---
product_id: 182160011
title: "The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of \"American Cookery,\" 1796 Paperback – October 1, 1984"
brand: "amelia simmons"
price: "A$15"
currency: AUD
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 8
category: "Books"
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/182160011-the-first-american-cookbook-a-facsimile-of-american-cookery-1796
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796 Paperback – October 1, 1984

**Brand:** amelia simmons
**Price:** A$15
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796 Paperback – October 1, 1984 by amelia simmons
- **How much does it cost?** A$15 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/182160011-the-first-american-cookbook-a-facsimile-of-american-cookery-1796)

## Best For

- amelia simmons enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted amelia simmons brand quality
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## Description

From the Back Cover
        	  
        	  
        		  
        		  
	        		
						
			        		This facsimile of the first American-written cookbook published in the United States is not only a first in cookbook literature, but a historic document. It reveals the rich variety of food Colonial Americans enjoyed, their tastes, cooking and eating habits, even their colorful language.Author Amelia Simmons worked as a domestic in Colonial America and gathered her cookery expertise from firsthand experience. Her book points out the best ways of judging the quality of meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, etc., and presents the best methods of preparing and cooking them. In choosing fish, poultry, and other meats, the author wisely advises, &quot;their smell denotes their goodness.&quot; Her sound suggestions for choosing the freshest and most tender onions, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, asparagus, lettuce, cabbage, beans, and other vegetables are as timely today as they were nearly 200 years ago.Here are the first uniquely American recipes using corn meal&#x2014;Indian pudding, &quot;Johnny cake,&quot; and Indian slapjacks&#x2014;as well as the first recipes for pumpkin pudding, winter squash pudding, and for brewing spruce beer. The words &quot;cookie&quot; and &quot;slaw&quot; made their first published appearance in this book. You&apos;ll also find the first recommended use of pearlash (the forerunner of baking powder) to lighten dough, as well as recommendations for seasoning stuffing and roasting beef, mutton, veal, and lamb&#x2014;even how to dress a turtle.Along with authentic recipes for colonial favorites, a Glossary includes definitions of antiquated cooking terms: pannikin, wallop, frumenty, emptins, and more. And Mary Tolford Wilson&apos;s informative Introductory Essay provides the culinary historical background needed to appreciate this important book fully.Anyone who uses and collects cookbooks will want to have The First American Cookbook. Cultural historians, Americana buffs, and gourmets will find this rare edition filled with interesting recipes and rich in early American flavor.
						    	
					    	
						
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## Images

![The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796 Paperback – October 1, 1984 - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rEGcMRmxL.jpg)
![The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796 Paperback – October 1, 1984 - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rWlAlxwnL.jpg)
![The First American Cookbook: A Facsimile of "American Cookery," 1796 Paperback – October 1, 1984 - Image 3](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31eMNMcF62L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Neat book! But be aware...
  

*by A***. on October 22, 2015*









  
  
    I found this an interesting purchase.First, I'll warn you, the typesetting imitates what was used back then. So, the 's' & 'f' sometimes look the same; reading it takes some getting used to.Keep in mind too, that it is a facsimile, and the "receipts" are reprinted as they were in 1796. Measures are not the same as what we currently use.I'm not sure about actually using it to cook from. But it is a neat resource for seeing what was eaten in the country at the time, and how it was prepared and seasoned. I may once experiment though, and give a recipe a whirl. Out of curiosity.The essay at the beginning is worth reading too, in my opinion.
  


### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Historical cooking
  

*by W***K on February 10, 2019*









  
  
    This young woman/cook was illiterate and had to rely on others to write down her recipes. A pleasant surprise was the account of this young woman's struggle to get her cookbook published without others 1)stealing her idea, 2) plagiarizing her book ver batum, and 3) correcting inaccuracies in measurements.
  


### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Interesting bit of American culinary history
  

*by G***S on January 25, 2017*









  
  
    Interesting book for culinary and historical students.  Shows how and what was the ingredients and availability of them, not like they could run down to the supermarket back then, you hunted it, skinned it, butchered it, cooked it following their recipe and enjoyed it, then hopefully you had one of your 8-10 children wash the dishes for you....
  


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*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-01-26*