The Complete English Cook; or, prudent housewife. Being a collection of the most general, yet least expensive receipts in every branch of cookery and good housewifery. With directions for roasting, boiling, stewing, ragoos, soops, sauces, fricassees, pies, tarts, puddings, cheese-cakes, custards, jellies, potting candying, collaring, pickling, preserving, made wines, &c. Together with directions for placing dishes on tables of entertainment: And many other things equally necessary. The whole made easy to the meanest capacity, and far more useful to young beginners than any book of the kind extant. By Ann Peckham, of Leeds, well known to have been for forty years one of the most noted cooks in the county of York.
Leeds: Printed by Griffith Wright, and sold by The author, and J. Ogle, in Leeds, and Messres Robinson and Roberts in Paternoster Row, London, 1767.
Duodecimo (16 x 10 cm.), 201, [44] pages. Lacking pages [i-v] (Preface). K3 mis-numbered "K4". Illustrated with thirty-four typeset diagrams of table settings. Index. ~ Evident FIRST EDITION. Though lacking in this copy, the author's delightful preface explains this work is "the result of above forty years practice in the best families in and about Leeds", and that the work "is not stuff'd with a nauseous hodgepodge of French kickshaws". Maclean notes that this work is the odd case of a plagiarised title, which is copied almost verbatim from the work of the same name by Catherine Brooks (published circa 1762). The texts, however, are wholly distinct. Interior showing some light foxing, but generally clean. Tear at outside edge of L6, with some slight loss of typographical border of table setting. Rebound in full calf, with blind-tooled double rule. Gilt-ruled spine in imitation of raised bands; stamped gilt ornament in compartments; black morocco label with gilt title and author. With the bookplate of the Craig Collection. [OCLC locates eleven copies; Bitting 360 (later edition); Cagle 919; ; Ellwanger, page 451; ESTC T92199; Maclean, page 112; Maggs, catalogue 572; Oxford 95-96].
Price: $900.00