Century of British Cooking

by Marguerite Patten

This book is Grub Street’s lead cookery title for 1999 and is a major publishing event since Marguerite Patten is one of Britain's best known and loved cookery writers and often described as England’s Cookery Queen.

The book is published to accompany a 10 part Radio 4 series which Marguerite has recorded and which starts broadcasting in the same month as publication. Each chapter of the book will cover one decade of the century giving both history and recipes. The entire book is illustrated throughout in color and black and white.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, History

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 1999

About the author

Hilda Marguerite Patten was a home econonomist, food writer and broadcaster.
Marguerite Patten fresh from the Ministry of Food during World War II represented post-war austerity cookery books; many selling in huge quantities and produced in colour by Paul Hamlyn. She was one of the early TV cooks to have her own programme.

She was awarded an OBE in 1991.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075jp1

Description: This book is Grub Street's lead cookery title for 1999 and is a major publishing event since Marguerite Patten is one of Britain's best known and loved cookery writers and often described as England's Cookery Queen. The book is published to accompany a 10 part Radio 4 series which Marguerite has recorded and which starts broadcasting in the same month as publication. Each chapter of the book will cover one decade of the century giving both history and recipes. The entire book is illustrated throughout in color and black and white.

Marguerite Patten OBE has written over 160 cookery books, sales of which amount to over 16 million worldwide. Her long and distinguished career, which began before the war, has included regular appearances on radio and television, live and televised cookery demonstrations, lectures as well as extensive journalism and authorship of books and cookery cards. She pioneered easy-to-follow recipes with her classic All Colour Cookery Book and has documented most aspects of British Cooking. This new book pulls together her life's work and is truly an important work of culinary history.

1. The End of an Era: 1900-1909: Kedgeree, Devilled Kidneys, Stuffed Mutton, Lamb Cutlets Reform, Peach Melba and Victoria Sponge. Food guru Marguerite Patten demonstrates classic recipes from the first decade of the 20th Century in her 10-part history of British cooking.

2. From Champagne to Rationing 1910-1919: Oyster soup, oyster cremeskies, braised pheasant, champagne sorbet, sweet souffle, scotch woodcock, summer lentil soup and nut rissoles. Food guru Marguerite Patten mingles menu of the 1910s with memories of historic events - the sinking of the Titanic, servants' wages, the Epsom Derby and life in First World War trenches.

3. Flappers, Puddings and Dumplings 1920-1929: Bacon and egg pie, stewed eels, eel meuniere, chicken and veal pie, Lancashire hotpot, dumplings, quail pudding and steamed pudding.

4: Hard Times and Omelettes, 1930-1939: Perfect Roast Chicken, Cod's Roe and Bacon, Mock Fish Cakes, Poached Salmon, Coconut Pyramids and an Omelette en Surprise. Marguerite Patten mingles recipes of the 1930s with memories of the abdication of Edward VIII, the Graf Zeppelin and the Depression - in her 10-part history of British cooking.

5: Trench Cookers and Borsch, 1940-1949: Marguerite Patten mingles recipes of the 1940s with memories of the Blitz, pressure cookers, trench cookers, digging for victory, the formation of the NHS and some of her own early broadcasts.

6. Post War Pleasures 1950-1959: Scampi, Cock-a-Leekie Soup, Hamburgers, Tourneos Rossini, Steak Diane, Quiche Lorraine, Lemon Meringue Pie and Crepes Suzette. Marguerite Patten mingles recipes of the 1950s with memories of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth, the Festival of Britain and the end of rationing - in her 10-part history of British cooking.

7. Eating Abroad - 1960 to 1969: Escargot, prawn cocktail, cheese fondue, coq au vin, shish kebab, yam and potato bake, pasta, paella and choux pastry: recipes of the 1960s with memories of the first heart transplant, the first man on the moon, the Beatles, flower power, the rise of the supermarket - and Alfred Hitchcock's macabre sense of humour.

8. Curries and Nut Roasts 1970-1979: Vichyssoise, Avocados, Beef Stroganoff, Sweet and Sour Pork Nut Roast, Chili Con Carne, Chicken Korma, Caramelised Oranges and Carrot Cake. Marguerite Patten mingles diverse recipes of the 1970s with memories of decimalisation, the three-day week, the Silver Jubilee, the election of Margaret Thatcher and the arrival of the first jumbo jet

9. From Taramasalata to Tiramisu - 1980 to 1989: Taramasalata, Mayonnaise, Moules Mariniere, Beef Wellington, Venison, Pizza, Tiramisu, Banoffee Pie and Creme Brulee.

Marguerite Patten mingles diverse recipes of the 1980s with memories of the Royal Wedding for Charles and Diana, the Falklands Conflict, the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Great Storm of 1987.

10: Pesto With Chips - 1990 to 1999: Hummus, couscous, polenta, prawns in lime and coconut, Thai curries, pesto, pork satay, tempura, passion fruit and kiwi sorbet and pistachio and pineapple ice cream.

Marguerite Patten mingles diverse recipes of the 1990s with memories of the Queen's "annus horribilis", Margaret Thatcher stepping down as Prime Minister, the freeing of Nelson Mandela, the opening of the Channel Tunnel, the handing back of Hong Kong to China and Labour elected to power with their biggest majority ever.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

From BBC Radio 4 EXtra:
Kedgeree, Devilled Kidneys, Stuffed Mutton, Lamb Cutlets Reform, Peach Melba and Victoria Sponge. Food guru Marguerite Patten demonstrates classic recipes from the first decade of the 20th Century in her 10-part history of British cooking.

Marguerite told us how to make the most of our rations during the Second World War in 'Kitchen Front' on the BBC Home Service. She fronted her first BBC TV cookery show in 1947.

1/10: The End of an Era: 1900-1909
Kedgeree, Devilled Kidneys, Stuffed Mutton, Lamb Cutlets Reform, Peach Melba and Victoria Sponge.

2/10: From Champagne to Rationing 1910-1919
Oyster soup, oyster cremeskies, braised pheasant, champagne sorbet, sweet souffle, scotch woodcock, summer lentil soup and nut rissoles. Food guru Marguerite Patten mingles menu of the 1910s with memories of historic events - the sinking of the Titanic, servants' wages, the Epsom Derby and life in First World War trenches.

3/10: Flappers, Puddings and Dumplings 1920-1929
Bacon and egg pie, stewed eels, eel meuniere, chicken and veal pie, Lancashire hotpot, dumplings, quail pudding and steamed pudding.

4/10: Hard Times and Omelettes, 1930-1939
Perfect Roast Chicken, Cod's Roe and Bacon, Mock Fish Cakes, Poached Salmon, Coconut Pyramids and an Omelette en Surprise.

5/10: Trench Cookers and Borsch, 1940-1949
Borsch, Corned Beef Loaf, Jugged Hare, Crumble, Pickled Red Cabbage and Christmas Pudding.

Born in Bath, the home economist was widely considered to be the first celebrity cook, and wrote more than 170 books with worldwide sales of 17 million.

A regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme from 1946, Marguerite's final appearance was in 2011. She was awarded the OBE in 1991 and CBE in 2011.

Born November 4th 1915, Marguerite Patten died just a few months short of her 100th birthday in June 2015.

Producer: Ian Willox.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1999.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0075jp1

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for the historical anecdotes and understanding recipes in their time, but as a cookbook to make things from, 2 stars, simply because most of the recipes are things I would not make, or things I might make, but differently...unless doing an evening with a particular decade of British cooking in focus --not my style, but there is definitely an audience for that.

[^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

No British cook's bookshelf would be complete without a cookery book by Marguerite Patten. I like this one because it clearly summarises the history of British cooking over the course of a century; so the reader can see how cooking techniques changed as new inventions were made and adopted, but also how good and bad economic times have shaped (and will continue to shape) what we eat (and when).

However, I think that the author is perhaps a little charitable with the recipes she gives for the 1990s. By then, sadly, more and more people were reading cookery books for leisure, but buying ready-made meals, sauces, and pre-prepared vegetables.

The recipes selected throughout really are the best of the best; as any browse through a period (1930's for example) cookbook will readily show! They deserve ready (re)acquaintance.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book if you want to find out more about foods that are mentioned in historical novels, television, etc.

[Ken Franck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight to how modern British cooking grew