A few years ago, Mrs. Glasse ruled the roast of cookery, and not a
stew was made without consulting her invaluable book. Whilst we were
embroiled in war, her instructions were standing orders, but with the
peace came a host of foreign luxuries and fashions, among these,
_Cookery from France_. Hence the French system became introduced into
the establishments of the wealthy of this country, to which may be
attributed the sale of nine editions of M. Ude's work; for it is
strictly what it professes to be, "A System of Fashionable and
Economical Cookery, adapted to the use of English Families." The tenth
edition, before us, is a bulky _tome_ of about 500 pages, with an
appendix of observations on the meals of the day; mode of giving suppers
at Routs and soirees, as practised when the author was in the employ of
Lord Sefton; and above all, a brief history of the rise and progress of
Cookery, from an admirable French treatise. This is literally the _sauce
piquante_ of the volume, and we serve a little to our readers:--
It appears that the science of Cookery was in a very inferior state
under the first and second race of the French kings. Gregory of Tours
has preserved the account of a repast of French warriors, at which,
in this refined age, we should be absolutely astounded. According to
Eginhard, Charlemagne lived poorly, and ate but little--however, this
trait of resemblance in Charlemagne and Napoleon, the modern Eginhards
have forgotten in their comparison of these two great men.
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