The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796

I was amazed at how many cooking methods or even terms remain today. Once you get used to the "ff" and certain "f" that are actually "ss" or "s", it's easier to follow! I really enjoyed discovering what "typical" (and special!) meals were like 250 years ago, and imagining how I would starve if my lazy self had to do all of my cooking from fresh or scratch! In a hot house, without a microwave or calibrated oven, no refrigeration to speak of, wearing many pounds of itchy clothes. And I'd have to do it along with all of my other responsibilities. Amazing and impressive. Recommend for anyone who loves reading cookbooks.

This book will draw you back in time a bit. It is an enjoyable read. Historical terms are in there. A great book to add to the useable cookbook collection. Would purchase again for self or as a gift. Shipping was as expected. Binding is good and paper quilty is doable.

I actually have mixed feeling about the book. On the down side the book is 8" X 5", and thus the type face is somewhat small and can be hard to make out. Some of the type looks like it has been (antiqued) and that doesn't help the readability of the book either. lastly it seems that the S's in the book have been replaced with F's. aka fhe felle'f fea fealls at the fea fhore. so it'f like deciphering ancient Greek or fomething :). This also adds to the difficulty or reading the book... On the up side. It is a wonderful history lesson on what our for fathers had to deal with on a daily basis with out the luxury of electricity or refrigeration. feeding the family was a well thought all day job, it is truly amazing they had time to do anything else, like build a nation. I live near the Mississippi gulf coast and during Katarina was without power for a week, many of my friends and family were without power for much longer. Needles to say we had a rude awakening on how to prepare food and preserve food with out the aid of modern convenience's . The knowledge in this book would have been a help. the details on how to tell if meat, fish, vegetables, and eggs were good or not is indispensable. you would be surprised how much we relay on use by dates. I highly recommend this book to anyone who may want to prepare for any kind of disaster, who is really interested in history or who just wants to see what the good ol days tasted like. If you have any trouble you can Google terms, measurements and ingredients for common equivalents of today. My wife is active in Girl Scouts, this book has some wonderful ideas for history lessons and tasting teas...HINT..HINT..HINT.

This cookbook is a reprint of the first American Cookbook ever printed in the US after its establishment as an independent nation in 1776. Printed in 1796, the book is lovingly reprinted from scans of the original book. No language has been changed or altered. There is some commentary printed at the beginning but only to provide added context. One word of advice though, be wary of the old English. You might see a word that looks out of place with a letter F where an S should be. This is an old English spelling method for some words. It's long since gone out of vogue but it's still present in this book so take that into consideration.

Once you get used to the quirks it's a delightful read for the history itself. That is what I wanted. She has more than recipes, the author goes through the way to pick the best produce, meat, even butter. The preface goes over the differences that start occurring with American cooking vs. British vs. other European cuisine. Both history buffs and cooks will enjoy this little booklet.

Interesting but not what I thought. It is more of a story

It was a gift. The recipient said it was her favorite Christmas gift. She sat and started looking through it as soon as the house quieted. Personally I like cookbooks that list ingredients and then instructions. This does not. It is a verbatim copy of a very early set of notes that tell you how to make those dishes

When real food only was available people ate very well and did not gain weight. This information supports the theory that people have developed health problems and unnatural weight gain since the advent of chemicals, additives, seed oils which are industrial solvents, artificial and “natural flavors,” genetically modified plants and animals, and a myriad of other human interventions. A necessary resource for nutritional advisors to see where food manufacturers and processors have completely gone off the rails. A serious wake up call.

Very nice. It's interesting reading. I was expecting a more traditional cook book, but I still like it.

What a beautiful piece of history wrapped into one amazing book!

Great little book.

Love this little book,it's a great read.

Full of information, if not recipes, this little booklet is best for those who are exploring the cooking of the eighteen century in America. Ingredients are shown, but amounts are not always. Great for someone who likes to experiment and not be tied down too tightly by specific ratios in ingredients. For educational purposes, primarily.