The House-keeper's Pocket Book, and Compleat Family Cook: containing several hundred curious receipts in cookery, pastry, preserving, pickling, brewing, baking, made wines, &c., with plain and easy instructions for preparing and dressing every thing suitable for an elegant entertainment, from two dishes to five or ten, &c. : to which is added, Every man his own doctor, shewing the nature and faculties of the different sorts of foods, whereby every man and woman may know what is good or hurtful to them.

London: Printed by Thomas Martin, No. 76 Wood-street, Cheapside, [circa 1790?].

Duodecimo (15.5 x 9.5 cm.), 168 pages. Copper-engraved frontispiece of a woman in her kitchen, plating a dish in front of a roaring fire, with the legend: "Engraved for Mrs. Harrison's new cookery book, 1783", but despite bearing a title identical with that of a book by Mrs. Harrison, the book was neither new nor Mrs. Harrison's. The bulk of the text, (pages [3]-156), is excerpted from Hannah Glasse's The Art of Cookery, and the remainder (pages 157-168) is headed "Every Man his Own Doctor". According to Maclean, Thomas Martin lost no time capitalizing on the growing popularity of Glasse's work, which was first published in this form in 1776. In full, modern speckled calf, raised bands, with gilt-titled, red morocco spine label. Tiny bit of insect predation to foot of first few leaves, otherwise near fine. Rare. [OCLC locates one copy of this undated printing, and one each of the 1776 and 1783 printings (NYPL); Cagle 758 (dating a similar printing as 1785); Maclean, page 72; Oxford 115; Wellcome Catalogue III, page 305 (1783 issue)].

Price: $1,000.00