Crawford, Miss E

French Cookery... for English Families

London, Richard Bentley, 1853.
Second-hand hardcover

Crawford, Miss E. French Cookery adapted for English Families. [FIRST EDITION] Richard Bentley: London, 1853. 8vo (180x105mm) green blindstamped cloth bds, gilt dec spine, untrimmed xxviii,209,[3]pp. Faintly sunned & soiled; owner name to ffep

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CRAWFORD, Miss E. [ Eliza Frances (Mrs Green)¹]

French Cookery adapted for English Families.

London : Richard Bentley, New Burlington St 1853. First edition. Printed by Schulze & Co, London. Bound y Remnant & Edmonds, London. Price 2/6.

Octavo (180x105mm) publisher's original green blind-stamped and ruled 'wavy' grain cloth boards, decorated spine with title and vignettes of fish, game and a pig's head in gilt; untrimmed, yellow endpapers, xxviii,209,[3]pp : [a]8, b6, B-O8, P2.  Boards faintly sunned & soiled; front hinge started but firm, contemporary owner's name to the front free endpaper "Miss Jennings, Sept 8th, 1853 Boulogne sur Mer"; a few instances of faint foxing.

In the preface, the author aims to "[make] every rule as plain and simple as it was possible"  so as to be useful to "both the rich and the more humble".  There are almost 550 recipes well organised in 29 chapters.  The chapters on sauces, jus, beignets and the last six chapters on drinks, preserves and liqueurs are particularly interesting.  The recipes are broadly traditional cuisine bourgoise.  Each recipe is named in French.  Quantities, times and measurements are not given.

"This is not a book merely for gastronomic epicures.  Plain English families will find many useful and agreeable additions to the ordinary routine of cookery ~ Literary Gazette."²

In 1853, Crawford also wrote French Confectionary adapted for English Families, also published by Richard Bentley. Both volumes were sold separately, but also bound together in one volume. and sold for 3/6.  Neither book discloses much about the author or where she learnt to cook.

Scarce.  An excellent copy.
§  OCLC records only one physical holding, Harvard; and four holdings described as a second edition, also 1853.  Cagle notes two copies BMC and NUC.
§  Cagle 638; Axford p.171; Bitting p.105; Oxford, p.182, see appendix note.

¹  Cagle gives the author's name as Frances, and the Harvard copy has a pencil notation, noting the same.  In French Confectionary, the author signs the preface 'Frances'. In Alison Ingram's Index to the Archives of Richard Bentley & Son 1829-1898,  p.41 the author is noted as Miss Eliza Frances (Mrs Green) Crawford.
²  Advertisement in the London Morning Herald, Monday 13 November 1854, p.8

Item #10837

Price: $700.00 AUD