Hartford, Connecticut, USA
1796 - First cookbook written by an American was published in Hartford. The book was American Cookery by Amelia Simmons.

Not much is known about Amelia Simmons herself. All that is known is what can be surmised from her cookbook. The cover and titles pages list her as “Amelia Simmons, an American Orphan.” She was probably a domestic laborer since her preface states that female orphans may be “reduced to the necessity of going into families in the line of domestics.” Because the first edition was printed in Hartford, Connecticut, historians have assumed that Simmons was a New Englander. The book features New England specialties such as Indian pudding and johnny cakes. However her use of some Dutch vocabulary has led to speculation that she may have come from the Hudson Valley region.

The book is historically important not just for being a “first,” but because of the recipes that it includes. American Cookery was the first cookbook to combine English recipes with American products. More specifically, it contains the first known printed recipes which substitute American maize, or cornmeal, for English oats. It also contains the first known printed recipe for turkey with cranberries. Turkeys are found only in North and Central America. The introduction of these new ingredients marked the beginning of a truly American cuisine that mixed old traditions and ingredients mixed with new ones.
ctpublic.org

www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ connecticut.html

Visit Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.