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.
Miss Parloa's New Cookbook: A Guide to Marketing and Cooking.New York: C.T. Dillingham, 1882, c. 1880.
Miss Parloa, food editor at "Good Housekeeping" for many years, was a very influential 19th century cooking teacher and cookbook author. She was active in the early years of the Boston Cooking School and founded two cooking schools of her own. She was a pioneer in the domestic science movement of a century ago. Her books were considered models of clarity and her repuation and fame allowed a role as spokesperson for food companies and endorser of many food products. [See 1909 Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes.]
Her many cookery works were in print from the late 1870s to the 1920s. This volume appeared in at least 10 editions (some revised) from its first appearance in 1880 until 1917, which the publisher indicated was a Forty-ninth Impression, 312th Thousand.
All of her books are interesting to look at and offer good insight into the state of culinary knowledge and philosophy of their time. This volume has much information on marketing (almost fifty pages); a discussion on kitchen furnishings, from stoves to refrigerators; and an excellent illustrated listing of kitchen utensils (almost 20 pages). See the Tin Kitchen, Bird Roaster, Squash Strainer, Apple Parer, Spice Box, Rice Mould, and Jagging Iron, among others. There are also suggested seasonal bills of fare.
The hundreds of recipes which follow cover all the familiar dishes, but also include a few more unusual ones: Macaronied Beef, Pickled Blueberries, English Muffins, Canada Gingerbread, Down-East Pudding, Curry of Roasted Rabbit, Stewed Lamb Tongue, Vol-au-Vent of Lobster, Meg Merrilies' Soup, and Parsnip Fried in Molasses. There are many French dishes and French-named processes and recipes.
Those interested should look at her other books, such as:
- Appledore Cook Book
- Camp Cookery
- Home Economics
- Miss Parloa's Young Housekeeper
- Canned Fruit, Preserves and Jellies.
