THE LADY's COMPLETE GUIDE;
or, COOKERY IN ALL ITS BRANCHES CONTAINING The most approved Receipts, confirmed by Observation and Practice, in every reputable English Book of Cookery now extant; besides a great Variety of others which have never before been offered to the Public. Also several translated from the productions of Cooks of Eminence who have published in France, particularly the Duke de Nivernois's, M. Commo's Historie de Cuisine, M. Di-sang's Maitre d' Hotel, M. Valois, and M. Delatour, with their respective Names to each Receipt; which, with the ORIGINAL ARTICLES, form the most complete System of Cookery ever yet exhibited, under the following Heads, viz. ROASTING, SOUPS, TARTS, BOILING, SAUCES, PIES, MADE -DISHES, GRAVIES, PASTIES, FRYING, HASHES, CHEESECAKES. BROILING, STEWS, JELLIES, POTTING, PUDDINGS, PICKLING, FRICASSEES , CUSTARDS, PRESERVING, RAGOUTS, CAKES, CONFECTIONARY, &c. To which is added, in order to render it as complete and perfect as possible, A LIST OF EVERY THING IN SEASON, SEVERAL OF FARE, AND AN ELEGANT COLLECTION OF LIGHT DISHES FOR SUPPER. ALSO THE COMPLETE BREWER; CONTAING Familiar Instructions for brewing all Sorts of Beer and Ale; including the proper Management of the Vault or Cellar. LIKEWISE THE FAMILY PHYSICIAN; Consisting of a considerable Collection of approval Prescriptions by Mead, Sydenham, Tissot, Fothergill, Elliot, Buchan, and Other. (two full length double lines) BY MRS. MARY COLE, Cook to the Right Hon. The Earl of Drogheda. (two full length double lines) LONDON: PRINTED FOR G. KEARSLEY, NO. 46, FLEET-STREET. 1791.
8vo. 204 x 137mm. 1fep. Half-title. [1] Title page. [1] v-viii Preface. (1)x-xiv Cook & Housewife's Calendar. (1)xvi-xx Proper Articles to cover the Table every Month. xxi-xxii Family Suppers. xxiii-xxiv Specimen of a House-keeping Books. xxv-xxxii Marketing Tables. xxxiii-Iii Contents. (1)2 - 440. 441 - 460 Index. 1fep. Full dark brown calf. Original spine with faded gilt tooling and red label. The text block very clean except for the half-title and last page which are quite dusty. Overall a nice copy.
- In Petits Propos Culinaires; booklet # 43, there is a well-written and informative article by Fiona Lucraft on recipe plagiarism of cookery books. Aimed primarily at John Farley the Head Chef of the London Tavern and 18th century author of the well-known cookery book titled; 'The London Art of Cookery' (see on this site for the 1st edition of 1783: item #11035). The extensively researched plagiarism highlights the other key authors whose recipes Farley copied. This article throws by default, Mary Cole's well documented declaration of the source of the recipes she used or copied in her own cookery book, claiming full credit in her preface for this new and transparent innovation. Lucraft in her PPC notes, surmises at the end of her article that Cole herself also bears scrutiny. She found after researching the Cole recipes where no source is declared, that they came from Farley. She further cites Jilly Lehman in her French Thesis on 18th century cookery books, whereby Lehman informs that William Verral, Clermont and Dalrymple are also sources not credited for their recipes by Mary Cole. Another puzzling note brought to our attention by Virginia Maclean in her STC of Cookery Books: 1701-1800, is the fact that Cole cites six French authors on her title-page and three others in her preface. Nine in total. Only one, 'Clermont', can be identified. Maclean further queries of the other eight, whether they had cookery books of which no other trace has survived. Maclean ventures an alternative hypothesis. That Cole adds those French names to make fun of those English cookery book authors who parade foreign names on their title pages. Either scenario involves modifying previous good impressions of Cole and her cookery book. Never the less her book is not only cookery recipes, but gives comprehensive medical and brewing information. Axford p244. Bitting, 94. Cagle 623. Maclean, page 29. Oxford, p117-119. Simon BG 363.
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Antiquarian category
ref number:
11302