Today in History: Fannie Farmer & Cooking
Today in History–March 23–the Library of Congress features cookbook author Fannie Farmer, born on this day in 1857. In 1896 she published the Boston Cooking School Cookbook (known today as the Fannie Farmer Cookbook), which was the first to feature standardized measurements. Learn more about Farmer and American cooking by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access a cornucopia of cooking related primary sources.
Primary sources
- Cooking primary source set
- Cookery primary source set
- Cookbook primary source set
- My Cookery Books by Elizabeth Robins Pennell
- Cookbooks as Vacation Literature New-York Tribune. (New York [N.Y.]), 06 Aug. 1922
- Recipes found in historical U.S. newspapers
- Advertising Food image set
Digitized historical cookbooks
- Catering for special occasions, with menus & recipes (c 1911) by Fannie Merritt Farmer
- A new book of cookery (c 1915) by Fannie Merritt Farmer
- The Boston cooking-school cook book (c 1918) by Fannie Merritt Farmer
- American Church, Club and Community Cookbooks
- The forme of cury: a roll of ancient English cookery, compiled, about A.D. 1390, by the master-cooks of King Richard II (printed 1780 Page Turner – PDF)
- Compleat Cook (London, 1656 Page Turner – PDF)
- Art of Cookery (London, 1747 Page Turner – PDF)
- Soyer’s culinary campaign . . . cookery for military and civil institutions the army, navy, public, etc. etc. (1857 Page Turner – PDF)
- Oyster; where, how and when to find, breed, cook and eat it (1861 Page Turner – PDF)
Online exhibition items
- Manuscript cookbook (ca. 1770)
- Jefferson’s Recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream (1780s)
- Jefferson’s Pasta Machine (1787)
- American Cookery (first cookbook published in America, 1796)
- The New York Cook Book (1892)
- The White House Cook Book 1900
- Lehr-bukh vi azoy Tsu Kokhen un Baken [Textbook on How to Cook and Bake] (1901)
- 800 Proved Pecan Recipes: Their Place In The Menu (1925)
- Attractive Meals Without Meat (1932)
- Tamalada (Making Tamales) (1990)
Films, videos, event recordings
Inside Adams blog posts
- A 1904 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner November 23, 2011
- As American as Peanut Butter and Jelly August 30, 2011
- The Art of War . . . and of Sandwich Making August 4, 2011
- Aunt Sally Baking Powder January 29, 2015
- “The Battle Creek Diet System”: A Pamphlet and Birth of the Fake Meat Industry February 19, 2020
- A Brief History of Pumpkin Pie in America November 20, 2017
- Broccoli, Opossum, and Gingerbread: Presidential Food February 7, 2017
- Celebrate with a Chocolate Chip Cookie June 17, 2010
- Civil War: Thanksgiving Foods November 26, 2013
- Candied Yams or Candied Sweet Potatoes? November 17, 2009
- Cockles, Motto Lozenges, and Sweethearts February 11, 2011
- Cook with Gas September 26, 2013
- Dedicated to Their Husbands and Gentlemen Friends February 18, 2011
- Fear the Turtle or Eat the Turtle September 20, 2012
- Featured Advertisement: a 1914 Thanksgiving Shoppers Guide November 21, 2014
- Featured Advertisement (card): Aunt Sally Baking Powder January 29, 2015
- Featured Advertisements: Cook with Gas September 26, 2013
- Featured Advertisement: Cracker Jack November 23, 2016
- Food Thrift: Scraps from the Past June 28, 2011
- Good Gravy! November 27, 2019
- The Great Sheet Cake Mystery April 26, 2013
- Kebabs, Kabobs, Shish Kebabs, Shashlyk, and: Chislic? January 30, 2015
- For the Love of Barbecue July 3, 2010
- National Ice Cream Days of the Past July 18, 2012
- Not “Frozen”: Researching the Frozen Dinner Industry February 4, 2016
- Pie•ology: A Full Filling Story November 18, 2011
- The President and the Parsnip: Thomas Jefferson’s Vegetable Market Chart April 15, 2015
- A Range of Ranges August 15, 2017
- A Renewable Feast December 2, 2011
- Stranger than Fiction April 5, 2016
- A Sweet Potato History November 24, 2010
- ‘Tis the Season for Squash November 18, 2013
- A Toast to the New Year December 30, 2021
- Today’s Scoop July 23, 2010
- Ushering in the New Year with Special Foods December 31, 2009
- When Life Gives You Lemon Pies: Consuming History through a Community Cookbook May 1, 2020
More blog posts
- Cooking Up History: A Library Baking Adventure Minerva’s Kaleidoscope March 4, 2022
- Feast Your Eyes: Meatless Meatloaf Monday Picture This May 12, 2014
- Food, Fun, and Primary Sources: Celebrating Holidays Teaching with the Library of Congress
- Food for Thought: Recipes in the Collections In The Muse November 21, 2016
- Holy Trinity Greek Festival Local Legacy
- Recipes and Collections for “October, the apple-scented month” Minerva’s Kaleidoscope October 12, 2022
- Serving Up Food Collections Library of Congress blog November 13, 2015
- Trending: Food, Glorious Food Library of Congress blog November 24, 2015
Book bibliographies
- Alimentación, Gastronomía, Cultura y Hábitos Alimenticios en el Mundo Ibérico (Europa y América) y el Caribe
- Cooking with Love and Chocolate
- Selected Works on Gastronomy
- Solar Ovens and Solar Cooking
- Women’s History and Food History: New Ways of Seeing American Life
Outside resources
- Exploring Active Nonfiction Through the Ages using contemporary & historical recipes
- Food History Digital Primary Sources Culinary Institute of America