Synopses & Reviews
Originally published in 1838 and widely regarded as the first American Southern cookbook, The Virginia Housewife is more than just a regional cookbook. While gathering the best of Southern cooking, it also gives a picture of dishes that were popular around the country at the time. Reputed to be the best cook and hostess in Richmond, Mary Randolph's work reflects the influence of cuisines from other cultures and preserves the multi-ethnic flavors of American cuisine of the 1830s. Full of practical household advice and hints that still resonate today, the recipes will be a delight to modern cooks-especially the 22 flavors of ice cream!
Review
Introduction The Virginia Housewife: or, Methodical Cook By Mary Randolph Baltimore: Plaskitt, Fite, 1838 (1838) This is considered by some to be the first truly American cookbook and by all to be the first regional American cookbook. This work is still in print and still forms the basis of traditional Virginia cooking. It has been praised by many culinary authorities both for its delineation of authentic Virginia foods and its careful attention to detail. Upon its first appearance in 1824 it was an immediate success and it was republished at least nineteen times before the outbreak of the Civil War. In addition, copies appeared in the late nineteenth century and modern Southern authors aften reference it. The recipes in The Virginia House-Wife are simply splendid. It contains a number of Southern specialties, some appearing in print for the first time: Ochra Soup, Catfish Soup, Barbecued Shote (""This is the name given in the southern states to a fat young hog""), Curry of Catfish, Ochra and Tomatoes; Gumbo (""A West India Dish""), Chicken Pudding (""A Favourite Virginia Dish""), Field Peas, Apoquiniminc Cakes (a form of beaten biscuits). Clearly we are in the South. But Mrs. Randolph knew about much more than Southern cooking; she includes recipes from England, France, Spain, the East Indies, the West Indies and New England (Dough Nuts - A Yankee Cake), among others. Her Spanish dishes are most intriguing: Gaspacho, Ropa Vieja and Ollo. We find polenta, vermicelli, macaroni and curry. We find recipes for corning, for fricando and fricassee, for haricot and matelote and salmagundi; we have a-la-modes, a-la-daubes and a-la-cremes. We learn how to caveach fish and to pitchcock eels. Mrs.Randolph tells us how to pickle several dozen items, including oysters, sturgeon, lemons, onions, nasturtiums, radish pods, English walnuts, peppers, green nectarines and asparagus. Anyone who doubts that early Americans savored salads and vegetables need only look at what Mrs. Randolph offers. There are recipes for artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, French beans, Jerusalem artichokes, lima beans, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, potato pumpkin, red beet roots, salsify, savoy cabbage, sea kale, sorrel, spinach, sprouts and young greens, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, turnip tops, winter squash, onions, and tomatoes. Indeed, Mrs. Randolph has seventeen recipes using tomatoes in the various editions of her cookbook. This provides further evidence to correct the misinformation that Americans did not use tomatoes prior to the mid-nineteenth century. We should mention Mrs. Randolph's wondrous ice-cream recipes. There are twenty-two flavors, plus variations, including black walnut, pineapple, quince, peach, pear, chocolate, citron and almond.
Review
Karen Hess, wrote, ""The most influential American cookbook of the 19th century was The Virginia Housewife ... There are those who regard it as the finest book ever to have come out of the American kitchen, and a case may be made for considering it to be the earliest full-blown American cookbook. [it] may be said to document the cookery of the early days of our republic.""
Synopsis
Originally published in 1838, Randolph's work is more than just a regional cookbook. It also gives a picture of dishes that were popular around the country at the time. Reflecting the influence of cuisines from other cultures, The Virginia Housewife preserves the multiethnic flavors of American cuisine of the 1830s.
Synopsis
Originally published in 1838 and widely regarded as the first American Southern cookbook, The Virginia Housewife is more than just a regional cookbook. While gathering the best of Southern cooking, it also gives a picture of dishes that were popular around the country at the time. Reputed to be the best cook and hostess in Richmond, Mary Randolph's work reflects the influence of cuisines from other cultures and preserves the multi-ethnic flavors of American cuisine of the 1830s. Full of practical household advice and hints that still resonate today, the recipes will be a delight to modern cooks-especially the 22 flavors of ice cream!
Synopsis
America's first regional cookbook preserves the best of nineteenth century cookery.
About the Author
Mary Randolph earned her law degree from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of The Executor's Guide: Settling Your Loved One's Estate or Trust, 8 Ways to Avoid Probate, Every Dog's Legal Guide: A Must-Have Book for Your Owner, and Deeds for California Real Estate. She is also a coauthor of the legal manual for Quicken WillMaker Plus. She has been a guest on The Today Show and has been interviewed by many publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, and more. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.