The potato, however, he praises as nutri-
tious and pleasant to the taste, yet, as Gerarde
the herbalist also says, flatulent. Venner
refers to a mode of sopping them in wine as
existing in his time. They were sometimes
roasted in the embers, and there were other
ways of dressing them. John Forster, of
Hanlop, in Bucks, wrote a pamphlet in 1664
to shew that the more extended cultivation
of this root would be a great national benefit.
Venner, who practised in the spring and
autumn at Bath as a physician, had no relish
for the poorer classes, who did not fare well
at the hands of their superiors in any sense
in the excellent old days. But he liked the
Quality, in which he embraced the Universi-
ties, and he tenders them, among other little
hints, the information that green ginger was
good for the memory, and conserve of roses
(not the salad of roses immortalised by
Apuleius) was a capital posset against bed-
time. “ A conserve of rosemary and sage,”
66
Cookery Books.
says he, “ to be often used by students, espe-
cially mornings fasting, doth greatly delight
the brain.”
The military ascendency of Spain did not
fail to influence the culinary civilisation of
those countries to which it temporarily ex-
tended its rule ; and in a Venetian work en-
titled “ Epulario, or the Italian Banquet,”
printed in 1549, we recognise the Spanish tone
which had in the sixteenth century communi-
cated itself to the cookery of the Peninsula,
shewing that Charles V. and his son carried
at least one art with them as an indemnity for
the havoc which they committed.
The nursery rhyme of “Sing a song of
sixpence” receives a singular and diverting
illustration from the pages of this “ Epulario,”
where occurs a receipt “to make Pies that
the Birds may be alive in them, and fly out
when it is cut up.” Some of the other more
salient heads relate to the mode of dressing
sundry dishes in the Roman and Catalonian
fashion, and teach us how to seethe gourds,
as they did in Spain, and to make mustard
after the manner of Padua.
Cookery Books .
67
I propose here to register certain contri-
butions to our acquaintance with early culinary
ideas and practices, which I have not speci-
fically described : —
r. The Book of Carving. W. de Worde.
qto, 1 508, 1 5 1 3. Reprinted down to 1 6 1 3.
2. A Proper New Book of Cookery. i2mo,
1546. Often reprinted. It is a recen-
sion of the “Book of Cookery,” 1500.
3. The Treasury of Commodious Conceits
and Hidden Secrets. By John Part-
ridge. 121110,1580,1586; andunderthe
title of “Treasury of Hidden Secrets,”
4to, 1596, 1600, 1637, 1653.
4. A Book of Cookery. Gathered by A. W.
i2mo, 1584, 1591, etc.
5. The Good Housewife’s Jewel. By
Thomas Dawson. In two Parts, 12 mo,
1585. A copy of Part 2 of this date is
in the British Museum.
6. The Good Housewife’s Treasury. 121110,
1588.
7. Cookery for all manner of Dutch Vic-
tual. Licensed in 1590, but not other-
wise known.
68
Cookery Books ,
8. The Good Housewife’s Handmaid for
the Kitchen. 8vo, 1594.
9. The Ladies’ Practice ; or, a plain and
easy direction for ladies and gentle-
women. By John Murrell. Licensed in
1617. Printed in 1621, and with addi-
tions in 1638, 1641, and 1650.
ro. A Book of Cookery. By George Crewe.
Licensed in 1623, but not known.
11. A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen.
i2mo, 1630.
12. The Ladies’ Cabinet Opened. By Pat-
rick, Lord Ruthven. 4to, 1639; 8ve,
*655-
Page 21
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The potato, however, he praises as nutritious and pleasant to the taste, yet, as Gerarde the herbalist also says, flatulent. Venner refers to a mode of sopping them in wine as existing in his time. They were sometimes roasted in the embers, and there were other ways of dressing them. John Forster, of Hanlop, in Bucks, wrote a pamphlet in 1664 to shew that the more extended cultivation of this root would be a great national benefit.
Venner, who practised in the spring and autumn at Bath as a physician, had no relish for the poorer classes, who did not fare well at the hands of their superiors in any sense in the excellent old days. But he liked the Quality, in which he embraced the Universities, and he tenders them, among other little hints, the information that green ginger was good for the memory, and conserve of roses (not the salad of roses immortalised by Apuleius) was a capital posset against bedtime. “ A conserve of rosemary and sage,”
Cookery Books.
says he, “ to be often used by students, especially mornings fasting, doth greatly delight the brain.”
The military ascendency of Spain did not fail to influence the culinary civilisation of those countries to which it temporarily extended its rule ; and in a Venetian work entitled “ Epulario, or the Italian Banquet,” printed in 1549, we recognise the Spanish tone which had in the sixteenth century communicated itself to the cookery of the Peninsula, shewing that Charles V. and his son carried at least one art with them as an indemnity for the havoc which they committed.
The nursery rhyme of “Sing a song of sixpence” receives a singular and diverting illustration from the pages of this “ Epulario,” where occurs a receipt “to make Pies that the Birds may be alive in them, and fly out when it is cut up.” Some of the other more salient heads relate to the mode of dressing sundry dishes in the Roman and Catalonian fashion, and teach us how to seethe gourds, as they did in Spain, and to make mustard after the manner of Padua.
Cookery Books .
I propose here to register certain contributions to our acquaintance with early culinary ideas and practices, which I have not specifically described : —
r. The Book of Carving. W. de Worde. qto, 1 508, 1 5 1 3. Reprinted down to 1 6 1 3.
2. A Proper New Book of Cookery. i2mo, 1546. Often reprinted. It is a recension of the “Book of Cookery,” 1500.
3. The Treasury of Commodious Conceits and Hidden Secrets. By John Partridge. 121110,1580,1586; andunderthe title of “Treasury of Hidden Secrets,” 4to, 1596, 1600, 1637, 1653.
4. A Book of Cookery. Gathered by A. W. i2mo, 1584, 1591, etc.
5. The Good Housewife’s Jewel. By Thomas Dawson. In two Parts, 12 mo, 1585. A copy of Part 2 of this date is in the British Museum.
6. The Good Housewife’s Treasury. 121110,
7. Cookery for all manner of Dutch Victual. Licensed in 1590, but not otherwise known.
Cookery Books ,
8. The Good Housewife’s Handmaid for the Kitchen. 8vo, 1594.
9. The Ladies’ Practice ; or, a plain and easy direction for ladies and gentlewomen. By John Murrell. Licensed in 1617. Printed in 1621, and with additions in 1638, 1641, and 1650.
ro. A Book of Cookery. By George Crewe. Licensed in 1623, but not known.
11. A Closet for Ladies and Gentlewomen. i2mo, 1630.
12. The Ladies’ Cabinet Opened. By Patrick, Lord Ruthven. 4to, 1639; 8ve,
*655-