PEEFACE.
I MUST frankly own, that if I had known, beforelhand, that) this book wonld have cost me the labour which it has, I should never have been courageous enough to commence it. What moved me, in the first instance, to attempt a work like this, was the discomfort and suffering which I had seen brought upon men and women by household mismanagement. I have always thought that there is no m.ore fruitful source of family discontent tha,n ?u housewife’s badly-cooked dinners and untidy ways. Men are now so well served out of doors, — at their clubs, v»^ ell- ordered taverns, and dining-houses, that in order to compete with the attractions of these places, a mistress must be thoroughly acquainted with the theory and practice of cookery, as Vv^ell as l^e perfectly conversant with all the other arts of making and keeping a comfortable home.
In this book I have attempted to give, under the chapters devoted to cookery, an intelligible arrangement to every recipe, a list of the ingredients, a plain statement of the mode of preparing each dish, and a careful estimate of its cost, the mtinher of Ijeojple for vv^hom it is sufficient, and the time when it is seasonable. For the matter of the recipes, I am indebted, in some measure, to many correspondents of the ” Englislwoman’s Domestic Maga- zine,” who have obligingly placed at my disposal their formulge for many original preparations. A large lorivate circle has also rendered me considerable service. A diligent study of the works of the best modern wiiters on cookery was also necessary to the faithful fulfilment of my task. Friends in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Germany, have eJso very materially aided me. I have paid great attention to those recipes which come under the head of ” Cold Meat Cookery.” But in the depart- ment belonging to the Cook I have striven, too, to make my work something more than a Cookery Book, and have, therefore, on the
best authority tliat I could obtain, given an account of the natural history of the animals and vegetables which we use as food. I have followed the animal from his birth to his appearance on the table ; have described the manner of feeding him, and of slaying him, the position of his various joints, and, after giving the recipes, have described the modes of carving Meat, Poultry, and Game. Skilful artists have designed the nrmierous drawings which appear in this volume, and which illustrate, better than any description, many important and interesting items. The coloured plates are a novelty not without value.
Besides the great portion of the book which has especial reference to the cook’s department, there are chapters devoted to those of the other servants of the household, who have all, I trust, their duties clearly assigned to them.
Towards the end of the work will be found valuable chapters on the Management of Children ” — ” The Doctor,” the latter principally referring to accidents and emergencies, some of which are certain to occur in the experience of every one of us ; and the last chapter contains ” Legal Memoranda,” which will be service- able in cases of doubt as to the proper course to be adopted in the relations between Landlord and Tenant, Tax-gatherer and Tax-payer, and Tradesman and Customer.
These chapters have been contributed by gentlemen fully en- titled to confidence ; those on medical subjects by an experienced surgeon, and the legal matter by a solicitor.
I wish hero to acknowledge the kind letters and congratulations I have received during the progress of this work, and have only further to add, that I trust the result of the four years’ incessant labour I have expended will not be altogether unacceptable to some of my countrymen and countrywomen.
ISABELLA BEETOK
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