First published in 1866, A Domestic Cookbook: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen by Malinda Russell, is the oldest known cookbook authored by a Black American woman. Earlier this month, the University of Michigan Press released a new edition of the cookbook, making it more accessible for a wider audience.
Russell’s cookbook was discovered in the early 2000s and donated to the University of Michigan Library. In addition to dessert and savory recipes, the cookbook includes instructions for making personal care items and remedies for everyday ailments.
The daughter of a formerly enslaved mother, Russell grew up in Tennessee. A widow, mother of a handicapped son, and victim of a robbery in her adolescence, Russell supported herself by opening several businesses, including a pastry shop, in the mid-1800s. However, she was robbed again in 1864, losing all her savings. This prompted her to write and publish A Domestic Cookbook as a means to regain her financial stability.
