A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes

A PLAIN COOKERY BOOK FOR THE WORKING CLASSES - 1852 - INTRODUCTION - MY object in writing this little book is to show you how you may prepare and cook your daily food, so as to obtain from it the greatest amount of nourishment at the leash possible expense and thus, by skill and economy, add, at the same time, to your comfort and to y o u com arativelsyle nder means. The Recipes which it contains will afford su5cient variety, from the simple every-day fare to more tasty dishes for the birthday, Christmas-day, or other festive occasions. In order to carry out my instructions properly, a few utensils will be necessary. Industry, good health, and constant employment, have, in n anyin - sla ces, I trust, enabled those whom I now address to lay by a little suin of money. A porfiion of bhis will be well speut in the purchase of the following articles -A coolring-stove, with an oven at the side, or placed under the grate, which should be so plau ed as to admit of the fire bei g open or closed at will by this col trivance much heat and fuel are economized there should also be a boiler at the b lclr of the grate. By this means you would have hot water always ready at hand, the advantage of which is COE siderable. Such poor mens cooking-stoves exist, on a large scale, in all modern-built lodging-houseu. Also, a three-gallon iron pot with a lid to it, a one-gallon saucepan, a two-quart ditto, a frying-pan, a gridiron, and s strong tin baking-dish. Here is a list of the cost prices at which the above-named articles, as well as a few others equally necessary, may be obtained of all ironmongers -A cooking-stove, 2 ft. 6 in. wide, with oven only . . . . . Ditto, with oven and boiler . . A three-gallonoval boiling pot . . A one-gallon tin saucepan, and lid . A two-quart ditto . . . a A potato steamer . . . h oval frying-pan, from . . . A gridiron, from . . . . A copper for washing or brewing, twelve gallons . . . . A mash-tub, from . . . Two cooling-tubs or an old wine or beer cask cut in halves, would be cheaper, and answer the same pur pose, each 6s. . . . . To those of my readers who, from sickness or other hindrance, have not money in store, I would say, strive to lay by a little of your weekly wages to purchase these things, that your families may be well fed, and your homes made comfortable. And now a few words on baking your own bread. I assure you if you would adopt this excellent practice, you would not only effect a great saving in your expenditure, but you would also insure a more substantial and wholesome kind of food it would be free from potato, rice, bean or pea flour, and alum, all of which substances are objectionable in the composition of bread. The only utensil required for bread-making would be a tub, or trough, capable of working a bushel or two of flour. This tub would be usefulin brewing, for which you will find in this book plain and e a g directions. I have pointed out the necessity of procuring these articles for cooking purposes, and with the injunction to use great care in keeping them thoroughly clean, I wiil at once proceed to show you their value in a course of practical and economical cool ery, the soundness and plainness of which I sincerely hope you will all be enabled to test in your own homes. COOKERY BOOK, No. 1. BOILED BE EF. This is an economical dinner, especially where there are many mouths to feed...