Simply expressed, the book is a history of Kentucky cookbooks. The cookbooks considered include those written by authors with roots in Kentucky or produced by Kentucky-based groups such as churches, schools, homemaker association, service organizations, and others. The text is accompanied by an extensive bibliography of Kentucky cookbooks. Following an introductory discussion of cookbooks and their recipes, chapters are arranged chronologically, starting with a discussion of the earliest Kentucky cookbook, The Kentucky Housewife, written by Mrs. Lettice Bryan and published in 1839. Succeeding ... More

Simply expressed, the book is a history of Kentucky cookbooks. The cookbooks considered include those written by authors with roots in Kentucky or produced by Kentucky-based groups such as churches, schools, homemaker association, service organizations, and others. The text is accompanied by an extensive bibliography of Kentucky cookbooks. Following an introductory discussion of cookbooks and their recipes, chapters are arranged chronologically, starting with a discussion of the earliest Kentucky cookbook, The Kentucky Housewife, written by Mrs. Lettice Bryan and published in 1839. Succeeding chapters focus on Kentucky cookbooks produced after the Civil War; in the early twentieth century, especially those associated with the domestic science movement; in the Depression and New Deal eras; in the World War II era; in the mid-twentieth century, with an emphasis on convenience; and in the bicentennial era and beyond, with an emphasis on iconic Kentucky recipes. The last chapter considers contemporary cookbooks and the local food movement. In general, the chapters cover changes in cooking technology and ingredients; social changes related to race, ethnicity, and gender; evolving styles of cookbook and recipe presentation; and transformations in the social role of food. In a number of chapters, cookbooks written by African American Kentuckians are discussed.