An art, indeed, so ancient as that of Cookery could not fail to
gather to itself much of the practical wisdom of the ages during
which it has been followed ; and this at least is certain, that we
should not be alive to-day to read and write books about it had
not our ancestors known pretty well how to cook food for them-
selves and their children. We must be content, in these days, to
detect, if we can, the principles which lie at the bottom of the
ancient empirical art, and, by announcing these, to make Cookery
a science, the laws of which (comparatively few) may be taught
easily to all, whilst experience is left to teach how best to apply
them in practice. A perfect science of Cookery we shall not soon
see, but one sufficiently extended to be of the highest value is
already in our hands. We proceed to explain the laws which it
acknowledges.
Three great ends are served by the food which we eat — namely,
first, the growth of the body during early life ; secondly, the supply
of the waste of the body at all periods of life; and thirdly, the
maintenance of the warmth of the body throughout our entire ex-
istence. We do not take food because we are conscious that it will
serve those ends, but simply to allay the cravings of hunger and
thirst, and to gratify the senses of taste and smell. But our
natural appetites, if not perverted or over-indulged, are most cer-
tainly satisfied by those articles of food and drink which best serve
the ends referred to. Hence the art of Cookery is not reprehen-
sible for addressing itself mainly to the palate, however blamable
PHILOSOPHY OF COOKERY. XXvii
may have been its efforts to tempt to over-indulgence, and its suc-
cess in destroying the relish for simple fare. The epicure's motto,
"We live to eat," is one which science as much as morality dis-
owns. The cook's true motto is, "We eat to live;" and the fulfil-
ment of it lies in supplying the kind and amount of food which
shall best enable the eater to live an active, energetic manly or
womanly life.
In seeking to obey this precept, the question which first comes
before us is, "On what substances shall" the cook exercise his or
her art?" We are in the habit, in ordinary language, of referring
to certain bodies, such as sugar, butter, arrow-root, calf's-foot jelly,
as each of itself highly nutritious. But life could not be sustained
on any one of these, unless for a short time, and deliberate trials
in the case of the lower animals, as well as the undesired experi-
ences of the famine-stricken, have fully proved that disease and
death speedily follow restriction to a single edible substance, what-
ever it be.
And in entire conformity with this, we find that the simplest
fare, sufficient if taken alone to support life, which nature has
furnished to our hands, is after all very complex. A glance at
those simplest pattern-diets which nature supplies and sanctions,
and universal experience approves, will form the surest basis for a
rational Cookery.
Of the pattern-diets referred to, there are four specially deserv-
ing notice — namely, milk, flesh, eggs, and bread.
Page 4
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
An art, indeed, so ancient as that of Cookery could not fail to gather to itself much of the practical wisdom of the ages during which it has been followed ; and this at least is certain, that we should not be alive to-day to read and write books about it had not our ancestors known pretty well how to cook food for themselves and their children. We must be content, in these days, to detect, if we can, the principles which lie at the bottom of the ancient empirical art, and, by announcing these, to make Cookery a science, the laws of which (comparatively few) may be taught easily to all, whilst experience is left to teach how best to apply them in practice. A perfect science of Cookery we shall not soon see, but one sufficiently extended to be of the highest value is already in our hands. We proceed to explain the laws which it acknowledges.
Three great ends are served by the food which we eat — namely, first, the growth of the body during early life ; secondly, the supply of the waste of the body at all periods of life; and thirdly, the maintenance of the warmth of the body throughout our entire existence. We do not take food because we are conscious that it will serve those ends, but simply to allay the cravings of hunger and thirst, and to gratify the senses of taste and smell. But our natural appetites, if not perverted or over-indulged, are most certainly satisfied by those articles of food and drink which best serve the ends referred to. Hence the art of Cookery is not reprehensible for addressing itself mainly to the palate, however blamable
PHILOSOPHY OF COOKERY. XXvii
may have been its efforts to tempt to over-indulgence, and its success in destroying the relish for simple fare. The epicure's motto, "We live to eat," is one which science as much as morality disowns. The cook's true motto is, "We eat to live;" and the fulfilment of it lies in supplying the kind and amount of food which shall best enable the eater to live an active, energetic manly or womanly life.
In seeking to obey this precept, the question which first comes before us is, "On what substances shall" the cook exercise his or her art?" We are in the habit, in ordinary language, of referring to certain bodies, such as sugar, butter, arrow-root, calf's-foot jelly, as each of itself highly nutritious. But life could not be sustained on any one of these, unless for a short time, and deliberate trials in the case of the lower animals, as well as the undesired experiences of the famine-stricken, have fully proved that disease and death speedily follow restriction to a single edible substance, whatever it be.
And in entire conformity with this, we find that the simplest fare, sufficient if taken alone to support life, which nature has furnished to our hands, is after all very complex. A glance at those simplest pattern-diets which nature supplies and sanctions, and universal experience approves, will form the surest basis for a rational Cookery.
Of the pattern-diets referred to, there are four specially deserving notice — namely, milk, flesh, eggs, and bread.