(Southern) Porter, Mrs. M.E. Mrs. Porter's New Southern Cookery Book, and Companion for Frugal and Economical Housekeepers.

Orig. dec. cloth, gilt-stamped cover. First Edition. Philadelphia: John E. Potter, [1871].

With 416 pages of recipes, more than half of which are for desserts and baking, Mrs. Porter's New Southern Cookery Book is considered by some to be the quintessential catalog of 19th century baked goods. Mrs. Porter has some of the earliest American recipes for birthday cakes, but also some wonderful savory recipes for our lost heritage foods, like canvasback duck, roasted larks, and turtle soup ("Kill the turtle at night in winter and in the morning in summer."). Fascinating advice! Fair condition, with rubbing and fading to cloth; hinges cracked, foxing, pencil marks to page facing title, however, complete, legible, and a rarity.