Book description
Travelling physician, salesman, author and self-made man, Dr Chase
dispensed remedies all over America during the late nineteenth
century, collecting recipes and domestic tips from the people he met
along the way. His self-published books became celebrated US
bestsellers and were the household Bibles of their day.
Containing recipes for American-style treats, such as Boston cream
cakes, Kentucky Corn Dodgers and pumpkin pie, as well as genial advice
on baking bread and testing whether a cake is cooked, this is a
treasure trove of culinary wisdom from the homesteads of a still
rural, pioneering United States.
Born in Cayuga County, New York,
Alvin Wood Chase
(1817-1885) spent his early years peddling household wares and
medicines along the Maumee River near Toledo, Ohio where he also
collected folk remedies. His first publication of 'A Guide to Wealth!
Over One Hundred Valuable Recipes for Saloons, Inn-Keepers, Grocers,
Druggists, Merchants and Families Generally' was published in 1858 and
by the 1863 edition, the book contained over 800 recipes. In 1897 he
published Dr, Chase's Third, Last and Complete Receipt Book. His books
were great sellers especially among pioneers and settlers who were eager
to have a multi-purpose how-to guide to assist them in everyday life.
