Soyer.   Alexis Benoit    
The Gastronomic Regenerator
THE Gastronomic Regenerator: A SIMPLIFIED AND ENTIRELY NEW SYSTEM OF COOKERY, WITH NEARLY TWO THOUSAND PRACTICAL RECEIPTS SUITED TO THE INCOME OF ALL CLASSES. ILLUSTRATED WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS AND CORRECT AND MINUTE PLANS HOW KITCHENS OF EVERY SIZE, FROM THE KITCHEN OF A ROYAL PALACE TO THAT OF THE HUMBLE COTTAGE, ARE TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND FURNISHED. BY MONSIEUR A. SOYER, OF THE REFORM CLUB. FOURTH EDITION. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, &CO., STATIONERS' HALL COURT: AND SOLD BY JOHN OLLIVIER, PALL-MALL. 1847.
8vo. Pp. Frontispiece of 'Soyer' Title Page. Engraved picture of 'Heaven and Hell' 2pp 'List of Patrons' (i-xl) (1-720) (several engraved pictures throughout) 17pp 'Table of Contents' 1pp 'Advertisements' 24pp 'Madame Soyer' 1pp 'Times review. 2 fep. Bound in green half calf with dark green pebbled cloth boards and calf corners. Spine with elaborate gilt and blind tooling, gilt lettering, raised bands and a brown label with "Soyers Cookery" in gilt lettering. Internally very clean however some slight foxing on fep before title page and on frontispiece. A very good copy of a fairly scarce book.
- The illustrations are: The frontis drawn by Emma Soyer and engraved in steel by H.B. Hall and fifeteen wood engraved plates, two folding, including six plates illustrating elaborate dishes, and others showing the famous drawing of the Reform Club Kitchen, a table of a weathy family, Soyer's table at home, a drawing of two Bavarians by Emma Soyer and a self-portrait of Emma Soyer engraved in steel by H.B. Hall. There is also a folding plate on blue paper that is one of Soyer’s menus for a very special banquet at the Reform Club on July 3rd 1846 for 150 couverts that included the guest of honour - His Highness Ibrahim Pasha. It consisted of a massive 46 courses and on a spit in the dining room was a huge roasting Baron of Beef ala Anglaise. The dinner was a highlight of the Amir’s London visit. Four months earlier on March 22nd 1846, Ibrahim Pasha - His Highness, The Amir of Trans-Jordan came to London to sign a treaty with His Majesty The King in respect of the United Kingdom recognising the status of Trans- Jordan as a sovereign independent State. The menu was not in the first edition of 1846 but was in subsequent editions including this one here.

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Antiquarian category
ref number: 10941