Randolph, Mary

The Virginia Housewife: or, Methodical Cook. Stereotype Edition, with Amendments and Additions.

Baltimore: Published by John Plaskitt, 218 Market Street, 1836.

Octavo, 180 pages. Fifth edition, Baltimore [1836] printing. Stereotyped plates for this edition were made in 1831 and used for later printings through 1860. The first edition was published in 1824. The first regional cookbook published in America. Karen Hess called this book "The most influential American cookbook of the nineteenth century... and a case may be made for considering it to be the earliest full-blown American cookbook" [from the introduction to the facsimile edition published by the University of South Carolina Press, 1984]. Some contemporary ink death notices to front endpapers. Light foxing and a bit of staining throughout. Pinholes to front and rear blanks and one or two text pages from clippings, etc. In original full brown speckled calf, with gilt-ruled, but unlabeled spine. Some loss to the foot of the spine and a spot of loss to the head. Still, a not unattractive copy of a book scarce in the market in all early printings. [Bitting page 388; Cagle 629 (this edition, 1831 printing); Lowenstein 203].