The Kansas Home Cook-Book

Book excerpt: Published in 1874 in Leavenworth, Kansas, during the post-Civil War charity cookbook boom, The Kansas Home Cook-Book is a fascinating, genuine example of how women during this time were able to express their political influence through sales of cookbook collections. Besides the fund-raising that the cookbook provided, this culinary collection showcases the cooking talents of local women, what was common fare during the time period, and the local community opinions and prejudices. Each recipe is individually attributed and adds to the personal tone of the collection, which includes recipes with a Midwestern influence, such as Mrs. Elvira Burr’s Strawberry Short Cake, Prairie Chicken and Buckwheat Griddle Cakes, and Mrs. C. Foster’s Breakfast Rolls. With its special historical context and authentic local recipes, The Kansas Home Cook-Book is regional book in its origins, but it has modern-day appeal throughout the country. This edition of The Kansas Home Cook-Book was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the society is a research library documenting the lives of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection comprises approximately 1,100 volumes.