Manuscript Location

Winterthur Library, Quaker and Special Collections

Place of Origin

United States ➔ New York ➔ New York

Date of Composition

ca. 1815

Description

Most of the approximately 34 pages of recipes in this volume focus on cakes and desserts. Reflecting the influence of New York's prominent Dutch community, there are four recipes for "olo cooks" or "olo cakes" (that is, the Dutch oliekoek, the predecessor of American doughnuts), as well as two recipes for Puffert, a Dutch tea bread, and one each for New Year Cakes, crullers, and waffles. Other cakes include loaf cake, tea cake, plum cake, queen cake, white ginger cake, gingerbread, sponge cake, and Poland Cake (an uncommon recipe).  Among the desserts are almond, lemon, and orange creams, blancmange, lemon custards, whips, and quince pudding. There are also several recipes for cheesecakes and one for mince pie. Fried Meat and Timber Creek Bacon comprise the savory selections. The cake recipes are indexed in the back of the volume. All of the recipes are indexed in a database available at the library.

The book is in several hands, one of which may be that of David Lydig, whose name is written on the cover. David Lydig (1764-1840) lived with his wife Maria Meiser in New York City, where he was a wealthy merchant and a hospitable epicure. His father Philip Lydig had emigrated from Germany; after setting himself up as a grain merchant, he established New York City's largest bakery. David followed his father's trade but sold his business around 1830 for a considerable sum, enabling himself and his son Philip Meiser Lydig to retire to lives as gentlemen farmers, with a house in the city and a country estate at West Farms in the Bronx. David Lydig also owned real estate and served as a bank director.