1857 Cookbook----

[nitrofd]

I just realized that I didn't post any info on the book.

"The Practical Housekeeper;A Cyclopedia of Domestic Economy"..."Comprising Five Thousand Receipts and Maxims".
Edited by Elizabeth Fries Ellettsville
Published by Stringer and Townsend......New York.
The cookbook has 500 woodcut illustrations,plus a vocabulary,and also pictures of equipment with descriptions.

 

[donna]

Sounds like great old cookbook. A real keeper.

 

[nitrofd]

Sounds like great old cookbook. A real keeper.

I found this book at the Web site for Michigan State University.when you explore their collection you never know what you will find.they have a lot cookbooks dating back to 1800 up to about 1930.
They are all available for pdf download.

 

[nitrofd]

From the book he is their list of what every proper household of the Era should as silver service for their dinning room table.
Dishes and covers
Table knives and forks
Dessert knives and forks
Tablespoons
Dessert spoons
Gravy spoons
Soup ladles
Sauce ladles
Salt spoons with gilt bowls
FISH SLICE
Trays and waiters
Bread baskets
Cake baskets
Decanter stands
Decanter labels
Liqueur bottles and stands
Cruet frames
Egg frames
Asparagus frames
Cheese scoops
Knife rests
Nut crackers
Grape scissors
Tein urns
Coffee filters
Sugar basin
Cream ewes
Sugar tongs
Tea spoons
Toast racks
Butter coolers
Snuffed trays
Snuffed
Candlesticks
You have to wonder how big was the table to accommodate all these items.

 

[Schwallanscher]

I found this book at the Web site for Michigan State University.when you explore their collection you never know what you will find.they have a lot cookbooks dating back to 1800 up to about 1930.
They are all available for pdf download.

you got a link?

 

[nitrofd]

you got a link?

Here it is

digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/browse.html

 

[Schwallanscher]

Here it is

digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/browse.html

most appreciated

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

Here it is

digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/html/browse.html

Thanks my inner vintage foodie is very excited!!!

 

[nitrofd]

As I have posted before the first 158 pages of the book deal with how to operate a proper household of the time.there is even a section on napkins,which have to be fold in one of eight ways depending on the occasion,they even have illustrations on how to do this.there is a long chapter on servants which is very interesting.here is a quote:
"Housekeepers are mainly dependant on the Irish and German emigrants,who as a rule are utterly ignorant of household service,and have to be taught everything;often receiving wages for months before they begin to make themselves useful."
The next comes the servants needed for the women of the house,a ladies maid for each grown lady of the house,cook,upper housemaid,laundry maid,under housemaid,underlay dry maid,still room maid,kitchen maid,and scullion. (A scullion is a bottom end servant for menial tasks,chamberpot duty.)
Now the serb
Servants for the man of the house:
House steward,Groom of the chamber,valet for each gentleman of the house,man cook,butler,Gentleman's Footman,Ladies Footman,under butler,Gentleman's coachman,Lady's coachman,couriers,outriders,Grooms,in number according to the stud,under servants,errand boys,and Stewards boys.
It really amazes me that today how are we able to get by without having all this help.

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

As I have opted before the first 158 pages of the book deal with how to operate a proper household of the time.there is even a section on napkins,which have to be fold in one of eight ways depending on the occasion,they even have illustrations on how to do this.there is a long chapter on servants which is very interesting.here is a quote:
"Housekeepers are mainly dependent on the Irish and German emigrants,who as a rule are utterly go rant of household service,and have to be taught everything;often receiving wages for months before they begin to make themselves useful."
The next comes the servants needed for the women of the house,a ladies maid for each grown lady of the house,cook,upper housemaid,laundry maid,under housemaid,underlay dry maid,still room maid,kitchen maid,and scullion. (A scullion is a bottom end servant for menial tasks,chamberpot duty.)
Now the serb
Servants for the man of the house:
House steward,Groom of the chamber,valet for each gentleman of the house,man cook,butler,Gentleman's Footman,Ladies Footman,under butler,Gentleman's coachman,Lady's coachman,couriers,outriders,Grooms,in number according to the stud,under servants,errand boys,and Stewards boys.
It really amazes me that today how are we able to get by without having all this help.

How very Downton Abbey of the book! I will say even on Downton they eventually had to downgrade the amount of servants they kept. One wonders how wealthy one had to be afford all those servants. Even if you didn't house most of them yourself, it still had to cost a small fortune.

And truly, you're right @nitrofd how ever do we manage? I wouldn't mind a butler as they sound very handy!

Seriously though I think since everything was so time consuming, just think of laundry alone? Then add making everything from scratch with no running water hot/cold water to clean-up afterwards. Add in the cleaning with no vacuums and other modern cleaners its a small wonder it took almost a whole village to keep a big home running.

Interestingly enough for those who have seen Downton Abbey you get a very vivid picture as modern appliances and less fussy ways of dress make many of the household staff obsolete.

 

[Schwallanscher]

well, right after the 1st worldwar a relative of mine managed to lose a joiner-buisiness with 26 certified employees and a couple of apprentices to booze. that sounds a lot, but today with powertools you need 4 guys to do the same amount of work.

 

[Anna Elizabeth Henry]

It's so true, everything is automated today. I even feel like my occupation may not be relevant in 10-15 years given all the technology and outsourcing of jobs.

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

Thanks for the info!