Cover of the Kentucky Housewife by Lettice Bryan, 1839

Mrs. Bryan’s “Kentucky Housewife”: Managing a Household in the 1830s

Old recipe books tell the story of the daily routine of average women in the past. Lettice Pierce Bryan (1805-1877), the author of The Kentucky Housewife, was one of those women. Her collection of “receipts” for food and more illustrate key lessons about running a household in the pre-industrial era. A quick history of cookbooks … Continue reading Mrs. Bryan’s “Kentucky Housewife”: Managing a Household in the 1830s