A. Cook’s Perspective

A fascinating insight into 18th-century cook Ann Cook's vitriolic lambasting of a bestselling cookbook "The Art of Cookery? by Hannah Glasse. Ann Cook was an 18th-century cook and cookbook author. Her cookbook was printed in three editions and contained more than just receipts. For some reason, she had a real problem with Hannah Glasse's cookbook, The Art of Cookery: Made Plain and Easy, which had been republished many times during the 18th century and would have been the first port of call for a puzzled cook or housekeeper. Cook's book included vitriolic comments about a number of Glasse's recipes. Historic cooks Clarissa F. Dillon and Deborah J. Peterson use their skills to investigate whether Cook's remarks were valid. They prepared a number of recipes, both from Glasse and from Cook, and commented on the results. Although a number of people have written about these two women, their emphasis was on the comments, not on the validity of the criticisms. This approach makes this book unique. AUTHORS: Clarissa F. Dillon received a doctorate in History from Bryn Mawr College in 1986. She has been active in living history since 1973 and has produced a number of self-published books as well as a cookbook, So Serve It Up, hat provided 18th-century receipts for a meal a month for Pennsylvania residents of various economic and social levels. Deborah J. Peterson began her living history activities with military re-enactments in 1982. She has toiled as a camp-follower on many Revolutionary war sites. From 1999 to 2013, her Heirloom Pantry provided hard-to-find and well-researched ingredients and equipment.