The Lebanon Cook Book was originally published for the benefit of the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church in 1896; however, it is much more than a book of recipes. The book is certainly of culinary interest but it also contains valuable social history. Recipes for home remedies and preserving foods for winter play a prominent part in this book as these activities played a prominent role in most people's lives in the late 1800s. These pages preserve period remedies for coughs, rheumatism, lock jaw and other maladies; tips on everything from preserving eggs to making furniture varnish; along with a wide variety of recipes. Most of the recipes are for familiar foods like biscuits and vegetable soup, but curious cooks will also find directions for making chicken jelly, grape catsup, tar cordial and other unusual items. Scattered throughout the book are advertisements, frequently illustrated, reflecting the life of a rural county seat of the period. Handwritten notes add interest to a few of the pages. Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church 2007, 5.5" x 8.5", paper, index, 202 pp.ISBN: 9780788442971 101-C4297
