Tested and Tried Recipes of Azusa and Vicinity Housekeepers Book

This cookbook, originally published in 1878, is still usable and relevant today. I enjoyed reading the ways to stretch a meat dish to make it affordable and delicious for a large group. The attention paid to beans was nice. Basic cooking instructions are the basis of the book and allow a person to quickly learn and expand upon all the recipes.

Reading the introduction gives a nice background into who the book was written for - housewives on a budget. Considering when the book was published, it fun to read that saving time and money while eating well has always been a concern. It's easy to look back and think of earlier times as simpler times. Yet our ancestors faced the same troubles as us, and this was a nice reminder of that. Add to that the hints at how to please a hardworking man during his time off and this is great fun!