(Note author: Keep in mind that the word "recipe" comes from the word "receipt", which you will see used in old books).

Our fascination with cookbooks has almost no limits. Famous chefs make millions on their beautifully illustrated books, many of which are really used only in fiction. It will sell basic classics such as Peter Homes & Gardens, Betty Crocker or Billsbury. But before the 19th century, if a young woman or maid did not study culinary skills during her childhood, she was in a bad trial, finding herself squeezed into service with a new husband and a growing family. If they are able to read, you may find a number of well-stained pages to consult, but that was how much.

The early cookbooks were for the wealthy only (especially the kings) and most of the castle kitchen staff were unable to read. Of course, early cookbooks proved somewhat appalling for the ordinary peasant wife, such as Forme of Cury (14th century) by Master Cooks of King Richard II of England. The portions seemed to be overwhelming and one meal might require spending the full-year food budget for the average farmer. In Germany and England, many books were written by women, who saw what was needed in households that had fewer or no servants, and understood what made it possible to simplify dishes with less expensive ingredients.

So for the basic, well-intentioned cookbooks, there are some highlights, many of which are still being published today:

It was the best English cookbook for more than a century and had a great influence on early American cooking; even Martha Washington had a copy of her kitchen at Mount Vernon.

Martha Bradley, in 1756, wrote a British housewife taking recipes from previous books but rephrasing them in her own style;

Fifteen cents were published for the dinner of men working in New York in the late 1870s, and similar books could be found at the same time throughout Europe, a little more practical for the average worker. Presumably innovative ways to prepare poor potatoes and rapeseed gave way to fresh meat and vegetables (hot dogs and mac cheese and cheese were not yet shown);

Amelia Simmons' American Cookery (1796) was one of the first printed cookbooks in America, and had a major impact on American colonists after the Revolutionary War;

Mary Randolph, a Virginia housewife (1824), still considered one of the best authentic Southern cuisine, including recipes for grilled pork, okra soup, and many other traditional Southern recipes (her brother was married to the daughter of the first president of food lovers Thomas Jefferson, Not hurt);

Lydia Mary Childs, a homemaker of Frogal (1829), despite its small size, was popular with its pioneers and light travelers, emphasizing affordable food (no shops on the border);

Eliza Leslie's cooking trends, in her various branches (1837), author of many volumes in the 19th century, began her fame in 1828 with the publication of seventy-five receipts for sweets, cakes and desserts, a true real food book. With sweet teeth. The inspiration came largely from the culinary school of Mrs. Godfilo, a famous baker in Philadelphia;

Confederation receipt: A collection of more than 100 receipts, adapted during the Civil War (1863) when the naval blockade prevented many food from reaching the south, where cotton and tobacco cultivation was much more common than food;
The Epicurean (1894) restaurant for more than a century at Delmonico's restaurant in New York City was an example of finding food during the late Victorian period, where it hosted dinner for the heads of Ulysses. Grant, and a book like Charles Dickens; the restaurant is famous for its unique and decorative offerings, and the most elaborate dishes were prepared under the magnificent eye of Charles Charles Ranhower. This large tomb is heavily illustrated with classic French recipes;

Cookbook for the Fanny Merritt Farmers Boston School of Cooking (1896), thanks to which we have detailed detailed instructions in cookbooks that use standardized measurements of ingredients;

Rufus Estes "The Good Things to Eat" (1911), his first cookbook of African American, a guide to Robert House's 1827 server, which included recipes for the rich New England families he used to work on;

The culinary delight of Erma Rompauer (1931) was one of the best-selling cookbooks in American history. Joy of Kitchen was initially published by Ms. Rumbau, where she kept her busy after her husband's death, but with her unexpected initial success, Contract with publisher;

Important books and chefs who have contributed significantly over the past 60 or 70 years include:

Ruth Graves Wakefield, the owner of the restaurant and innovative Toll House cookie, was a famous book writer in the 1930s.

Although Alice B. Tokelas was famous for jamming marijuana, but she was already a great cook. Her cookbook in the mid-20th century had a great influence on future chefs; Julia Child's cookbooks changed America's most conservative cuisine.

George Auguste Iscovier was one of the greatest culinary writers of all time. He respected the French chef and was the father of good French cuisine, published by Le Guide Culinaire, in the early years of the 20th century;

So there you have it. A short stroll through time with those early pioneers who put cooking on the map and still serve food.