The Experienced English Housekeeper, For the Use and Ease of Ladies, Housekeepers, Cooks, &c. Written purely from Practice, and dedicated to the Hon. Lady Elizabeth Warburton, Whom the Author lately served as Housekeeper: Consisting of near seveeral Hundred Original Receipts, most of which never appeared in print. Part I. Lemon Pickle, Browning for all Sorts of made Dishes, Soups, Fish, Plain Meat, Game, made Dishes, both hot and cold, Pyes, Puddings, &c. Part II. All Kinds of Confectionary, particularly the Gold and Silver Web for covering of Sweetmeats, and a Desert of Spun Sugar; with Directions to set out a Table in the most elegant Manner, and in the modern Taste; Floating Islands, Fish-Ponds, Transparent Puddings, Trifles, Whips, &c.

RAFFALD (Elizabeth)

Published by London: Published and sold by all the booksellrs and by T. Wilson and R. Spence. York, 1809

About this Item

8vo, 203 x 120 mms., pp. vii [vii Description of the Plate], 397 [398 blank], engraved portrait frontispiece, 3 folding engraved plates, contemporary sheepskin, neatly rebacked, new red morocco label and new end-papers. A very good copy. Mrs. Raffald first published this work in Manchester in 1769, and by the end of the 18th century at least another 29 editions had been published. The mention of the work in THe Monthly Review for 1769 is at least curious: "The Reviewers are sorry to own, but their regard to truth obliges them to it, but there are subjects with which, alas! they are too little acquainted to pretend to be judges of what the learned may publish cncerning them." The book, however, still commands attention in the 21st century: The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English noted in 1999 that Raffald distinguishes her work as purely from practice, unlike books of untried recipes copied from elsewhere, and that she apologises for "the plainness of the style" in her introductory letter. The Guide observes, however, that "this is the essence of her lasting appeal, and her clarity and economy with words find an echo in the work of Eliza Acton a century later." The cookery writer Sophie Grigson wrote in The Independent that her mother Jane made Raffald's Orange Custards "every year when the Seville orange season was in full swing, a treat to look forward to." In 2013, Raffald's former workplace, Arley Hall, brought some of her recipes including lamb pie, pea soup and rice pudding back to their tables. The general manager Steve Hamilton however said they would avoid Raffald's turtle and calf's foot pudding (Wikipedia). Seller Inventory # 8686

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Experienced English Housekeeper, For the...

Publisher: London: Published and sold by all the booksellrs and by T. Wilson and R. Spence. York

Publication Date: 1809