Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery is celebrated as the first known cookbook written by an American, for an American audience, and published in the United States. Released in 1796, the book reflects the early American spirit of adaptation and resourcefulness, blending familiar British culinary traditions with new ingredients and techniques indigenous to the colonies. This cookbook is more than a collection of recipes; it’s a historical document, marking a pivotal shift from imported British recipes to a distinctly American way of cooking. Simmons’ recipes are simple yet inventive, often based on readily available ingredients like cornmeal, pumpkin, and indigenous berries — foods that define the early American diet.

For Thanksgiving, American Cookery provides a glimpse into how colonial Americans might have prepared their festive meals. It was an era before standardized measurements and precise cooking instructions, making Simmons’ book both charmingly old-fashioned and a little challenging for today’s cooks. Her directions are concise, assuming a level of culinary intuition that most of us are no longer accustomed to. To help bridge the gap between Simmons’ time and ours, we’ve adapted a few of her recipes for modern readers.

“To Stuff and Roast a Turkey or Fowl”

"One pound soft wheat bread, 3 ounces beef suet, 3 eggs, a little sweet thyme, sweet marjoram, pepper and salt, and some add a gill of wine; fill the bird therewith and sew up, hang down to a steady solid fire, basting frequently with salt and water, and roast until a steam emits from the breast, put one third of a pound of butter into the gravy, dust flour over the bird and baste with the gravy; serve up with boiled onions and cramberry-sauce, mangoes, pickles or celery."

For this colonial-style stuffing, start by crumbling a loaf of soft wheat bread and combining it with about 3 ounces of beef suet or softened butter. Add three beaten eggs and season with thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper. For a twist, add about 1/4 cup of white wine. Stuff your turkey with this mixture, then roast as usual, basting frequently. When the bird is close to done, make the gravy by adding 5-6 tablespoons of butter and a dusting of flour to the drippings, then baste the turkey with this rich sauce before serving. For an authentic colonial side, serve with cranberry sauce, pickles, and possibly some boiled onions.

“To Preserve Currants”

"Take the weight of the currants in sugar, pick out the seeds; take to a pound of sugar, half a pint of water, let it melt; then put in your currants and let them do very leisurely, skim them, and take them up, let the sirrup boil; then put them on again; and when they are clear, and the sirrup thick enough, take them off; and when they are cold, put them up in glasses."

Weigh your currants and use an equal weight of sugar. Start by dissolving 1 cup of sugar per half-cup of water over medium heat. Once dissolved, add the currants and simmer gently, skimming any foam that forms. Continue until the syrup thickens and the currants become translucent. Allow them to cool and store in jars. This sweet-tart preserve would make an excellent accompaniment to cheese boards or a topping for desserts.

“To Boil French Beans”

"Take your beans and string them, cut in two and then across, when you have done them all, sprinkle them over with salt, stir them together, as soon as your water boils put them in and make them boil up quick, they will be soon done and they will look of a better green than when growing in the garden if; they are very young, only break off the ends, them break in two and dress them in the same manner."

Trim the ends off your green beans, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and sprinkle with salt. Once your water reaches a rolling boil, add the beans, cooking them quickly until they’re tender but still bright green. This simple method brings out a vibrant color and fresh taste, and the beans can be served as-is or lightly buttered for a classic side dish.

“Pompkin Pie”

"One quart stewed and strained, 3 pints cream, 9 beaten eggs, sugar, mace, nutmeg and ginger, laid into paste No. 7 or 3, and with a dough spur, cross and chequer it, and baked in dishes three quarters of an hour."

For this rich pumpkin pie, start with about 4 cups of pumpkin puree and combine it with 3 1/2 cups of cream and 9 beaten eggs. Season with sugar, a pinch of mace, nutmeg, and ginger to taste, then pour into a pie crust. Before baking, create a lattice design on top with dough strips. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the filling sets.

“Apple Pie”

"Stew and strain the apples, to every three pints, grate the peal of a fresh lemon, add cinnamon, mace, rose-water and sugar to your taste—and bake in paste No. 3."

Cook about 6-8 cups of peeled, sliced apples until soft, then strain. Season with lemon zest, cinnamon, a touch of mace, and sugar. For a colonial twist, add a few drops of rosewater. Pour into a prepared pie crust and bake at 350°F until golden and fragrant.

“A Nice Indian Pudding”

"3 pints scalded milk, 7 spoons fine Indian meal, stir well together while hot, let stand till cooled; add 7 eggs, half pound raisins, 4 ounces butter, spice and sugar, bake one and half hour."

For a warming dessert, combine 6 cups of hot milk with 7 tablespoons of cornmeal, stirring to blend. Once cooled, add 7 beaten eggs, half a cup of raisins, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Season with sugar and a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Bake at 325°F for about an hour and a half, or until set. This pudding is a hearty, sweet dish perfect for the end of a Thanksgiving feast.

“Raspberry Cream Syllabub”

"Take a quart of thick sweet cream and boil it two or three wallops, then take it off the fire and strain some juices of raspberries into it to your taste, stir it a good while before you put your juice in, that it may be almost cold, when you put it to it, and afterwards stir it one way for almost a quarter of an hour; then sweeten it to your taste and when it is cold you may send it up."

Start by bringing 1 quart of heavy cream to a gentle boil, then let it cool slightly. Stir in raspberry juice or puree, adjusting for sweetness. Whisk for several minutes to thicken, then chill before serving. The result is a light, fruity dessert that feels both colonial and timeless.

“Spruce Beer”

"Take four ounces of hops, let them boil half an hour in one gallon of water, strain the hop water then add sixteen gallons of warm water, two gallons of molasses, eight ounces of essence of spruce, dissolved in one quart of water, put it in a clean cask, then shake it well together, add half a pint of emptins, then let it stand and work one week, if very warm weather less time will do, when it is drawn off to bottle, add one spoonful of molasses to every bottle."

To make a small batch, boil 1/4 ounce of hops in 1 quart of water, then strain. Combine with about 1 gallon of warm water, 1 cup of molasses, and a few drops of spruce essence. Allow it to ferment with 1/4 cup of yeast in a sealed container for a week before bottling.

As we sit down to celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s fascinating to think that some of the recipes on our tables may resemble those enjoyed centuries ago by early Americans. Amelia Simmons’ American Cookery offers a window into the colonial kitchen, showing how ingenuity and adaptation shaped early American cuisine. By bringing a few of her recipes to life, we’re not only savoring traditional flavors but also paying homage to the resourcefulness and creativity that defined the early American experience.

This Thanksgiving, let these historical recipes be a reminder of how food connects us across generations, carrying forward stories of resilience, community, and shared meals.

An Amelia Simmons Thanksgiving