The Settlement Cook Book

Born in Milwaukee in 1858, Lizzie Black Kander helped to establish and was president of Milwaukee's first social settlement, known simply as "the Settlement" in 1900. With the financial support of the Federation Jewish Charities of Milwaukee, the Settlement offered training in vocational and domestic skills, as well as classes in English, American history, and music. Kander believed that food was a powerful means of religious and cultural expression, and she used culinary reform to aid in the assimilation of immigrant girls and to introduce immigrant women to American consumer culture. Her involvement in the cooking classes led to the publication of The Settlement's own cookbook in 1901. In these excerpts, Kander defines the "Household Rules," offers recipes for cakes and cookies, and discusses appropriate foods for invalids. Her sub-text throughout these culinary and domestic instructions is about helping recent immigrants adjust to mainstream American culture