Rorer includes a recipe for Smothered Chicken, written by Juliet Corson. It is interesting to look at this recipe due to the preparation instructions that are mentioned. The recipe states that the chicken must be plucked, meaning that the women either had to have had chicken on her property or chickens were bought whole. Unlike other recipes featured in Rorer’s cookbook, this chicken recipe is quite simple, with the main dish only requiring the chicken, Cottolene, and flour. There is also a recipe provided for gravy, which only requires rich milk, salt, and pepper. The smothered chicken would have been consumed as the main course at dinner, perhaps even at dinner parties or family dinners. The instructions provided for the recipe are somewhat vague. It does mention the steps on how to first prepare the chicken, by stating that it must be plucked, wiped down, and slit open down the back prior to cooking. The recipe also includes useful and clear information regarding measurements, stating that it needs a cupful of hot water and two tablespoons of Cottolene and flour. That being said, the recipe lacks instructions on temperature and duration of cooking time. Ultimately, it would have been up to the housewife or scullery maid to have the skillset and the knowledge of how hot their range and oven was and to estimate the time based on their particular range model. Understanding the preparation instructions offers a quick glimpse into the lives of families, particularly of women, around the turn of the century. The smothered chicken recipe on requires a few easily accessible ingredients, demonstrating that Rorer was aware of various cooking circumstances and perhaps even the different economic levels of her customers.

One of the recipes that stood out the most was the inclusion of Juliet Corson’s Macaroni and Cheese recipe. With most of the macaroni and cheese being consumed today coming from a prepackaged box, it is easy to think of macaroni and cheese as synonymous with the university student or busy young professional. The recipe distinguishes between the required yellow Italian noodle and the “inferior” white, blanched noodle. In addition, the recipe calls for salt, one ounce of butter, one ounce of flour, a gill of milk, a gill of water, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and two ounces of hard cheese. This recipe is fairly easy and does not require a long cooking time, as the pasta cooks relatively quickly. There are not a lot of ingredients necessary and as stated in the cookbook, upon cooking the noodles, one can decide what type of cheese and they can adapt the recipe to fit their needs, making it as simple or complex as needed.The cookbook mentions that this dish is both affordable and wholesome. It can be assumed that this was for a more intimate family dinner. Unlike the other recipes featured in Rorer’s book, this recipe was quite detailed. From this recipe, it is clear that macaroni and cheese have long been apart of American society and has a special place in the American kitchen. The comfort dish that so many have grown to love has faced little change over the last century, making it truly a unique dish to study.