The Old Farmer's Almanac Colonial Cookbook, First Edition - The recipes in this book are NOT written like the one for cheese cake reproduced here.  Though evidently clear enough to seventeenth century cooks, in the twentieth century it leaves much to be desired - and guessed at!  Mrs. Leeds was no Fannie Farmer, and cookery books and kitches have come a long way since 1662.  It would be hard - probably impossible - and extremely time consuming to reproduce colonial cooking methods in a modern kitches; just imagine beating the whites of twenty eggs stiff with a handful of twigs!  etc. etc. etc.....    Thank you.