The Virginia Housewife; Or, Methodical Cook
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"The Virginia Housewife; Or, Methodical Cook" by Mary Randolph is a housekeeping manual and cookbook published in 1824. Considered the first regional American cookbook, it contains nearly 500 recipes reflecting a distinctly Virginian style influenced by African, Native American, and European culinary traditions. The book features Southern classics like fried chicken and okra, the first curry recipes published in America, and instructions for making household items like soap and cologne. It offers insight into early American cooking and the influence of enslaved cooks.
This one is part of the wider library — I haven't written a personal review for it yet. It's the same deal as every book here: a clean, complete, Kindle-ready edition for $2.97. The hand-picked shelf has the ones I've reviewed in full.
Will it work on my Kindle?
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Why is The Virginia Housewife; Or, Methodical Cook only $2.97?
The book is in the public domain, so the story itself is free to everyone. You're paying for a carefully typeset, proofread edition that looks right on modern readers — and for the curation of picking books actually worth your time.
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