Cookbooks: Manuscript Cookbooks: Sources

Fortunately, culinary historians, such as Karen Hess and Janet Theophano, have recognized the importance of these manuscripts and rescued many from oblivion, editing and publishing them to present a picture of the person and her time. In her edition of Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery, Hess not only provides recipes but also digs deeply into genealogical mysteries, giving us a rich picture of the Washington household. Many important manuscripts are available to scholars, housed in special collections in universities and historical societies. Those interested in family cookbooks should search the attic or garage for these tattered journals that were once considered of no value. Now they deserve a second look, an irretrievable part of America’s history.