After discovering that the existing cookbooks of her time were less than helpful, Terhune followed her friends' suggestion and began compiling her own tested recipes, which she wrote in a more accessible manner.
Marion Harland's Cookery for Beginners was one of these works. Known by her penname Marion Harland, American author Mary Virginia Terhune wrote some notable bestselling works in fiction and non-fiction genres.
Contents include:
Home-made Yeast and the first Loaf
Bread Sponge and Breakfast Breads
Breakfast Breads
Other Breakfast Breads
Eggs
Broiled Meats
Fried Meats
What to do with Left-overs
Other Dinner Dishes
Meats
Vegetables
Desserts
Cake-making