What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking: Soups, Pickles, Preserves, etc.

By Abby Fisher

First published in 1881, “What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking: Soups, Pickles, Preserves, etc.” is the informative and practical guide to cooking, canning, and preserving by former slave Abby Fisher. The author was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1831 and moved to San Francisco in 1877, where she achieved fame for her pickle company and award-winning cooking. While Fisher was illiterate, she was full of wisdom and practical experience from decades of cooking and canning and dictated the 160 recipes in this classic cookbook to a group of nine people in San Francisco and Oakland, California. It was long-believed to be the first cookbook by an African-American author until the rediscovery of the 1866 cookbook by Malinda Russell titled “Domestic Cook Book: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen”. Fisher’s recipes have survived the test of time and many are delicious and remain easy to make in modern kitchens. Part historical document, part useful cookbook, detailed instructions are included for how to cook using wood stoves and fireplaces. Fisher’s cookbook is a fascinating glimpse into the practical realities of cooking in the days before electricity and modern appliances.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Sep 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781420969993

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WHAT MRS. FISHER KNOWS ABOUT OLD SOUTHERN COOKING: SOUPS, PICKLES, PRESERVES, ETC.

By ABBY FISHER

Awarded Two Medals at the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute Fair, 1880, for best Pickles and Sauces and best assortment of Jellies and Preserves.

DIPLOMA AWARDED AT SACRAMENTO STATE FAIR, 1879.

What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking: Soups, Pickles, Preserves, etc.

By Abby Fisher

Print ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-6998-6

eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-4209-6999-3

This edition copyright © 2020. Digireads.com Publishing.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover Image: a detail of Nature Morte, by Bernhard Dorotheus Folkestad, (oil on canvas) / Photo © O. Vaering / Bridgeman Images.

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CONTENTS

PREFACE AND APOLOGY.

1. MARYLAND BEAT BISCUIT.

2. EGG ROLLS.

3. BREAKFAST CREAM CAKE.

4. WAFFLES FOR BREAKFAST.

5. FLANNEL CAKE.

6. SALLY LUND.

7. BREAKFAST CORN BREAD.

8. CORN EGG BREAD.

9. PLANTATION CORN BREAD OR HOE CAKE.

10. LIGHT BREAD.

11. BEEFSTEAK—BROILED.

12. LAMB OR MUTTON CHOPS.

13. PORK STEAK OR CHOPS.

14. VENISON—BROILED.

15. ROAST VENISON.

16. ROAST BEEF.

17. ROAST LAMB.

18. ROAST PORK.

19. ROAST PIG.

20. ROAST VEAL.

21. ROAST TURKEY.

22. ROAST CHICKEN.

23. ROAST BIRDS.

24. QUAILS.

25. DOMESTIC DUCK.

26. WILD DUCK.

27. MEAT STEWS OR ENTREES.

28. LAMB CROQUETTES.

29. CHICKEN CROQUETTES.

30. CRAB CROQUETTES.

31. MEAT CROQUETTES.

32. VEAL OR LAMB VIGAREETS.

33. LIVER CROQUETTES.

34. OYSTER CROQUETTES.

35. FISH CROQUETTES.

36. FRICASSEED CHICKEN.

37. FRIED CHICKEN.

38. BEEF SOUP.

39. OX-TAIL SOUP.

40. CALF’S HEAD SOUP.

41. MOCK TURTLE SOUP.

42. GREEN TURTLE SOUP.

43. OYSTER GUMBO SOUP.

44. OCHRE GUMBO.

45. OLD FASHIONED TURNIP SOUP.

46. CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SICK.

47. CORN AND TOMATO SOUP.

48. PASTRY FOR MAKING PIES OF ALL KINDS.

49. PREPARING THE FRUIT FOR PIES.

50. LEMON PIES.

51. COCONUT PIE.

52. CREAM APPLE PIE.

53. SWEET POTATO PIE.

54. CUSTARD PIE.

55. GOOSEBERRY AND CHERRY PIES.

56. ORANGE PIE.

57. LIGHT BREAD PIE.

58. CRACKER PIE.

59. MINCE PIES.

60. GOLD CAKE.

61. SILVER CAKE.

62. ALMOND CAKE.

63. FEATHER CAKE.

64. SPONGE CAKE.

65. FRUIT CAKE.

66. JELLY CAKE.

67. CAROLAS.

68. RAISED CAKE.

69. OLD-TIME GINGER CAKE.

70. GINGER COOKIES.

71. JUMBLE CAKE.

72. SWEET WAFERS.

73. SWEET CUCUMBER PICKLES.

74. SWEET CUCUMBER MANGOES.

75. CHOW CHOW.

76. CREOLE CHOW CHOW.

77. CHERRY CHUTNEY.

78. GAME SAUCE.

79. COMPOUND TOMATO SAUCE.

80. NAPOLEON SAUCE.

81. PEPPER MANGOES.

82. MEAT DRESSING.

83. SWEET PICKLE PEACH.

84. SWEET PICKLE PEARS.

85. SWEET PICKLE PRUNES.

86. SWEET WATERMELON RIND PICKLE.

87. ONION PICKLES.

88. PLAIN PICKLES.

89. BRANDY PEACHES.

90. BRANDY PEACHES—NO. 2.

91. QUINCE PRESERVES.

92. SYRUPS FOR PRESERVES.

93. PRESERVED PEACHES.

94. PEAR PRESERVES.

95. CURRANT JELLY.

96. CRANBERRY JELLY.

97. STRAWBERRY JAM.

98. RASPBERRY AND CURRANT JAM COMBINED.

99. MARMALADE PEACH.

100. CRAB APPLE JELLY.

101. BLACKBERRY BRANDY.

102. BLACKBERRY SYRUP—FOR DYSENTERY IN CHILDREN.

103. PRESERVED APRICOTS.

104. APPLE SAUCE FOR ROAST PORK.

105. CHARLOTTE RUSSE.

106. ICE CREAM.

107. ORANGE SHERBET.

108. LEMON SHERBET.

109. PINE APPLE SHERBET.

110. SNOW PUDDING.

111. PLUM PUDDING.

112. BOILED TURKEY.

113. BEEF A LA MODE.

114. SPICED ROUND.

115. STUFFED HAM.

116. BAKED FISH.

117. BOILED FISH.

118. SAUCE FOR BOILED FISH OR BOILED MUTTON.

119. JUMBERLIE—A CREOLE DISH.

120. CHICKEN SALAD.

121. VEAL SALAD.

122. LAMB SALAD.

123. SHRIMP SALAD.

124. CRAB SALAD.

125. MEAT SALADS.

126. TERRAPIN STEW.

127. FISH CHOWDER.

128. CLAM CHOWDER.

129. CREOLE SOUP.

130. SPICED CURRANTS.

131. SPICED CHERRIES.

132. PRESERVED PEACHES.

133. PRESERVED CHERRIES.

134. CORN FRITTERS.

135. CORN PUDDING.

136. CARVING POULTRY.

137. BOILED CORN.

138. APPLE ROLL.

139. SAUCE FOR THIS ROLL.

140. STUFFED TOMATOES.

141. BLACKBERRY ROLL.

142. EGG PLANT STUFFED.

143. PEACH COBBLER.

144. LADIES’ CUSTARD.

145. BATTER PUDDING.

146. BAKED BATTER PUDDING.

147. CORNED BEEF HASH.

148. TONIC BITTERS.

149. SUET PUDDING.

150. SAUCE FOR SUET PUDDING.

151. CHICKEN GUMBO.

152. CIRCUIT HASH.

153. STEWED TOMATOES.

154. RICE PUDDING.

155. MERINGUE FOR PUDDING.

156. LEAVEN BISCUIT.

157. OYSTER PIE.

158. YORKSHIRE PUDDING.

159. CHEESE PUDDING.

160. PAP FOR INFANT DIET.

Preface and Apology.

The publication of a book on my knowledge and experience of Southern Cooking, Pickle and Jelly Making, has been frequently asked of me by my lady friends and patrons in San Francisco and Oakland, and also by ladies of Sacramento during the State Fair in 1879. Not being able to read or write myself, and my husband also having been without the advantages of an education—upon whom would devolve the writing of the book at my dictation—caused me to doubt whether I would be able to present a work that would give perfect satisfaction. But, after due consideration, I concluded to bring forward a book of my knowledge—based on an experience of upwards of thirty-five years—in the art of cooking Soups, Gumbos, Terrapin Stews, Meat Stews, Baked and Roast Meats, Pastries, Pies and Biscuits, making Jellies, Pickles, Sauces, Ice-Creams and Jams, preserving Fruits, etc. The

Reviews for What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I attended a library talk that was mostly about who Abby Fisher (and her family, and her owners, and her friends...) were, how she got to the situation she did (earned her own freedom and that of her children), and how she got a cookbook published. It was interesting - but I was more interested in the book and its recipes, and went and found it on the Internet Archives. I am amused by how similar the recipes are, in style, to the medieval cookbooks I encounter in the SCA - ingredients, a general idea of amounts, and then a lot of "deal with it as normal" or "cook until done". It would take some work to make these recipes useful in a modern kitchen - among other things, they're usually huge amounts of food. But I'm definitely going to try. The baking recipes are interesting, and some of the meat ones give me some ideas (though I doubt I'll try to accurately reproduce them, a lot of them start with "take a cow/pig/chicken"...). The jams, too, though again the fruit is often measured in bushels. Glad I came across it, though, and I will try to cook from it.