The U.S. Army Cooks' Manual

November 1, 2017
Think you have problems feeding your group? Imagine having to feed a whole army, literally. To that end, the U.S. Army has from as far back as the Revolutionary War issued instructions to help cooks bring necessary sustenance to its troops wherever they may find themselves, in peace or at war. Initially, the Continental Congress provided rations, or encouraged soldiers to buy from vendors who followed the troops on their missions. As the nation's army swelled and became more sophisticated, headquarters printed manuals for cooks that explained the rudiments of nutrition, food processing, preservation, and the basics of cooking. Some directives were as simple as don't burn the bread. Others explained how to purify water, something not always to be taken for granted in battle. Recipes may appear overly abstract, but cooks were expected to use all their talents and to improvise. Culinary and military historians will equally find this a valuable resource.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)