In honor of our country’s 250th anniversary, this month’s recipes come from a book called, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse (1708-1770).
First published in 1747, it continued to be a best seller for over 100 years in both the United States and England. The book was popular in the Thirteen Colonies, and its appeal continued through the American War of Independence, with Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington all owning copies.
There have been 40 editions of her book with changes made along the way. Wikipedia stated that “The 1751 edition was the first book to mention trifle with jelly as an ingredient; the 1758 edition gave the first mention of “Hamburgh sausages”, piccalilli, and one of the first recipes in English for an Indian-style curry. Glasse criticized the French influence on British cuisine but included dishes with French names and French influence in the book. Other recipes use imported ingredients including cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, pistachios and musk.”
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy was updated significantly both during Hannah’s life and after her death. Her early editions were not illustrated. Some newer editions included a decorative frontispiece, with the caption:
The FAIR, who’s Wise and oft consults our BOOK,
And thence directions gives her Prudent Cook,
With CHOICEST VIANDS, has her Table Crown’d,
And Health, with Frugal Ellegance is found.
If you are a daring person and want to try one of her recipes, I’ve included two of them. But if you have ever watched The Great British Baking Show and seen the part of the show where the contestants don’t get the full instructions, then these recipes are for you. Personally, I’m glad to use The Joy of Cooking as a reference.
The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy can be purchased in stores and on Amazon and, fortunately, many of the recipes have been written in to modern cooking standards.
Note: What looks like an odd “f” in some words is actually an “s.” For example,“falt”is“salt.
