Myrtle Reed

The Myrtle Reed Cook Book

Myrtle Reed's cookbook contains thousands of traditional American recipes, plus instructions on preparing sauces, meats and much more.

This superb book contains a staggering variety of entreés, main courses and desserts. Most notably, it contains an enormous set of instructions for the preparation of meats, shellfish, potatoes, sauces and other key elements of a fine meal fit for even the most discerning of guests. Steeped in the traditions of American dining, Myrtle Reed's cookbook originally appeared in 1905 and was at the time of its original release received to a strong reception.

Written with the beginner in mind, this cookbook contains hundreds of simple recipes which may be accomplished with ease in just minutes. The desserts in particular are easy to prepare, with the ingredients readily available. Many of the recipes have, since the time this book was published, fallen from prominence; Myrtle Reed's book is therefore also a manual of culinary rediscovery.

The recipes often take the form of simple, flowing, few lines of instruction. Reed uses her talent for words to tell the reader, with brevity, how to prepare numerous dishes. Although sparse, her style is enough for the food aficionado to adapt to.

Unlike modern cookery guides, which pad out their contents with large facing photos and heavily spaced titles, this book gets straight to the business at hand: the recipes. Each page contains an average of five or six individual dishes, and each section is introduced with a few guiding paragraphs to properly situate the reader with the best practices.

A favorite personality and socialite of the early 20th century, Myrtle Reed grew up in Chicago. Although she was bullied as a child, chiefly for her large frame and weight, Reed demonstrated a sparkling talent for literature. She became a sensationally popular novelist, authoring stories which amused and enthralled readers around the United States. She was particularly beloved in Chicago, which mourned her early death at the age of thirty-seven.