OP: A Poetical Cook-Book
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Arno Press, New York, 1972. Paperback. Very Good.
A Poetical Cook-Book, first published in 1864, was one of the first charity cookbooks printed in the United States. Written by Maria J. Moss to benefit the Civil War’s wounded soldiers and their families, the book’s recipes are each inspired by an accompanying poem.
For Samuel Butler a boiled lobster: “But soon, like lobster boil’d, the morn/ From black to red began to turn.”
Salt cured beef tongue drawn from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice: “Silence is commendable only/ In a neat’s tongue dried.”
And Joel Barlow rightfully gets Johnny cakes: “Some talk of hoecake, fair Virginia’s pride!/ Rich Johnny cake this mouth has often tried;/ Both please me well, their virtues much the same;/ Alike their fabric, as allied their fame.”
This edition was published in 1972 in paperback with a forward by Hungarian-American chef Louis Szathmary (1919–1996). Ours is signed and inscribed by Szathmary to a previous owner. A Very Good copy, lightly shelfworn. A delightful confluence of 19th century poetry and cookery.
