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ARCHIVED - Bon appétit!
A Celebration of Canadian Cookbooks

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History of Canadian Cookbooks

The Pioneer Kitchen

Central Canada: Ontario

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Cover of cookbook, THE COOK NOT MAD; OR RATIONAL COOKERY, orange in colour
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Page [4] of cookbook, THE COOK NOT MAD; OR RATIONAL COOKERY, with a full-size reproduction of the original title page as it appeared in 1831
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The Cook Not Mad; or Rational Cookery. 3rd ed. Toronto: Cherry Press, 1982. Facsim. of: Kingston: James Macfarlane, 1831

Often called "Canada's first cookbook," The Cook Not Mad was issued by Kingston editor, publisher and book importer James Macfarlane in 1831. It is, in fact, an exact copy of an American book of the same name, with changes only to the cover, and the title and copyright pages. As the Preface says, these were "good Republican dishes," including Washington Cake and Jackson Jumbles.

Cover of book, THE CANADIAN SETTLER'S GUIDE, in brown embossed leather
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Title page of book, THE CANADIAN SETTLER'S GUIDE
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Page 110 of book, THE CANADIAN SETTLER'S GUIDE, with recipes for Buckwheat Pancakes and Oatmeal Pancakes
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Page 111 of book, THE CANADIAN SETTLER'S GUIDE, with recipes for Oat-Meal Porridge, Milk-Porridge with Oatmeal and Oat Cake
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Catharine Parr Traill. The Canadian Settler's Guide. 7th ed. Toronto: Printed at the office of the Toronto Times, 1857

Traill's book was first published in 1854 as The Female Emigrant's Guide, and Hints on Canadian Housekeeping. The book examines the whole experience of coming to the new, untamed country. Traill advises settlers on the many tasks they will have to undertake if they are to succeed in making a life without the amenities they were accustomed to at home.

Cover of cookbook, THE HOME COOK BOOK, in a green and grey woven pattern
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Title page of cookbook, THE HOME COOK BOOK
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Page 190 of cookbook, THE HOME COOK BOOK, with recipes for Apple Bread Pudding, Apple Pudding, Apple Sage Pudding and Huckleberry Pudding
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Page 191 of cookbook, THE HOME COOK BOOK, with recipes for Blackberry Pudding, Fig Pudding and Plain Fruit Pudding
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The Home Cook Book. Compiled by Ladies of Toronto and Chief Cities and Towns in Ontario. London: A. Moring, 1877

One of the most complete books on the duties of the housewife published for English Canadians in the 19th century, The Home Cook Book (Tried! Tested! Proven!) was published as a fundraiser for Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (much of it copied from a similar book written by a Chicago women's group). "No matter how talented a woman may be, or how useful in the church or society, if she is an indifferent housekeeper it is fatal to her influence, a foil to her brilliancy and a blemish in her garments" (p. 9).

Cover of cookbook, THE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE: OR, DOMESTIC CYCLOPEDIA…
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Page 414 of cookbook, THE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE: OR, DOMESTIC CYLOPEDIA…, with an illustration showing how to carve a turkey and a recipe for Stewed Chicken and Dumplings with accompanying illustration
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Page 415 of cookbook, THE HOUSEHOLD GUIDE: OR, DOMESTIC CYLOPEDIA…, with an illustration of a plate of fish, and instructions for preparing fish and for cooking with canned salmon
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B.G. Jefferis and Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Nichols. The Household Guide: or, Domestic Cyclopedia: A Practical Family Physician, Home Remedies and Home Treatment on all Diseases, an Instructor on Nursing, Housekeeping and Home Adornments. Toronto: J.L. Nichols, 1894

The Household Guide is a typical volume to be found in the late 19th-century Canadian home. It includes not only a cookbook (this was Mrs. Nichols' responsibility), but also medical advice, how to care for children, tips on hygiene, decorating, etiquette, beauty hints, and much more.

Cover of cookbook, THE NEW GALT COOK BOOK, featuring an illustration, in an orange frame surrounded by stalks of wheat, of a woman carrying a loaf of bread
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Title page of cookbook, THE NEW GALT COOK BOOK
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Unumbered page of cookbook, THE NEW GALT COOK BOOK, with a text reading A VALUABLE HINT, advising readers to cover jelly moulds with a piece of muslin to prevent bacterial contamination
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Unumbered page of cookbook, THE NEW GALT COOK BOOK, with suggestions for a Christmas dinner menu and menus for other seasons
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Margaret Taylor and Frances McNaught. The New Galt Cook Book. Toronto: McLeod and Allen, 1898

The New Galt Cook Book is a revised edition of a book that was popular in English Canada, particularly in the vicinity of Galt in southwestern Ontario. The publishers also claimed that copies of the book were sent to China, Egypt, India, South Africa, Australia and the United States. Like many early cookbooks, this collection offered recipes as well as hints for simplifying domestic chores, and a list of cures for common illnesses.

Search The New Galt Cook Book

Central Canada: Ontario  1 | 2
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Date Created: 2005-06-28
Date Modified: 2005-06-28

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