This book created for newly arrived immigrants, filled with authentic historical recipes and household tips, offers a trip to a bygone America.

Calling to mind the warmth and fragrance of a crackling, old-fashioned hearth, The Settlement Cookbook takes you back in time to the cozy, wood-fired kitchens of freshly immigrated families settling into their new home. First devised in 1903 by social reformer Elizabeth Kander as a homemaking guide for newly arrived Americans from around the world, this back-to-basics cookbook serves today’s readers as both a source of hardy, old-time recipes and a fun historical read. With hundreds of recipes for delicious and practical meals made from scratch, The Settlement Cookbook has a lot to offer the health-conscious and self-reliant modern family.

Written in clear, accessible language, The Settlement Cookbook will guide you through recipes for staples like breads, biscuits, and cornmeal, as well as American classics and dishes designed to help immigrants feel at home. Some favorites include griddle cakes, shrimp creole, oyster stew, roast chicken with chestnut stuffing, gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, and dozens of cakes, tortes, pies, and other mouth-watering deserts. Also included are tips on canning, preserving, pickling, and general housekeeping.

A delightful window into a world before microwaves and packaged foods, when families ate wholesome meals together by firelight, The Settlement Cookbook will be a treat for lovers of old cookbooks and anyone who appreciates a delicious home-cooked meal.

Simon Kander