The Practice of Modern Cookery;
ADAPTED TO FAMILIES OF DISTINCTION, As well as to those of The MIDDLING RANKS of LIFE. To which is added, A GLOSSARY explaining the Terms of Art. By GEORGE DALRYMPLE, Late Cook to Sir John Whitefoord, Bart. EDINBURGH: Printed for the Author. Sold by C.ELLIOT, Edinburgh; and T.LONGMAN, London. MDCCLXXXI.
FIRST AND SOLE EDITION. 1781. 1fep. Title page. [1] 1p Dedication to Lady Whitefoord. [1] 1+vi Preface. 1+2-462. 1+464 Glossary of Terms. 1+466-475 Index. 1p Errata. 1fep. Title page evenly browned. Some minor foxing and staining to first six leaves. Some very light age browning throughout. Original dark brown sheep boards. Modern sympathetically rebound dark brown spine with raised bands and blind tooling. A dark brown label with gilt lettering and lines.
- George Dalrymple provides us with around one thousand recipes, giving them both English and French names. He is also one of the first cookery writers to give a glossary of terms. These points are remarkable according to Maclean. In his preface Dalrymple explains "there are a number of excellent receipts I have had occasionally from others..." – Maclean may be rather less enthused had she realised that Dalrymple plagiarized many of the recipes from the Frenchman, Bernard Clermont’s cookery book, ‘The Professed Cook' first edition, 1755. (which in turn is a translation of Menon’s French work ‘Les Soupers de la Cour). George Dalrymple had been cook to Sir John Whitfoord and the book is dedicated to his wife. Sir John, the third baronet, lived in Whitefoord House in the Canongate in Edinburgh. Whitfoord is supposed to have been the original of Sir Arthur Wardour in Scott's 'Antiquary' and was one of the early partrons of Burns who celebrated him in verse and who made his daughter Maria [Cranstoun] the heroine of the 'Braes of Ballochmyle'. He was a very well-known figure in the Scottish capital and was depicted in Kay along with his cronies, Major Andrew Fraser and the Hon. Andrew Erskine (Edinburgh Portraits, 1877, no. cxcii). Thus it can be assumed that Dalrymple had cooked for the great and the good of mid-seventeenth century Edinburgh. This is a sole edition and uncommon in most cookery book collections. An interesting read also. Vicaire 244; Oxford p.113; Bitting p.114; Cagle 640; Maclean p.37; Lehmann p.141.
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
11036