The Gilded Age Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from America's Golden Era

by Becky Libourel Diamond

The American Gilded Age (1868 to 1900) and its extreme extravagance continue to be a source of wonder and fascination, particularly for foodies. The style and excessiveness of this era has ties to modern popular culture through books, films, and television shows, including The Alienist and the Julian Fellowes TV series The Gilded Age, on HBO.

The Gilded Age Cookbook transports the reader back in time to lavish banquet tables set with snow-white linen tablecloths, delicate china, and sparkling crystal glasses. Cuisine featuring rich soups, juicy roasts, and luscious desserts come to life through historic images and artistic photography. Gilded Age details and entertaining stories of celebrities from the era—the Vanderbilts, Astors, Carnegies, and Rockefellers—are melded with historic menus and recipes updated for modern kitchens.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, History

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2023

About the author

A food writer, librarian and historian, Becky Libourel Diamond has had a varied career combining writing and research. Her latest book, The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook: Cookies and Treats from America’s Golden Era, launched in September 2025. Each recipe provides a colorful glimpse into the Gilded Age, featuring the history behind each treat, its ingredients and baking methods. Her third book, The Gilded Age Cookbook, was published by Globe Pequot in August 2023. Previously she wrote The Thousand Dollar Dinner, which tells the unique story of a nineteenth century “Top Chef”-style competition between Philadelphia restauranteur James Parkinson and the Delmonico family of New York. She is also the author of Mrs. Goodfellow: The Story of America’s Cooking School, a successful nineteenth century pastry chef who also ran an innovative cooking school for young woman – a Philadelphia first. She is currently working on a history of the City Tavern restaurant, to be published by Westholme in the summer of 2026.

Reviews

[Judit Hajnal Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

With its aesthetically pleasing design from cover to cover, literally, The Gilded Age Cookbook stands out in the crowd of mass publications. It features elegantly presented recipes, as well as well-researched accompanying texts on topics such as railroad dining, cooking schools, food marketing, innovations, picnic and dinner parties, social clubs and club luncheons, banquet dinners, and more.
(From my interview with author: https://sites.rutgers.edu/books-we-re...)

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff. Loved learning how various industrial inventions (particularly trains!) completely changed the landscape of what lay on the dining tables of America. Not unlike today, it was an era of flamboyant excess - though at least they were nice enough to write about it so the masses could live vicariously - and their meals showed it; Turkey garnished with clams and ham, 10+ courses, meals at midnight just because they had access to the novelty that was electricity...as bizarre and removed as animals in a zoo, except these were supposedly fellow humans.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of history with your recipe to understand where the tradition or recipe might have come from as well as details surrounding the season at the time. Wide range of puddings, cookies as well as quick fixes and frosting with natural food color. This provides a glimpse of a time with a bit of details. There are some great photos but I especially liked the details that provided a look at the time. Reminensent of Downtown Abbey and this is a well planned release with the next movie being launched. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher.

[Kaitlin Jundt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish there would've been more pictures for some of the recipes but the ones that did have pictures were beautiful! The author/chef did an excellent job researching what American's were eating during The Gilded Age. Can't wait to read the Christmas one!

[Candice Bridgerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing