Almost forgotten at the back of a drawer for generations, Hannah Alexanders Book of Cookery-which was first penned in Dublin in the late seventeenth century-has finally made it into print.

This recipe book is more than just a delightful foray into the dining habits of the Irish of times gone by. It is an important social history docu­ment that provides an abundance of information about Irelands import trade, the Irish culinary imagination, and one of the few ways in which the increasing number of literate women of the time expressed themselves: by writing about the foods, special treats,...