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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"Aunt Babette's" Cook Book: Foreign and domestic receipts for the household: A vaulable collection of receipts and hints for the housewife, many of which are not to be found elsewhere.
By "Aunt Babette"
Cincinnati: Block Pub. and Print Co. co., c1889

This is one of the many books selected to represent the cooking of diverse ethnic groups which were published in America beginning in the 19th century. The first Jewish cookbook, Esther Levy's Jewish Cookery Book, was published in Philadelphia in 1871. It was a kosher book whose intent was to show that fine dining could be achieved within the Jewish Kasruth laws. That first American Jewish cookbook was published in only one edition and is very scarce. By the time Aunt Babette wrote her cookbook, the Reform Movement within Judaism was taking hold and her book, along with the others selected for this compilation were non Kosher, showing, perhaps, the growing assimilation of the Jewish community.

"Aunt Babette" was very popular, had many printings and was in print for more than 25 years. The recipes are American, English, French and German as well as Jewish. That the book is non-kosher is readily apparent by the many recipes for oysters, crab, ham, shrimp and lobster. Many recipes have German names: Mohn Plaetzchen (Poppy Seed Cookies), Pfefferneusse (Nutmeg Cakes), Baseler Leckerlein, German Lebkuchen, Leberknadel (Liver Dumplings), and Gansleber in Sulz (Goose Liver in Goose Fat), for example.

Perhaps the most interesting chapter is that entitled Easter Dishes, which is in fact offers Passover etiquette and recipes. There are recipes for Matzo-Kugel, Matzos Pudding or Schalet, Potato Pudding, Chrimsel, Ueberschlagene Matzos or Matzos Dipped in Eggs, Macaroons, Mandeltorte and Matzoh-Mehl Cake.

All in all, this is a very good cookbook with many international recipes.

For other non-kosher Jewish cookbooks, see:

• The Neighborhood Cook Book
• Greenbaum, The International Jewish Cook Book

For other books with some Jewish recipes or mention of Jewish culinary practice, see:

• Randolph, Virginia Housewife 1838
• De Voe, Market Asssistant 1867
• Croly's Jennie June's American Cookery Book 1870
• Miss Corson's Practical American Cookery
• Kander, The Settlement Cookbook 1901
• Mrs. Rorer's New Cookbook 1902
• Wood's Foods of the Foreign Born