author
Vernon Galster
1880–1937
Known for a compact 1917 cookbook that introduced home readers to Chinese dishes, this early 20th-century author wrote with a practical, inviting tone. His work survives as a small but vivid snapshot of how Chinese cooking was being explained to American audiences of the time.
1 Audiobook
Chinese cook book
by Vernon Galster
About the author
Very little biographical information about this author is easy to confirm from reliable online sources. Library and catalog records identify him as Vernon Galster (1880–1937) and connect him with Chinese cook book, published in Morris, Illinois, in 1917.
The book presents straightforward recipes and cooking advice, and its dedication suggests he was writing for everyday readers, including people cooking far from restaurants or big-city markets. It also notes that Chinese flavoring sauces and vegetables mentioned in the recipes could be purchased from the publisher, which gives the work an interesting place in the early American popularization of Chinese cooking.
Because confirmed personal details are scarce, he is best remembered today through this surviving cookbook rather than through a well-documented public life. For modern listeners and readers, his work offers a brief but fascinating glimpse into culinary curiosity in the United States in the 1910s.