author
Gesine Lemcke
1841–1904
A German-born cooking teacher who built a name for herself in New York, she wrote practical, ambitious cookbooks that brought restaurant-style dishes and polished home entertaining within reach. Her books show a lively mix of European training and American tastes at the turn of the 20th century.
1 Audiobook
Desserts and Salads
by Gesine Lemcke
About the author
Gesine Lemcke (1841–1904) was a German-born cookbook author and cooking instructor associated with New York’s late-19th-century food scene. Sources identify her as the author of European and American Cuisine (published in 1895 by D. Appleton) and later books including Desserts and Salads, Chafing-Dish Recipes, and Preserving and Pickling.
Contemporary and near-contemporary references describe her as principal and owner of the Brooklyn and New York Cooking Colleges, and later of the Greater New York Cooking School. An obituary-based summary also says she was well known in Manhattan and Brooklyn for her cooking lectures, opened teaching offices in both Brooklyn and Manhattan, and for many years ran the Clifton Hotel at Good Ground, Long Island.
Her writing is remembered for being useful as well as aspirational: large collections of recipes, clear household guidance, and a blend of European and American cookery. That combination helps explain why her books stayed in print in multiple editions and still appeal to readers interested in culinary history.