Originally published in 1887, this unique cookbook includes recipes for Oyster Croquettes, Frizzle Beef, Eggs Au Plat, Royal Diplomatic Pudding, English Currant Bread, White Mountain Cake, Hickory Nut Macaroons, Spanish Pickles, and more. Also included is a discussion of cooking for the sick, and a chapter, “Scraps,” that details homemade solutions for getting rid of red ants, removing mildew, and preventing calicos from fading. There’s even a discussion of antidotes for common poisons of the day like laudanum–“coffee, acids, and cold water on the head with friction.”

Moreover, the book is catalog of the era’s history and culture reflected in advertisements for milliners, grocers, plumbers, furniture makers, and medicinal dealers. To put the work in context, a new introduction has been written, and this edition contains an insert with historical photos and tidbits