Food History

We’ve seen these cookbooks before and we might visit them again. There’s a lot of interesting things to be found in both of them.

The first book was published as part of the quest for women’s rights and the second in the early days of US independence. Both help us understand how ideas integrate with food in a society. Also, they give us more recipes – how much better can it get?

The Woman Suffrage Cook Book, containing thoroughly tested and reliable recipes for cooking, directions for the care or the sick, and practical suggestions, contributed especially for this work.
Edited and published by Mrs. Hattie A. Burr, 1890. Boston.

Squash Biscuit.

One cup sweet milk, one of sifted squash, one tablespoonful of butter, one of sugar, one egg, three cups of flour, with one teaspoonful of cream tartar and one-half of soda, and a little salt thoroughly mixed through the flour. Bake in roll iron. Have the iron hot. ANNA B. TAYLOR, M. D.

Squash Biscuit.

One pint squash (boiled and strained), one cup sugar, one-half cup yeast, two-thirds cup butter, or one-half lard, little salt, one-half teaspoonful soda. Knead stiff. Let it rise very light before and after it is put in the pans. For breakfast, put in pans at night.
MRS. RICHARDSON.

Washington Tea Biscuit.

One quart of flour, one salt-spoon of salt, small teacup of yeast, or a small piece of compressed yeast dissolved in water, one tablespoonful of sugar, one egg, a piece of lard the size of a walnut. Rub the flour and lard together, add the salt, yeast, egg and sugar, with enough warm water or milk to make a thick batter. When well risen, add more flour, make into rolls and bake in a quick oven.
MISS E. B. PLYMPTON.

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 the country, and all grades of life.
By Amelia Simmons, an American Orphan. 1798

Biscuit.

One pound flour, one ounce butter, one egg, wet with milk and break while oven is heating, and in the same proportion.

Butter Biscuit.

One pint each milk and emptins, laid into flour, in sponges; next morning add one pound butter melted, not hot, and knead into as much flower as will with another pint of warmed milk, be of a sufficient consistence to make soft-some melt the butter in the milk.

Note: emptins or emptings were a yeast substitute. Yet another thing that will require a post all of its own, one day.