Great Western Cook Book eBook

 This first cookbook published in Indiana was originally titled in its first edition Mrs. Collins’ Table Receipts: Adapted to Western Housewifery. It became so popular that in 1857 it was republished in New York City under the name The Great Western Cook Book. Collins noted in her preface that the book was intended for "Ladies of the West," and thus there are recipes such as Sausage-Hoosier Fashion and Veal-Western Fashion included for pioneer women in the "West" of its time. Noting that "Our generous and prolific clime affords a bountiful supply of nutritious fruits and vegetables, and our forests and hill sides abound in excellent Game," Collins included many recipes that used local produce and ingredients. The first recipe in the book for California Soup provides a method for homemade bouillon cubes, named for travelers heading further west during the gold rush years.