Practical Cookery

Judging by the above photo you can tell this cookbook has been around. The Practical Cookery: A Collection of Reliable Recipes complied by Amy Atkinson and Grace Holroyd With An Introduction on Cookery by Gas; Nutt & Co Ltd, Leeds. pp. 214; ii-vii index. This book doesn't mention any other additions nor does it supply a date of publication. Research shows that this cookbook could pre date 1911. From what I see I might place it anywhere from 1903 to 1930. The first gas stove came about in the 1820's. Most of them being one offs, trial and error. James Sharp was the first person to patent the gas stove in 1826 and opened a gas stove factory by 1836. In 1851 at London's World Fair a gas stove was on display but it wasn't until 1880 that the gas stove became more mainstream. More trial and error and by 1910 the first enamel gas stove made it's debut, for better fit and easier cleaning in the kitchen. It was Swedish Nobel Prize winner Gustaf Dalén in 1922 that invented the highly acclaimed AGA cooker. Without getting too carried away we can suppose the rest is history...

This cookbook is a small addition to my collection and is interesting. It covers many recipes. Some that are used today and some... well.. that are possibly not being used so much. The recipes tend to list the ingredients and give a description on how to prepare and cook each dish. If you do want to cook or bake from this book you are relying heavily on the descriptions to guide you. There is no temperature or stove top setting to help you. Measurements are in ounces or pints. So you have to know your conversions and kitchen know how to figure it out for yourself. Which can make it fun or disastrous. I made the Scotch Pancakes or Drop Scones one morning for breakfast and they turned out delicious.

The book is divided into many sections from meat to vegetables, breakfast dishes, cakes to tarts, sweet sauces to jam/fruit jellies, egg to cheese dishes and on page 188 is a section called and I quote: "Invalid Cookery: Hints on Serving Food for Invalids." Those recipes include more than one recipes for Gruel, Raw Beef Tea, Mutton Tea, Arrowroot Pudding and Port Wine Lozenges. Just reading that makes me hope I will never be sick and have to endure such antidotes... except for the Port Wine Lozenges *wink*. Enjoy your weekend! -jw