Boston Cooking-School Cook Book

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The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book (1896) by Fannie Merritt Farmer is a 19th century general reference cookbook which is still available both in reprint and in updated form. It was particularly notable for a more rigorous approach to recipe writing than had been common up to that point.

In the preface Farmer states,

It is my wish that it may not only be looked upon as a compilation of tried and tested recipes, but that it may awaken an interest through its condensed scientific knowledge which will lead to deeper thought and broader study of what to eat.

[edit] Publication history

When Little, Brown & Company was preparing the first edition of the cookbook, they were not confident it would sell well. As such, the first edition, released in 1896, had a limited run of only 3,000 copies.^[1] It proved an immediate success.

Facsimiles of the original book are still in print. Heavily revised successor books, later retitled The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, have also been published, the most recent being the thirteenth edition by Marion Cunningham, originally issued in 1990 and then reissued in 1996 for the 100th anniverary of the original book.