Maria Parloa (1843–1909) is now nearly forgotten, but in the latter part of the nineteenth century she was well known as a respected cooking authority, teacher and lecturer, author of many popular cookbooks, founder of cooking schools in Boston and New York City, and editor of women’s magazines. She was one of the innovative superstars of her field, addressing her material to the training of both cooking teachers and the growing group of urban, middle-class women who had the leisure and desire to improve their cooking and maintain fashion. Parloa’s fame was such that her name and recipes were effective endorsements of several commercial products. In her own words, “having had years of experience as a cook in private families and hotels, I know the wants of the masses and feel competent to supply them.”
