Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks  

First published in London in 1727, The Compleat Housewife, or, Accomplish’d Gentlewoman’s Companion by Eliza Smith was republished in the American colonies in 1742 by William Parks Publishing in Williamsburg, VA.

Full of fabulous (for the time) recipes like “Wild Fowl of All Sorts,” “Lamb Pasty” and “Butter’d Apple Pye,” there are recipes for every month of the year as well as “a collection of nearly two hundred family receipts of medicines; drinks, syrups, salves, ointments, and many other things of sovereign and approved efficacy in most distempers, pains, aches, wounds, sores, etc. never before made publick in these parts; fit either for private families, or such publick-spirited gentlewomen as would be beneficent to their poor neighbours.” For the more adventurous eater, recipes can be found for “Calves Head hash’d” or even better “Roasted Tongues and Udders” and “Katchup” made with anchovies, wine, lemons, nutmeg and horseradish.

For you epicurean history buffs, here is a version available on Amazon minus the old fashioned typeface.

Speaking of history buffs, did we mention it was published in Williamsburg, VA?  Yes, there is a Williamsburg outside of Brooklyn.  We at Carpe City are huge fans of this historical, cultural gem and love to give it a plug anytime we can!  They have some decent bars these days!  Send us a note if you want to know where to go! https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/