The Compleat Cook: Expertly Prescribing the Most Ready Wayes, Whether Italian, Spanish, or French, for Dressing of Flesh, and Fish, Ordering of Sauces, or Making of Pastry.

London: Printed for Nath. Brook at the Angel in Corn Hill, 1662.

Duodecimo (15 x 8.5 cm.), 123, [5], [14] pages. Table of contents. Publisher's advertisements at rear. Title within rule border. Printer's name from British Library record. Attributed to "W.M. " by Wing. Fourth printing; originally issued in 1655 by Nathaniel Brooks. Generally considered to be the final of the three parts of The Queen's Closet Opened, also first issued by Brook (1655), the other parts being The Pearle of Practice, and A Queen's Delight. The preface to the first and to some later editions of QCO identifies the author as "W.M.", a former servant of Queen Henrietta Maria. Concerning the sustenance found within, Oxford points to "such interesting recipes as To make a Devonshire white-pot, To Make an Outlandish dish (hog's liver seasoned with aniseed), The Jacobin's Pottage, To make a Battalia Pye, To make a Stumpe Pye, The Countesse of Rutlands Receipt of Making the rare Banbury Cake, which was so much praised at her daughters (the Lady Chaworths) wedding, To make a Fat Lambe of a Pig, and, To make poor Knights. ~ Pages darkened; loss at edge of final two leaves, just affecting text, but text still legible. Eighteenth century calf, re-backed at an early date and with general wear to the edges; title and date in gilt at the spine. Armorial bookplate of Sir Robert Chester, and later ink ownership signature "Frederick Phillips II", both to front paste-down. Scarce. [OCLC records just eleven copies of this printing by itself (and at least one other where it is bound together with the Queen's Closet Opened; Bitting 53; ESTC R218359; Notaker 538.7; (Oxford (c.f pages 26-27 for notes on the work as part of The Queen's Closet Opened); Pennell 133 (later edition); Wing M92A].

Price: $3,500.00

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