The Book of Household Management
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The Book of Household Management By Mrs. Isabella Beeton. Volume 1. Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2009 http://www.exclassics.com Public Domain THE BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT - 2 - MRS. ISABELLA BEETON CONTENTS Introduction to the Ex-Classics Edition............................................................................4 Bibliographic Note. .........................................................................................................6 Analytical Index..............................................................................................................8 Preface. .........................................................................................................................78 CHAPTER I.—The mistress..........................................................................................80 CHAPTER II.—The housekeeper..................................................................................99 CHAPTER III.—Arrangement and economy of the kitchen.........................................103 Explanation of French terms used in modern household cookery. .......................121 Soup, Broth and Bouillon. ..................................................................................126 The chemistry and economy of soup-making......................................................128 CHAPTER VI.—Soup recipes.....................................................................................132 Fruit and Vegetable Soups..................................................................................132 Stocks for all kinds of soups. ..............................................................................133 Meat, Poultry, and Game Soups..........................................................................164 Fish Soups..........................................................................................................180 CHAPTER VII—The natural history of fishes............................................................. 184 Fish as an article of human food. ........................................................................188 General Directions for Dressing Fish. .................................................................192 CHAPTER VIII.—Fish recipes. ..................................................................................194 Fish Carving.......................................................................................................259 CHAPTER IX.—General remarks on sauces, pickles, gravies, and forcemeats............ 262 CHAPTER X.—Sauce, pickles, gravy, and forcemeat recipes. ....................................264 CHAPTER XI.—Various modes of cooking meat. ......................................................341 CHAPTER XII.—General observations on quadrupeds. ..............................................352 CHAPTER XIII.—Beef recipes...................................................................................360 Beef carving. ......................................................................................................399 - 3 - THE BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT Introduction to the Ex-Classics Edition The Book of Household Management , by Mrs. Isabella Beeton, was published in 24 parts in 1859-1861, and then in book form in 1861. An immediate success, it has long been regarded as the quintessence of Victorian cookery. It has been published and republished in new editions which modified the original more and more; when the last edition appeared in the 1960's little if any trace of Mrs. Beeton's work was left. Far more than just a cookery book, it contains all that was needed for a newly- married woman to face keeping house with confidence—what kitchen equipment to buy, how to clean everything, what servants to have, what to look for in hiring them, how to raise children and cure their diseases, and much more. Throughout the book there are paragraphs describing all the plants and animals used for food, with illustrations of them in their natural habitat. But it is the 1800 or so recipes which are the glory of the book. These range from the delicious, such as Raised Pie of Poultry or Game [i.e. the traditional English game pie], or Truffles with Champagne , to the frankly unappetizing, such as Very Plain Bread Pudding , or Useful Soup for Benevolent Purposes (Cost, 1 1/2 d. per quart.) From the elaborate like Nesselrode Pudding to the very simple such as Box of Chocolates (Seasonable at any time). Some of her ingredients are now unfortunately unobtainable, such as larks and barberries, but there are many recipes which would still be easily prepared and to the taste of modern palates. Try them and see! Gems from Mrs. Beeton Of all those acquirements, which more particularly belong to the feminine character, there are none which take a higher rank, in our estimation, than such as enter into a knowledge of household duties. In private parties , a lady is not to refuse the invitation of a gentleman to dance, unless she be previously engaged. FROM THE GROSSNESS OF HIS FEEDING, the large amount of aliment he consumes, his gluttonous way of eating it, from his slothful habits, laziness, and indulgence in sleep, the pig is particularly liable to disease, and especially indigestion, heartburn, and affections of the skin. Cheese, in its commonest shape, is only fit for sedentary people as an after- dinner stimulant, and in very small quantity. Bread and cheese, as a meal, is only fit for soldiers on march or labourers in the open air, who like it because it "holds the stomach a long time." - 4 - MRS. ISABELLA BEETON The shepherds of Egypt had a singular manner of cooking eggs without the aid of fire. They placed them in a sling, which they turned so rapidly that the friction of the air heated them to the exact point required for use. Independently of its invigorating influence on the constitution, porter exerts a marked and specific effect on the secretion of milk; more powerful in exciting an abundant supply of that fluid than any other article within the range of the physician's art; and, in cases of deficient quantity, is the most certain, speedy, and the healthiest means that can be employed to insure a quick and abundant flow. The quantity to be taken . should vary from one to two pints a day, never taking less than half a pint at a time, which should be repeated three or four times a day. Essence of Lemon will remove grease, but will make a spot itself in a few days. - 5 - THE BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT Bibliographic Note. The Book of Household Management by Mrs. Isabella Beeton was first published in 24 monthly parts 1859-61 and as a bound edition later in 1861. Isabella Beeton died in childbirth in 1865 at the age of 28. Sam Beeton, Isabella's husband, himself ill, wrung with grief, and in financial trouble, had to sell the copyright in 1867. A second edition, with some input from Sam, was published in 1869. There have been a great many subsequent editions, departing more and more from the original. This Ex-classics edition is from the first edition. The text has been taken from the University of Adelaide E-text prepared by Steve Thomas. All praise to them for making their version freely available. The illustrations are from a facsimile of the first edition published by Jonathan Cape in 1968. - 6 - MRS. ISABELLA BEETON - 7 - THE BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT Analytical Index. NOTE. Where a p. occurs before the number for reference, the page, and not the paragraph, is to be sought. NOTE to the Ex-Classics edition: the paragraphs are in the volumes as follows: V1: 1-677 V2: 678-1384 V3: 1385-2751 Accidents, injuries, &c. remarks on 2578 Agreements 2705 Alexanders 1108 Alkalis 2654 Allium, the genus 1129 Allspice 438 Almond, the 1219 ● Bitter 1220 ● Cake 1752 ● Cheesecakes 1219 ● Flowers 1316 ● Icing for cakes 1735 ● Paste, for second-course dishes 1220 ● Pudding, baked 1221 ● Puddings, small 1222 ● Puffs 1223 ● Soup 110 ● Tree 110, 1487 ● Uses of the Sweet 1221 Almonds, and raisins 1605 ● Husks of 1222 Anchovy, the 226 ● Butter 1637 ● Butter or paste 227 ● Paste 228 ● Sauce 362 ● Toast 228 Anchovies, fried 226 ● Potted 227 Animals, period between birth and maturity 92 ● Quality of the flesh of 93 ● Saxon names of 709 ● Tails of 640 ● Tongues of 675 Apoplexy 2634 Apple, the 111 ● Charlotte 1420 - 8 - MRS. ISABELLA BEETON ● Charlotte aux pommes 1418 ● an easy method of making 1419 ● Cheesecakes 1226 ● Constituents of the 1229 ● Custard, baked 1389 ● Dumplings, baked 1225 ● boiled 1227 ● Fritters 1393 ● Ginger 1424, 1516 ● Jam 1517 ● Jelly 1518 ● clear 1396 ● or marmalade 1395 ● Pudding, baked, rich 1228 ● more economical 1229 ● very good 1231 ● boiled 1232 ● iced 1290 ● rich, sweet 1230 ● Sauce, brown 364 ● for geese or pork 363 ● Snow 1401 ● Snowballs 1235 ● Soufflé 1402 ● Soup 111 ● Tart, creamed 1234 ● or pie 1233 ● Tourte or cake 1236 ● Trifle 1404 ● Universally popular 1236 ● Uses of the 1225 Apples, à la Portugaise 1398 ● And rice 1400 ● a pretty dish 1397 ● Buttered 1390 ● Compote of 1515 ● Dish of 1603 ● Flanc of 1391 ● Ginger 1424 ● Ices 1394 ● In red jelly 1399 ● Stewed, and custard 1403 ● To preserve in quarters (imitation of ginger) 1520 Apprentices 2724 Apricot, cream 1405 ● Jam or marmalade 1522 ● Pudding 1238 ● Qualities of the 1239 ● Tart 1239 Apricots, compote of 1521 - 9 - THE BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT ● Flanc of 1406 Arrowroot, biscuits, or drops 1738 ● Blancmange 1407 Arrowroot, Manufacture of 387, 1240 ● Pudding, baked or boiled 1240 ● Sauce for puddings 1356 ● To make 1855 ● What Miss Nightingale