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"Goodfellow combines methodical historical research, a compelling personal story, and surprising connections for the development of present-day cooking schools, which results in fascinating insights into the times of a nineteenth-century baker, culinary instructor, entrepreneur, woman, and widower."
-Dr. Glenn R. Mack, EdD President, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta
MRS. GOODFELLOW

In Philadelphia during the first decades of the nineteenth century, a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow, ran a popular bakery and sweet shop. In addition to catering to Philadelphia’s wealthy families and a reputation of having the finest desserts and sweet dishes in the young country, her business stood out from every other establishment in another way: she ran a small school to learn the art of cooking, the first of its kind in America. Despite her fame—references to her cooking as a benchmark abound in the literature of the period—we know very little about who she was. Since she did not keep a journal and never published any of her recipes, we have to rely on her students, most notably Eliza Leslie, who fortunately recorded many of Goodfellow’s creations and techniques. Goodfellow is known to have made the first lemon meringue pie and for popularizing regional foods, such as Indian (corn) meal. Her students also recall that Mrs. Goodfellow stressed using simple wholesome ingredients that were locally grown, presaging modern culinary fashion.
By assembling the many parts of this puzzle from old recipe books, advertisements, letters, diaries, genealogical records, and other primary sources, researcher and writer Becky Diamond has been able to provide a more complete portrait of this influential figure in cooking history.Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s First Cooking Schoolbegins with what we know about Elizabeth Goodfellow—where she was born, her husbands, her children, where her shop was located. We then travel back in time to discover the kinds of foods that would have been available to Goodfellow and how she may have used them. The book next turns to the rise of both commercial eating establishements and books of recipes. From here, the author explains the rapid expansion of cooking schools, such as the New York Cooking Academy and the Boston Cooking School, made famous through its association with Fannie Farmer, and ends with a discussion of the role of celebrity chefs. Thoroughly researched and including a range of authentic recipes, Mrs. Goodfellow is a delicious exploration of the life and legacy of one of America’s most influential cooks.
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Reader's Guide for Mrs. Goodfellow
- 1. Mrs. Goodfellow's Cooking School was much different from those today whose focus is graduating students with a culinary arts career. What did you think of this early model? 2. 2. What impact did it have on the young women who attended, and cooking in general at that time?
- 3. Cooking preparation took an incredible amount of time and energy in the 19th century. Did this make you think differently about how we cook and prepare food today?
- 4. Did recreating Mrs. Goodfellow's day throughout the book make it easier to imagine what her life might have been like, or was it confusing?
- 5. Even though the author did extensive research, there was still much about Mrs. Goodfellow and her family that could not be determined. What missing details would you have liked to have known?
- 6. Many of the recipes and foods fashionable in Mrs. Goodfellow's day (e.g. terrapin, "catchups," Spanish buns, and Indian pound cake) have since fallen out of favor. Which of these dishes would you most like to try? Which sound unappetizing to modern palates? Why do you think these dishes area no longer popular?
- 7. Were you surprised to learn that Philadelphia had such a fine culinary reputation in the early 1800's? Did this make you think of the city differently?
- 8. Mrs. Goodfellow paid strict attention to quality and detail in her products and teaching, using only pure, wholesome ingredients. How does this compare to the ingredients in many modern foods, and today's preparation methods? Do you think people are now coming back around to this idea of using more natural products to cook and bake with? If so, why?
- 9. While she was alive, Mrs. Goodfellow had an impeccable reputation and was rather famous for her teaching skills and baked delicacies not only in Philadelphia, but up and down the east coast of America. Why do you think she is not well known today? What impact and influence do you think she has had on cooking over the years?