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The Prudent Housewife, Or compleat English Cook; …, 1800

Originally published in 1785, Lydia Fisher's The prudent housewife is a collection of what the author calls the "newest and least expensive recipes in cookery." Although much shorter than several other cookbooks of the period, Fisher's text nevertheless contains a wealth of information: basic recipes; rules for pickling, preserving, and brewing; homemade medicines; table setting instructions; and nine illustrations showing readers how to roast game and fowl.

Courtesy National Institutes of Health

Title page of a book.