Few things show the difference between comfortable and slovenly housekeeping more quickly than the dressing of vegetables. Mrs. S.T. Rorer

{HISTORY}

In the 1890's this is how you learned how to cook your vegetables thanks to a collaboration between Burpee Seed Company and Mrs. Sarah Tyson Rorer of the Philadelphia Cooking School. Born out of a plethora of requests from customers who wanted to know ways in which to cook the vegetables that grew from the seeds they purchased from Burpee, this 182 page cookbook offers recipes for just about every vegetable under the sun, or at least every vegetable you can plant in your home garden.

In addition to recipes, there are detailed suggestions on how to prepare, preserve and put to use all sorts of vegetables including what now seem like exotic edibles like dandelions, salsify, poke, capiscums, martynias, narrow dock and chicory.  That makes this book both an interesing to look at gardening in the late 1800s as well as a cooking to maximize nutrition and avoid waste. Interesting techniques and innovative food pairings are peppered throughout like how to dry corn, how to preserve pumpkins in pieces, how to make rhubarb wine, tomato butter, onion vinegar, carrot marmalade, etc. Not entirely a vegetarian cookbook, about 15% of the recipes in this cookbook include meat, fish or chicken but all showcase vegetables as the star attraction of the meal. 

Known as America's first dietitian and a prolific food writer, Sarah Tyson Rorer (1849-1937) was the 19th century authority on food, kitchen hygenics and nutrition. She was a regular speaker on cooking and food prep as well as highly involved in food education from her lengthy affiliation with the Philadelphia Cooking School to her editorial work for various publications including Good Housekeeping and Table Talk.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Very rare cookbook

- Third Edition published in 1892

- 182 pages including detailed index and suggested menus

- Published elusively for W. Atlee Burpee Seed customers

- Hardcover

- Victorian advertisements included in the back pages 

{CONDITION}

In beautiful antique condition. Some splatter marks on front and back cover as well as slight wrinkle to one area of the back cover. Corners are bumped and edges of spine are frayed at the top and bottom. Previous owners name written in pen on inside cover. Spine is tight and all pages are intact and very clean. 

{SIZE}

Measures 5" inches (width) by 7.4" inches (length) x.75" inches (thickness)