The New York Cookbook: A Complete Manual of Cookery, in all its Branches, by Marie Martinelo, 1882

Martinelo, Marie. The New York Cookbook: A Complete Manual of Cookery, in all its Branches. New York: James Miller, 1882. Octavo. In the publisher's brick red cloth, stamped and titled in black to front, gilt titles to spine, and blind embossed titles to back. Illustrated with color plates and in-text illustrations. 

Presented is The New York Cookbook: A Complete Manual of Cookery, in all its Branches by Marie Martinelo. This cookbook was published in 1882 by James Miller. It is presented in the publisher's original brick red cloth, stamped and titled in black to front, with gilt titles to spine, and blind embossed titles to back. It is nicely illustrated with color plates and in-text illustrations. 

Following a brief “word to housekeepers,” the manual begins foundational instruction, including directions and diagrams on carving meats, methods for stewing, and a discussion on diet and digestion. It also provides general guidance on cookery, weights and measures, before progression into a comprehensive series of chapters organized by food category. These include soups, fish, butcher’s meats, poultry, gravies, sauces and “catchups,” vegetables, rice and macaroni, “various modes of eggs.” The later sections turn to pickles, jams and jellies, and conclude with dessert chapters like “pastries, puddings, and other dainties,” “bread and yeast”, and cakes, served with “coffee, tea, and other beverages.”  

Beyond its culinary scope, the book includes practical household hints, offering a wide range of domestic guidance. Included are instructions for making soap, shaving cream, dyes, and ink, as well as methods to “destroy vermin,” remove rust from cutlery, “render shoes waterproof,” and varnish gilded frames. It also addresses food preservation techniques for cheese, fruits, and vegetables, alongside directions for preparing tinctures, possets, and nourishment for the sick. Remedies and preventative advice are given for common ailments, from burns and wounds to earaches, toothaches, and colds.

Insightful and intriguing, this book is collectible for combination of classic American recipes and insight into Victorian-era culinary and domestic practices. While many of its dishes remain familiar, others such as pigeon meat, broiled squab, nasturtium sauce, picked barberries, arrowroot pudding, and currant wine, reflect ingredient preferences and tastes distinctive to the late nineteenth century. 

CONDITION:

Very good. Brick red cloth, stamped and titled in black to front, gilt titles to spine, and blind embossed titles to back. Bumping to head and tail of spine, board’s corners, scratches and white splatters and stains on front and back boards (likely paint), gilt intact and bright. Very slight bowing of front board. Wear to cloth along edges. Toning to front endpapers, foxing on title page, frontispiece, and color illustrations, toning and offsetting to tissue guards. Interior pages otherwise bright, clean. 

Dimensions: 7 5/8" H x  5 1/2"W x 1 1/4 " D. 

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.