Philathea Cook Book

A church class in Worcester, Massachusetts pooled its recipes in 1922 — and signed every one of them.

Curious Facts

Everything below is in the book — each one links straight to the page it comes from.

  1. The preface ends on a couplet about Greek. "A man is, in general, better pleased when he has a good dinner than when his wife speaks Greek" — signed THE COMMITTEE, December 1922. Read it in the book →
  2. The advertisers get a thank-you with teeth. The preface asks every reader to notice the advertisements, since "the firms herein deserve our generous patronage, as they have made this publication possible." Read it in the book →
  3. Some cooks signed anonymously — three different ways. Recipes are signed "A CONTRIBUTOR," "CONTRIBUTED," and, on the Butter Scotch, "A FRIEND" — three shades of church-supper modesty. Read it in the book →
  4. The Devonshire Cream comes with a concert review. The recipe is introduced "(Such as Rhondda Welsh Singer sang about.)" — a touring act of the day, cited as culinary authority for real clotted cream. Read it in the book →
  5. The succotash claims a living lineage. Mrs. Ferguson's Indian Succotash promises that, left to stand on the back of the stove, "the flavor will be like that made by the Mohegan Indians today." Read it in the book →
  6. One foundation, seven cakes. The Combination Cake prints a single FOUNDATION batter and then tells you how to turn it into ribbon, marble, chocolate, berry, cocoanut and more — "seven different cakes may be made." Read it in the book →
  7. One recipe carries its own date — 1871. Gold and Silver Cake (A. D. 1871) was already half a century old when the class printed it: yolks make the gold half, whites the silver. Read it in the book →
  8. The whole sick-room chapter is one woman's. The Sick Room Recipes section is headed "Contributed by MRS. LAVINIA C. CARPENTER" — syrups, egg nogs and invalid drinks were a specialty of their own. Read it in the book →
  9. Tarnished silver goes into the potato water. Among the Household Hints: place tarnished silverware in potato water "and it will look like new" — economical, says the book, and a time-saver. Read it in the book →
  10. Lend your china with a hidden name-tag. To mark cups loaned for social occasions, write your name in indelible ink on adhesive tape stuck under the dish — "a method of identification which will not be noticed by the user." Read it in the book →
Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Philathea Cook Book (1922) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.