OP: Rules for the Ravenous
Woman’s Association of the Bedford Presbyterian Church, 1914. Flexibound. Good.
A 1914 community cookbook from Brooklyn’s Bedford Presbyterian—established in 1894 and still standing at 1200 Dean St!
Assembled by the Woman’s Association at the church, the recipes include:
- Scotch leek soup, which involves simmering finely chopped leeks and rolled oats in mutton broth
- Crullers for which we are told to measure the milk in a coffee cup
- Chicken cutlets—chopped chicken mixed with seasoning, cream sauce, and egg then reformed into cutlet shape, breaded, and fried
- “Glorified rice” pudding, which “any invalid may eat,” contributed by the Reverend Dr. S. Edward Young’s wife
Ads for local businesses, in addition to the selected recipes, paint a vibrant picture of life in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy during the early 20th century. Some stand outs: J. Kirschner, Ladies’ Tailor and Habit Maker; WM. H. Gieseler Hardware and Housefurnishings; Kleinteich’s Book Store; M. Tannenbaum, Butcher: Game, Philadelphia Chickens, and Squabs; Thomas F. Taylor Coal; and F. Hutchinson Fine Bread and Fancy Cake Bakery.
Our copy is classified only as Good. A leaf bearing pages 39–40 and 57–58 is disbound though appears to never have been fully sewn in. Faint dampstaining to the lower third of the book. And the bookblock has come unglued from the coated flexibound cloth case at the spine. General wear and scuffing. A great find for a historical New York collection.
