Mrs Beetons illustrations

Isabella Mary Mayson born in pre Victorian Britain, 12th March 1836.

Arguably the most famous cookery writer Britain has ever had.

Isabella's most well known book was - Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. This mammoth volume contained over 1,100 pages and in excess of 900 recipes. The book was also illustrated with coloured engravings. Some of these colour illustrations can be seen on this lens.

Yet her book contained far more than just the mammoth collection of recipes. It contained chapters on such varied topics as daily duties in the home, looking after family health and legal matters in the home.

Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management 1909 opens with:
GUIDE TO COOKERY IN ALL BRANCHES

Daily Duties
Mistress & Servant
Hostess and Guest
Trussing & Carving
Menu Making
Home Doctor
Sick Nursing
The Nursery
Home Lawyer.

During the Victorian period, Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management contributed to the setting down of written rules of how households should organise domestic duties.

Coloured plate from Mrs Beetons Book of Household Management:

1. Pigeon Pie,
2. Raised Game Pie,
3. Cutlets and Peas,
4. Prawns en Bouquet,
5. Creme Chicken,
6. Plovers Eggs,
7. Lamb Cytlets,
8. Larks Farcie,
9. Piped Ham,
10. Boned Capon.

Mrs Beeton states:
"....those vegatable foods that are eaten with, and to some extent supply the deficiencies of, meat."

Mrs Beeton's recipe for Herb Pancakes:

Ingredients: Any green herbs, such as parsley, chives, thyme, spinach, etc., 2 ozs of butter, minced ham or bacon, stock, fried pancakes.

Method: Chop the herbs finely, then put them into a stewpan with the butter, and stew till tender.
Keep them moist, mix in the ham or bacon, put a thin layer of mince over each pancake, and roll them up.
Put the pancakes closely side by side in a stewpan, add just enough stock to keep them from burning, cover closely, and steam for 30 minutes.

Mrs Beeton states:
"When cooking over gas it is advisable to have a piece of sheet-iron to place over the gas burners when a very slow continuous application of heat is required, as in the making of caramels, ...."

Coloured plate from Mrs Beetons Book of Household Management:

1. Pancakes
2. Rice and Apple Cakes
3. Eclairs
4. Assorted Pastry
5. Rice Pudding
6. Stewed Fruits
7. Sugar Trifle
8. Pyramid Cream
9. Croquettes of Rice
10. Gateau St. Honore
11. Simmel Cake

Mrs Beeton states:"The taste and smell are the best indications of quality.... A good cheese has rounded edges and sides, and when a piece is rubbed between the fingers it should melt and feel smooth."

A selection of cheeses:
1. Gorgonzola,
2. Double Gloucester
3. Koboko
4. Parmesan
5. Dutch
6. Roquefort
7. Schabzieger
8. Dunragit
9. York Cream
10. Port du Salut
11. Cheddar
12. Pommel
13. Camembert
14. Mainzer
15. Cheshire
16. Stilton
17. Cream Bondon
18. Gruyere
19. Wiltshire Loaf
20. Cheddar Loaf

Coloured plate from Mrs Beetons Book of Household Management:
Apricots,
White Cherries,
Black Cherries,
White Currents,
Black Currents,
Melon,
Strawberries,
Rasperies,
Plums,
Greenages & Victoria Plums