The introductory texts reproduced here were written by the original Feeding America team to contextualize the books that were selected for inclusion as part of the 2001 digitization project.

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The Ladies' New Book of Cookery: A Practical System For Private Families In Town And Country; With Directions For Carving, And Arranging The Table For Parties, etc. Also Preparations Of Food For Invalids And For Children.
By Sarah Josepha Hale.
New York, H. Long & Brother, 1852.

This is the second book of Mrs. Hale included in our compilation. (See her 1839 The Good Housekeeper). This volume is much larger and more extensive in its coverage. A lengthy introduction, called both The Science of Cookery and The Philosophy of Cookery, makes fascinating reading. In it we find much of Mrs. Hale's philosophy of the importance of the role of housekeeping: "Domestic Economy includes every thing which is calculated to make people love home and feel happy there."

There are chapters on Cookery for Children, Dinner Parties and Carving, and The Dairy. Each of the recipe sections is much expanded from her earlier book. The Cake section, for example, is now over twenty pages and includes illustrations. It contains cakes named Washington, French, Derby or Short, Shrewsbury, Banbury, Scotch, Irish, Dutch, Savoy, Almond Sponge, Jelly or Vienna, Cinnamon, Isle of Wight Cracknels, Kringles, Spanish Buns, Hopkington Springs, Common Crullers or Twist Cakes, Richer Crullers and Spanish Puffs, among many others.

The bounty of a prosperous America can be found here.