author

Adelin Balch Coit

Best known for a compact 1917 cookbook written for beginners, this early American author offered plain, practical help for cooking on boats, in camps, and on the march. Her work has a brisk, no-nonsense feel that still makes it easy to follow.

1 Audiobook

The ABC of Cooking

The ABC of Cooking

by Adelin Balch Coit

About the author

Adeline Balch Coit was an American writer remembered for The A B C of Cooking, published in New York in 1917. The book was aimed at men with little or no cooking experience, especially those preparing food on small boats, patrol boats, in camps, or while traveling.

What stands out about her writing is its directness. Rather than treating cooking as a formal art, she focused on simple methods, basic recipes, and useful instruction for people who needed to get a meal on the table in less-than-ideal conditions.

Available records also identify her as Adeline Balch Coit, born in 1861 and deceased in 1931. I wasn’t able to confirm a reliable portrait image from the sources I found, so no profile photo is included.