Renowned as one of the first community and fundraising cookbooks of its kind, The Home Cook Book was extremely popular throughout Canada in the later nineteenth century. The version on display here was the 50th edition of the book. The contributors were members of Toronto’s elite and the purpose of its sale was to benefit Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, established in 1875. The book offers readers a range of recipes and dishes, as well as instructions for various preparation methods and how to preserve produce. Beyond recipes, the book contains other information pertinent to food, such as dining etiquette, menu creation, and “sick room” cuisine.

The Home Cook Book: Tried, Tested, Proved (Toronto, Ont.). Ladies of Toronto and other cities and towns complier. Rose-Belfort Publishing Company, Toronto, c.1881