1. Brianna Stahl
May 4, 2015
KNH103
Report 10: Recipe Analysis
I choose to write my recipe analysis on four different kinds of apple pie from four
different time periods. My first recipe, ‘Irish Apple Pie’, comes from the pre-1930’s, and
is from a recipe book called The White House Cook Book by Mrs. F. L. Gillette. This
Cookbook was written in 1887 for the wives of the presidents. My second recipe comes
from the time period between the 1970s and the 1980s. My second recipe called ‘French
Apple Pie’ comes from the book Southwestern Cookery: Indian and Spanish Influences
by Louis Szathmary published in 1974. My third recipe, ‘Flaky Apple Pie’ comes from
the 1990s, and was written by Michael James in his cookbook called Slow Food: Flavors
and Memories of America’s Hometowns. My fourth and final recipe is a modern version
of apple pie from 2014 found on the Pillsbury website, called ‘Perfect Apple Pie’.
The first recipe titled ‘Irish Apple Pie’ is a traditional apple pie recipe from 1887.
Unlike the other 3 recipes, this apple pie recipe from The White House Cook Book has
instructions and ingredients combined and written in paragraph form. The instructions
and ingredients seem to have less information and are more vague. The recipe is also
categorized as a pie. In the first recipe the ingredients include: apples, brown sugar,
cloves, cinnamon, lemon, marmalade, and water.
My second recipe titled ‘French Apple Pie’ is another traditional apple pie recipe
from 1974. This recipe comes from the time period were standardized recipes started to
exist. In early recipe books instructions and ingredients were combined into a single

2. narrative but during the 1970s and 1980s we see the change into two separate parts, an
ingredient list and a cooking narrative. The recipe is also categorized as a pastry. The
ingredients include: apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar.
My third recipe titled ‘Flaky Apple Pie’ is a semi modern apple pie recipe from
1992. The recipe is in standardized format with another section for the cooking narrative
instructions. The recipes in this cookbook were categorized by location and places the
recipes originated in. This element was very different from the other 3 cookbooks. The
third recipe has no nutritional facts or claims. The ingredients include: apples, lemon
juice, sugar, butter, and pie dough.
My fourth recipe titled ‘Perfect Apple Pie’ is a modern version of the apple pie
from 2014. This recipe is unique because it is not in a book and has been published
online. Because of the new format and use of Internet this recipe is more detailed and
advanced. Nutritional facts are now added so you can see what you are consuming and
nutritional claims like gluten free are now an option for your apple pie recipe. They use a
step-by-step numerical procedure with pictures to instruct you in making your pie.
Pillsbury even has video tutorials in addition to all the other information. The recipe is
also categorized as a dessert. The ingredients include: apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt,
nutmeg, and lemon juice.
As time progresses recipe format changes into a more standardized form.
Cookbooks have different ways of categorizing their recipes. In older cookbooks recipe
types are more specific like pies, and in the newer cookbooks they broaden types into
categories like desserts. In older cookbooks the use of complete sentences in instructions
is common but as recipes become more modern the use of fragment sentences and short

3. hand become increasingly common. The second and third recipe shared the most in
common with format in their recipe. The use of cookbooks has decreased and more and
more people use online recipes to cook everyday. While all of the apple pie recipes have
different ingredients, they are very similar. The element of ingredients is the only thing
that has remained semi consistent over the time periods. With slight variations the main
ingredients in all four recipes are apples, sugar and cinnamon. The recipes then have
different added ingredients for flavor such as cloves, lemon, and nutmeg. The use of
nutritional facts was not added into cookbooks or recipes until the late 1990s. Health
benefits and nutritional claims are a recent trend in the 2000s. Recipes have definitely
evolved through out our time on earth and will continue to progress in ways we have yet
to imagine.
I’ve always enjoyed cooking and using recipes. I love the idea of a more
traditional recipe, but the convenience of the Internet has won my favor. Websites online
like Pinterest and Food Network make it easy to find and view so many types of recipes
that a cookbook has become outdated. While the notion of being a professional cook and
recipe writer sounds fun, I don’t think I am cut out for it. But I will continue to cook and
explore recipes on my own time.

4. Work Cited
Gillette, F. L., Mrs. The White House Cook Book. Chicago: Werner, 1887. Web. 4 May
2015.
James, Michael. Slow Food: Flavors and Memories of America's Hometowns. New
York: Warner, 1992. Print.
"Perfect Apple Pie." Pillsbury. General Mills, Nov. 2014. Web. 04 May 2015.
<http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/perfect-apple-pie/1fc2b60f-0a4f-441e-
ad93-8bbd00fe5334>.
Szathmary, Louis. Southwestern Cookery: Indian and Spanish Influences. New York:
Promontory, 1974. Print.