Eliza Smith (died 1732?) was one of the most popular female 18th-century

cookery book A cookbook or cookery book is a kitchen reference containing recipes. Cookbooks may be general, or may specialize in a particular cuisine or category of food. Recipes in cookbooks are organized in various ways: by course (appetizer, first cours ...

writers. Unlike other popular woman cookbook authors whose books overlapped with hers, such as

Hannah Glasse Hannah Glasse (; March 1708 – 1 September 1770) was an English cookery writer of the 18th century. Her first cookery book, ''The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy'', published in 1747, became the best-selling recipe book that century. It w ...

, nothing seems to be known about her personal life beyond the fact that she was one of the first popular female cookbook authors. Her one book, ''

The Compleat Housewife ''The Compleat Housewife; or, Accomplish'd Gentlewoman's Companion'' is a cookery book written by Eliza Smith and first published in London in 1727. It became extremely popular, running through 18 editions in fifty years. It was the first co ...

, or, Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion'' (London: J. Pemberton, 1727), went through 18 editions in Britain and in 1742 Smith became the first cookbook author published in colonial America. Prior to her death, the name published in her book was E___ S____. After her death it was published as E. Smith. She was a housekeeper for thirty years: "for the Space of Thirty Years and upwards ... I have been constantly employed in fashionable and noble Families."

References

* * Montagu of Beaulieu, Lord, "Foreword" in E. Smith, ''The Compleat Housewife or Accomplish'd Gentlewoman's Companion'' (facsimile ed. Literary Services and Production Ltd., 1968. ) * Theophano, Janet, "Eat My Words: Reading Women's Lives Through the Cookbooks They Wrote", St. Martins Press, New York, p. 194.

External links

Google Books text
of the 9th edition (1739) of ''The Compleat Housewife'', including the author's preface {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Eliza English food writers English non-fiction writers 17th-century births 1730s deaths Women cookbook writers 18th-century English women writers 18th-century English writers English women non-fiction writers