[Editorial note: The text for the Presbyterian Cook Book came from the web site Feeding America, a project of the Michigan State University Library, who has created an online collection of some of the most important and influential American cookbooks from the late 18th to early 20th century.  Our thanks to the Michigan State University Library for digitizing the Presbyterian Cook Book and for allowing us permission to place it on the Dayton History Books Online web site.]

PRESBYTERIAN
COOK BOOK,

COMPILED BY

THE LADIES OF THE
First Presbyterian Church,

DAYTON, OHIO.

"He had not din'd:

The veins unfill'd, our blood is cold, and then

We pout upon the morning, are unapt

To give or to forgive; but when we have stuff'd

These pipes and these conveyances of blood

With wine and feeding, we have suppler souls

Than in our priest-like fasts."

CORIOLANUS, V.I.

DAYTON:
OLIVER CROOK & CO., PRINTERS,
1873.

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1873, by the Ladies of the First Presbyterian Church, Dayton, Ohio, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

PREFACE.

In March last, the Ladies Society of the First Presbyterian Church, of Dayton, hastily compiled and published a "Cook Book," or a small collection of recipes for plain household cooking. Five hundred copies were published, and, notwithstanding the book contained some errors, and the arrangement was very imperfect (necessarily so from the haste with which it was prepared for publication), it met with such gratifying and unexpected success, that its authors felt it to be their duty to revise and re-publish it.

The present book is much larger than its predecessor, and the recipes it contains have been selected with great care. Many of them were sent voluntarily by parties who were willing to hold themselves responsible for their excellence, while others were solicited, often at the cost of much time and pains--a corn bread here, a pudding there, a salad from some one else--from ladies who had gained a reputation for preparing this or that particular dish.

Our subject is an inexhaustable one, and this book does not venture into the mystical realm of fancy cookery; but is a collection of safe and reliable recipes for the preparation of plain food.

The matter of the book, we claim, is all right; for the manner of it, we beg indulgence. The phraseology is often peculiar, and may provoke a smile; but it must be remembered that the recipes were written by ladies unaccustomed to writing for publication; and, in most cases, they have been inserted precisely as written, and, whenever no objection was made, the name of the author has been given.

Persons familiar with Dayton names, will recognize many who do not belong to the Presbyterian sisterhood. We feel ourselves under great obligations to the ladies who have assisted us, but we hope our book will prove so useful as to amply repay them for their trouble.

DAYTON, OHIO, July 1, 1873.