The oldest known cookbook by a Black American woman, Malinda Russell’s “A Domestic Cookbook: A Careful Selection of Useful Receipts For the Kitchen,” has been republished by the University of Michigan Press after 160 years. Russell, born in Tennessee in 1812, later moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, where she honed her culinary skills under the mentorship of Fanny Steward, a Black cook. In her cookbook, Russell acknowledges Steward and the influence of “The Virginia Housewife” by Mary Rudolph, a renowned cookbook that shaped Southern cooking in the 19th century.
Russell eventually returned to Tennessee, where she ran a successful pastry shop and published her recipes in a bound cookbook after fleeing racial violence in 1864. She aimed to raise funds through the cookbook sales to return home to Greeneville, Tennessee. Though many copies of her book may have been lost in fires in Paw Paw, Michigan, Russell did eventually make it back to Tennessee with her son.
Her cookbook features a variety of classic confections like gingerbread, cake, and cookies, with recipes that are concise and straightforward. Russell’s culinary creations reflect traditional Southern cooking methods that continue to inspire us today. Her Ginger Crackers recipe, for instance, emphasizes the importance of baking in a “quick oven,” highlighting the practical approach to cooking in the 19th century.
Jan Bluestein Longone, a culinary historian at the University of Michigan, acquired a copy of Russell’s cookbook, realizing later that it was the first cookbook authored by an African-American woman. Russell’s work not only represents a significant milestone in Black and culinary history but also showcases the foundational contributions of Black women in shaping the culinary landscape.
Longone authored an introduction for the book, presenting her discoveries, and disseminated official copies of it before ultimately gifting the book to the University of Michigan archive. Although not formally republished until now, the book remains accessible online for free through open access, as it has always been. Acquire a new edition that features Janice Bluestein Longone’s initial introduction. Check out the original piece on Southern Living.
