After three prefaces in the fourth edition
before me (8vo, 1829) we arrive at a heading,
“ Institution of the Cleikum Club,” which
narrates how Peregrine Touchwood, Esquire,
sought to cure his ennui and hypochondria by
studying Apician mysteries ; and it concludes
with the syllabus of a series of thirteen
lectures on cookery, which were to be de-
livered by the said Esquire. One then
enters on the undertaking itself, which can
be readily distinguished from an ordinary
manual by a certain literary tone, which cer-
tainly betrays a little the hand or influence
of Scott.
But though the present is a Scottish pro-
duction, there is no narrow specialism in its
scheme. The title-page gives a London pub-
lisher as well as an Anglo-Athenian one, and
Mrs. Johnstone benevolently adapted her
Cookery Books. 1 69
labours to her countrywomen and the un-
worthier Southrons alike.
I imagine, however, that of all the latter-
day master-cooks, Alexis Soyer is most re-
membered. His “ Gastronomic Regenera-
tor,” a large and handsome octavo volume
of between 700 and 800 pages, published
in 1846, lies before me It has portraits
of the compiler and his wife, and many
other illustrations, and is dedicated to a
Royal Duke. It was produced under the
most influential patronage and pressure,
for Soyer was overwhelmed with engage-
ments, and had scruples against appear-
ance in print. He tells us that in some
library, to which he gained access, he once
found among the works of Shakespeare and
other chefs in a different department, a volume
with the words “ Nineteenth Edition ” upon
it, and when he opened it, he saw to his
great horror “ A receipt for Ox-tail Soup !”
Why this revelation exercised such a terrify-
ing effect he proceeds to explain. It was
the incongruity of a cookery book in the
temple of the Muses. But nevertheless,
170
Cookery Books.
such is the frailty of our nature, that he
gradually, on regaining his composure, and
at such leisure intervals as he could com-
mand, prepared the “ Gastronomic Regene-
rator,” in which he eschewed all superfluous
ornaments of diction, and studied a simplicity
of style germane to the subject ; perchance he
had looked into Kitchener's Preface. He lets
us know that he had made collections of the
same kind at an earlier period of his career,
but had destroyed them, partly owing to his
arduous duties at the Reform Club, and
partly to the depressing influence of the
nineteenth edition of somebody else’s cook-
ery book — probably, by the way, Ude’s.
The present work occupied some ten months,
and was prepared amid the most stupendous
interruptions from fair visitors to the Club
(15,000), dinners for the members and their
friends (25,000), dinner parties of importance
(38), and the meals for the staff (60). He
gives a total of 70,000 dishes ; but it is not
entirely clear whether these refer to the 38
dinner parties of importance, or to the 25,000
of inferior note, or to both. The feeling of
Cookery Books. 1 7 1
dismay at the nineteenth edition of some-
body must have been sincere, for he winds
up his preface with an adjuration to his
readers (whom, in the “ Directions for Carv-
ing,” he does not style Gentle, or Learned,
or Worshipful, but Honourable) not to
place his labours on the same shelf with
“ Paradise Lost.”
Page 54
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
After three prefaces in the fourth edition before me (8vo, 1829) we arrive at a heading, “ Institution of the Cleikum Club,” which narrates how Peregrine Touchwood, Esquire, sought to cure his ennui and hypochondria by studying Apician mysteries ; and it concludes with the syllabus of a series of thirteen lectures on cookery, which were to be delivered by the said Esquire. One then enters on the undertaking itself, which can be readily distinguished from an ordinary manual by a certain literary tone, which certainly betrays a little the hand or influence of Scott.
But though the present is a Scottish production, there is no narrow specialism in its scheme. The title-page gives a London publisher as well as an Anglo-Athenian one, and Mrs. Johnstone benevolently adapted her
Cookery Books. 1 69
labours to her countrywomen and the unworthier Southrons alike.
I imagine, however, that of all the latterday master-cooks, Alexis Soyer is most remembered. His “ Gastronomic Regenerator,” a large and handsome octavo volume of between 700 and 800 pages, published in 1846, lies before me It has portraits of the compiler and his wife, and many other illustrations, and is dedicated to a Royal Duke. It was produced under the most influential patronage and pressure, for Soyer was overwhelmed with engagements, and had scruples against appearance in print. He tells us that in some library, to which he gained access, he once found among the works of Shakespeare and other chefs in a different department, a volume with the words “ Nineteenth Edition ” upon it, and when he opened it, he saw to his great horror “ A receipt for Ox-tail Soup !” Why this revelation exercised such a terrifying effect he proceeds to explain. It was the incongruity of a cookery book in the temple of the Muses. But nevertheless,
Cookery Books.
such is the frailty of our nature, that he gradually, on regaining his composure, and at such leisure intervals as he could command, prepared the “ Gastronomic Regenerator,” in which he eschewed all superfluous ornaments of diction, and studied a simplicity of style germane to the subject ; perchance he had looked into Kitchener's Preface. He lets us know that he had made collections of the same kind at an earlier period of his career, but had destroyed them, partly owing to his arduous duties at the Reform Club, and partly to the depressing influence of the nineteenth edition of somebody else’s cookery book — probably, by the way, Ude’s. The present work occupied some ten months, and was prepared amid the most stupendous interruptions from fair visitors to the Club (15,000), dinners for the members and their friends (25,000), dinner parties of importance (38), and the meals for the staff (60). He gives a total of 70,000 dishes ; but it is not entirely clear whether these refer to the 38 dinner parties of importance, or to the 25,000 of inferior note, or to both. The feeling of
Cookery Books. 1 7 1
dismay at the nineteenth edition of somebody must have been sincere, for he winds up his preface with an adjuration to his readers (whom, in the “ Directions for Carving,” he does not style Gentle, or Learned, or Worshipful, but Honourable) not to place his labours on the same shelf with “ Paradise Lost.”