1776–1876: The Centennial Cook Book and General Guide

Published in Philadelphia in 1876, this volume in the American Antiquarian Cookbook Collection provides information about recipes and other cultural information from the 100 years between 1776 and 1876, divided into four sections: Cookery, Medical Department, Farming and Agriculture, and Events, and was published to celebrate the nation’s first centennial.

1776-187: The Centennial Cook Book and General Guide contains over 1,000 recipes gathered by author Mrs. Ella E. Myers, who states in the preface, “To compile and issue a work of this kind that would be perfect, has been my particular aim, and, I believe that I have succeeded.” Myers confirms that “each and every” recipe has been “carefully analyzed and tested by me” to ensure the highest of quality. Furthermore, Myers also states that the recipes were designed to only use quantities and ingredients absolutely necessary, and because of this, will save readers significant money. Besides just recipes and frugality, the hefty tome also contains sections on medicinal cures, planting and farming, and historical events of Philadelphia. Complete with some of the author’s own recipes (marked as such), 1776-1876  includes dishes such as Common Sense Biscuit, Corn Meal Muffins, Orange Biscuits, and Potato Fritters. With tested, economical recipes as well as medicinal and agricultural tips, 1776-1876: The Centennial Cook Book provides an accurate, informative, and intriguing picture of American lifestyles in the first 100 years of the United States. This edition of 1776-1876: The Centennial Cook Book and General Guide was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.