The Spirit of Seventy-Six!

In honor of the 250th birthday of the Declaration of Independence, all recipes through July 4, 2026 will be from Centennial and Bicentennial cookbooks and the 1796 first American cookbook. Enjoy this look at the (gastronomic) spirit of ’76 as we head into the sestercentennial.

I’ve also published a Sestercentennial Cookery with recipes and photos!

Rice Muffins: Rice Muffins from the ca. 1877 Horsford Cook-Book.; rice; nineteenth century; 1800s; muffins; Rumford Chemical Works

The original, of course, doesn’t call for “baking powder” but specifically for Horsford’s Acid Phosphate, that being what the Rumford Chemical Works published this book to sell. By the American Centennial baking powders of various manufacture were coming into vogue. Eventually the “baking powder wars” would sort out, but until they did these books were masterpieces of health claims about the featured product, and warnings about their competitors.

These rice muffins are slightly chewy; they have a texture reminiscent of English muffins. They’re wonderful with stews and as a morning toast.

Drop in again soon for another vintage recipe! I’ll have a different recipe every Sunday afternoon throughout the year. Keep an eye on this page or subscribe to the RSS feed for further details. You can also browse past featured Club recipes as well as some of the vintage promotional cookbooks I’ve used as sources. And I collect many of these recipes in A Traveling Man’s Cookery Book.

Recipe blogging:

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Inspirations:

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You have to share some of the preparation in the kitchen with friends. — Jacques Pépin (Essential Pépin)