author

Adeline Balch Coit

1861–1931

Best known for a brisk, practical cookbook written for beginners, this early 20th-century American author turned basic cooking into something clear, useful, and approachable. Her work was especially aimed at people preparing food in rougher settings, from camps to small boats.

1 Audiobook

The A B C of Cooking : for men with no experience of cooking on small boats, patrol boats, in camps, on marches, etc.

The A B C of Cooking : for men with no experience of cooking on small boats, patrol boats, in camps, on marches, etc.

by Adeline Balch Coit

About the author

Born in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 9, 1861, Adeline Balch Coit was an American writer whose surviving published work is closely tied to everyday cooking and household practicality. Genealogical records identify her as the daughter of Lewis P. W. Balch and Emily Wiggin, and they record her death in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 6, 1931.

She is best known for The A B C of Cooking (1917), a compact guide written for readers with little or no kitchen experience. The book was designed for practical use in situations like camps, marches, patrol boats, and other settings where simple, reliable food mattered more than fancy technique.

Detailed biographical information about her life is limited in the sources I could confirm, but her book still gives a strong sense of her voice: direct, helpful, and focused on making cooking feel manageable for ordinary people.