THE TASTE OF HISTORY

"Cooking," advised the East Hampton Ladies Village Improvement Society in 1896, "is a fine art, to which you must bring common sense and judgment." The society, founded in 1895, published its first cookbook, "The Way We Cook in East Hampton," the following year.

The almost 100-page book, the L.V.I.S.'s very first fund-raiser, was dominated by desserts, though it also contained recipes for soups, meats and fish, breads, vegetables, and "sundries." Published by The Star Press, an early job-printing arm of this newspaper, it carried advertisements from many local merchants.

Each week during this 350th anniversary year of East Hampton Town, The Star will feature a recipe from an old L.V.I.S. cookbook.

What follows, from the first edition, seemed most appropriate this week. ("Saleratus," in case you didn't know, is baking soda.) We wonder if the ladies baked this, or just tried it once and gave up.

NEW YEAR'S CAKE

21/2 pounds flour
3/4 pound butter
11/4 pounds sugar
1 tsp. saleratus
4 oz. caraway seeds
1/2 pint warm water with sugar melted in it.

Roll out and cut in shape.

Mrs. T.M. Stratton