The House Servants Directory
It is seen more like a household manual than a cookbook, although it contains recipes, including how to make jams and jellies. It was written in 1827 by Roberts Roberts, a butler employed by U.S. senator and Massachusetts governor Christopher Gore. The book, which clearly reflects African American cooking, is the first book of any kind written by an African American to have been published in the United States by a major publisher, according to the University of Michigan’s Feeding America blog. The culinary recipes include Currant Jam, Raspberry Vinegar, A Cod’s Head, A Haunch of Venison and A Leg of Mutton. His book is one of the first to help encourage young Black men to become the finest of professional house servants.
