Georgian Cookery

by Jennifer Stead

Big changes were underway in the Georgian kitchen caused by a general move off the land and into the towns, the rise of a wealthy middle-class and the rise of consumerism. This history of Georgian cookery looks at the shift towards more simple food and plain dishes, the acknowledgement of hygiene, the new markets opening up for kitchen equipment and tablewares, and the start of England's fascination with eating pudding, drinking tea and reading cookery books. Improvements in agriculture also led to changes in the availablity and quality of meat and produce, whilst technological advances brought new cooking utensils and better ovens to aid the cook. A series of recipes are given, adapted for the modern chef, including Whipped Syllabub, Beetroot Pancakes, Potato Pudding, Jugged Pigeons and Green Pea Soup.

96 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2003

Reviews

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was small, printed in glossy papers. There were plenty of pictures and illustrations. The content was divided into two sections. First, the recipes that divided further into two categories: all classes and tradesman and above. The second section was history. I found this part very interesting. The author explained about the culinary methods, the kitchen and what was inside, the tools used and its history and development. Also, she wrote about the eating habits and the ingredient of the meals. In short, this book was great, short but full of information.

[Jane Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice little book, and a useful introduction to the period. Just what I wanted - about half recipes, and half an overview of how cooking methods, serving methods, and ingredients changed throughout the period, and why. I'd have preferred the recipes to include the original text more often, but it makes up for this by giving really detailed instructions on how to prepare a cloth-wrapped pudding - not a procedure many of us are familiar with today. I'd have liked some notes on how vegetables of the period differed from modern varieties, too, but considering how much information has been packed into so little space (it's only 95 6" * 6" pages) I can't complain.