Book dossier

American cookery

by Amelia Simmons

This is a significant publication, being the first cookbook written by an American, and also published in the United States. It used foods native to America, and terms in use by early Americans. It was widely copied and plagiarized in its day, a common practice prevalent in early cookery books, with the book remaining popular through the early years of the 19th century. There were at least a dozen editions or printings between 1796 and 1831.