The Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy
London, A Millar & Ors, 1763. A Lady [Glasse, Hannah]. The Art of Cookery Made Plain & Easy. (8th Ed) A Millar, J & R Tonson, W Strahan, T Caslon & Ors: London, 1763. 8vo (200x130mm) rebacked contemporary calf, [2],vi,[24],384,[24]pp. VG/- bds cnrs rubbed, printed signature to p1;
Second-hand hardcover
A LADY [GLASSE (née Allgood), Hannah (1708-1770)]
The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy; which far exceeds anything of the kind yet published. Containing, I. How to roast and boil to perfection every thing necessary to be sent up to table. II. Of made-dishes. III. How expensive a French cook's sauces is. IV. To make a number of pretty little dishes for a supper or side-dish, and little corner-dishes for a great table. V .To dress fish. VI. Of soops and broths. VII. Of puddings. VIII. Of pies. IX. For a Lent dinner; a number of good dishes, which you make make use of , at any other time. X. Directions to prepare proper food for the sick. XI. For Captains of Ships; how to make all useful things for a voyage; and setting out a table on board a ship. XII. Of hogs puddings, sausages, &c. XIII. To pot and make hams, &c. XIV. Of pickling. XV. Of making cakes &c. XVI. Of cheesecakes, creams, jellies, whip-syllabubs, &c. XVII. Of made wines, brewing French bread, muffins, &c. XVIII. Jarring cherries and preserves &c. XIX. To make anchovies, vermicella, catchup, vinegar, and to keep artichokes, French beans, &c. XX. Of distilling. XXI How to market; the seasons of the year for butchers, meat, poultry, fish, herbs, roots and fruit. XXII. A certain cure for the bite of a mad dog. By Dr Mead. XXIII. A receipt to keep clear from Buggs. To which are added, by way of appendix, one hundred and fifty new and useful receipts, and a copious index.
London : Printed for A. Millar, J. & R. Tonson, W. Strahan, T. Caslon, B Law, and A Hamilton, 1763. Eighth Edition. First published 1747.
Octavo (210x130mm) contemporary double gilt ruled, tan smooth calf boards, recently re-backed brown leather, five raised bands, six plain compartments, black spine label, new endpapers, [2],vi,[24],384,[24]pp : [A⁸], a⁸, B-Cc⁸ Dd⁴. Printed signature " H. Glasse" to p.1. Boards edges worn and rounded, some edge and shelf-wear; 1mm hole to titlepage not affecting the text; light even agetoning and moderate foxing, mostly to the margins, not affecting legibility; a few small signs of kitchen use; signatures Aa2 to Dd4 gutter margin lightly wormed, not affecting the text.
First published anonymously, in 1747, The Art of Cookery is perhaps best known for a phrase attributed to it, that it does not contain, "first catch your hare" although it does contain an excellent recipe for roast hare. Glasse's authorship, revealed in the fourth edition, was disputed until 1937. Enlarged and enhanced by Glasse up to the sixth edition, The Art of Cookery is noteworthy not only for very early recipes for ice-cream and curry, but also a marked emphasis on precision of cooking times and directions, and clarity and simplicity of language. It went on to become the most successful and popular cookery book of the later half of the Eighteenth century (at least twenty-one editions up to 1852); much admired, much pirated, and much plagiarised (although Glasse had also borrowed liberally from her predecessors).
In 1754, Glasse became bankrupt, owing more than £10,000. As part of the resolution of her bankruptcy, the copy[right] in her best selling book and the printed sheets of the fifth edition were sold to Andrew Millar and his 'conger' of bookseller partners. In 1758 Millar printed the 'copious index' (recording his copy in the Stationers Register) and the 6th edition 'for' Glasse. This eighth edition published in 1763 was the second to be published without Glasse's involvement. Glasse did go on to write two other cookery books about this time. Millar and his conger were responsible for ongoing editions of The Art of Cookery for the next fifty years.
An excellent solid, complete example of a significant, influential and popular Georgian cookery book.
§ Maclean, p59; Oxford p.77 in a note; Cagle 701; Pennell p.154; Vicaire 414; Wheaton & Kelly 2409.
Item #11025
Price: $1,400.00 AUD