Jennie-O Shares National Survey Results Revealing How Americans Are Combatting Recipe Boredom & Cooking Fatigue

The birthdate of the woman who revolutionized the way we cook … and why her recipes are still being used to this day.



Before Julia Child … there was Fannie Merritt Farmer.

Suffered from paralysis (later thought to be polio) as a teen. Wanted to be a teacher but was unable to work for years.

Enrolled in the Boston Cooking School in her early 30s; hired as the school’s asst. director after her 1889 graduation.

 It quickly became a bestseller due to its reliable results & use of precise measurements.

“Correct measurements are absolutely necessary to ensure the best results. Good judgment, with experience, has taught some to measure by sight; but the majority need definite guides.”

" (1896). Before her cookbook, recipes used general measurements such as "a handful" instead of "1 cup." Farmer, who admitted to not being the most skilled cook, believed precision was the key to success in the kitchen.

Farmer wanted everyone, no matter their occupation, to understand the science of nutrition.

She has been “widely credited with inventing the modern recipe” (

) and is one of the few American women whose cooking influence has spread worldwide.

In 1902, she founded Miss Farmer’s School of Cookery. It operated & trained chefs for about 40 years.

Her cookbook is in its 13th edition & can still be found in stores today under its updated title, 

She is accredited with publishing one of the 

Julia Child, another widely-known American cook, regularly referred to 

 while growing up and followed it for recipes such as fudge & pancakes.

In a recent national survey of 2,004 people, 37% of people said they get recipe inspiration from family and friends, 35% of people brainstorm on their own with help from Google, and 31% refer to YouTube. 

But whom do we have to thank for the modern day recipe - whether in a cookbook or online? Fannie Farmer, the Boston cook who was born on this day in 1857.

On This Day

Fannie Farmer birthday

A great read on Fannie Farmer from the Library of Congress

An overlooked obituary by the NY Times

Here’s a link to her cookbook in our SmartHER Shop

Quick. Concise. Nonpartisan.

Emily Hooker