Although the author of this collection is anonymous, her intention was clearly stated on the title page of the book—a thousand practical ways to make good cakes, pies, puddings, and more for the young, inexperienced cook. True to her word, the cookbook is extremely thorough, covering not only the following categories, but including dozens and dozens of recipes for all types of baked goods: cakes, pastry, buns, biscuits, custards, ice cream and ices, tarts, crumpets, puddings, muffins, candy, breads, and more. The back of the book contains advertisements from local merchants for dancing instruction, telegraph service, joke books, and a book titled The Little Flirt, with secrets of handkerchief, glove, fan, and parasol flirtations—a fascinating window on lifestyles of the day.

This edition of The Young Cook was reproduced by permission from the volume in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1812 by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and successful printer and publisher, the Society is a research library documenting the life of Americans from the colonial era through 1876. The Society collects, preserves, and makes available as complete a record as possible of the printed materials from the early American experience. The cookbook collection includes approximately 1,100 volumes.