Eliza Leslie (1787-1858), frequently referred to as Miss Leslie, was an American author of popular cookbooks during the nineteenth century. She also wrote household management books, etiquette books, novels, short stories and articles for magazines and newspapers. Leslie's Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches (1837), sold at least 150,000 copies and stayed in print into the 1890s, making it the most popular cookbook of the century. It was a generalized work, written to appeal to all classes and to city or rural dwellers from all regions. Some of her nine cookbooks were more specialized. Using the French she learned as a child, Leslie translated French recipes for Domestic French Cookery (1832) and wrote an entire book on cornmeal recipes, The Indian Meal Book (1847).

Eliza Leslie (1787-1858), known as Miss Leslie, was an American author of popular cookery books during the 19th century. She also wrote books on household management and etiquette, novels, short stories and articles for magazines and newspapers. For two terms she attended the cooking school of the famed Mrs Goodfellow (c.1767-1851), who started one of the first such schools in America, and Leslie's first book Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes and Sweetmeats (1828) was based on notes she had taken on Goodfellow's class recipes. The book proved a success, going through 11 editions until 1839. Directions for Cookery in Its Various Branches was first published in 1837, sold at least 150,000 copies and stayed in print into the 1890s, making it the most popular cookbook of the century. It is reprinted here from the 49th edition, fully revised with additions, and including explanatory illustrations of "the pieces into which the five large animals are divided by the butchers." A generalized work, it was written to appeal to all classes and to city and rural dwellers of all regions.

Directions for Cookery, in its Various Branches by Eliza Leslie is a rare manuscript, the original residing in some of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, typed out and formatted to perfection, allowing new generations to enjoy the work. Publishers of the Valley's mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life.

"Directions for Cookery" from Eliza Leslie. American author of popular cookbooks (1787-1858).

First published in 1837, this cookbook is a classic in American culinary history. Featuring hundreds of recipes for everything from soups and stews to cakes and desserts, it was a must-have for any household that aspired to quality home cooking. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.