eggs

      Potatoes

      Cultivated Roots

      Vegetables

      Beans

      Peas: Green Peas

      Herbs: Useful in Cookery

      Fruits

      Viandes

      Pies

      Puddings

      Pastes

      Custards

      Tarts

      Syllabubs

      Cake

      Rusk

      Preserves

      Miscellanea

      Advertisement

      Errata

      Preface

      As this treatise is calculated for the improvement of the rising generation of Females in America, the Lady of fashion and fortune will not be displeased, if many hints are suggested for the more general and universal knowledge of those females in this country, who by the loss of their parents, or other unfortunate circumstances, are reduced to the necessity of going into families in the line of domestics, or taking refuge with their friends or relations, and doing those things which are really essential to the perfecting them as good wives, and useful members of society.

      The orphan, tho’ left to the care of virtuous guardians, will find it essentially necessary to have an opinion and determination of her own.

      The world, and the fashion thereof, is so variable, that old people cannot accommodate themselves to the various changes and fashions which daily occur; they will adhere to the fashion of their day, and will not surrender their attachments to the good old way—while the young and the gay, bend and conform readily to the taste of the times, and fancy of the hour.

      By having an opinion and determination, I would not be understood to mean an obstinate perseverance in trifles, which borders on obstinacy—by no means, but only an adherence to those rules and maxims which have flood the test of ages, and will forever establish the female character, a virtuous character—altho’ they conform to the ruling taste of the age in cookery, dress, language, manners, &c.

      It must ever remain a check upon the poor solitary orphan, that while those females who have parents, or brothers, or riches, to defend their indiscretions, that the orphan must depend solely upon character. How immensely important, therefore, that every action, every word, every thought, be regulated by the strictest purity, and that every movement meet the approbation of the good and wise.

      The candor of the American Ladies is solicitously intreated by the Authoress, as she is circumscribed in her knowledge, this being an original work in this country. Should any future editions appear, she hopes to render it more valuable.

      The

      PROCURING

      of the

      BEST VIANDS, FISH, &c

      Or

      DIRECTIONS

      for

      CATERING

      How to Choose Flesh

      Beef, The large stall fed ox beef is the best, it has a coarse open grain, and oily smoothness; dent it with your finger and it will immediately rise again; if old, it will be rough and spungy, and the dent remain.

      Cow, Beef is less boned, and generally more tender and juicy than the ox, in America, which is used to labor.

      Of almost every species of Animals, Birds and Fishes, the female is the tenderest, the richest flavour’d, and among poultry the soonest fattened.

      Mutton, grass-fed, is good two or three years old.

      Lamb, if under six months is rich, and no danger of imposition; it may be known by its size, in distinguishing either.

      Veal, is soon lost—great care therefore is necessary in purchasing. Veal bro’t to market in panniers, or in carriages, is to be prefered to that bro’t in bags, and flouncing on a sweaty horse.

      Pork, is known by its size, and

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