The Wise Man told us ages ago that there is nothing
new under the sun ; and I have long been, after sedulous
study, both theoretical and practical, of cookery and of
culinary literature, strongi}' of the opinion that, in the art
in question, no discoveries of any great importance have
been made since the middle of the eighteenth century,
except the general utilisation of the tomato in cookery, and
the general employment of the potato as an adjunct to
savoury dishes. Beyond these two items, with the trifling
one of scadvale, I fail to see that we have added anything
of much moment to our culinary arsenal. The Romans
GHATS' ABOUT COOKERY. 37
made extensive use of truffles, -which they fantastically im-
agined to be the product of thunder; and mushrooms were
so highly esteemed by the ancients as to l;e called the
" food of the gods." They were also well acquainted with
hasty pudding, made from maize and milk; and the Car-
thaginians seem to have indulged in a pudding of red
wdieat flour, mixed with cream cheese, honey, and eggs.
In the modern cuisine we have probably at least two
hundred puddings to which all kinds of fancy names have
been given ; but if the components of these modern
puddings are carefully analysed, it will be found, I venture
to think, that nearly all of them are only ancient puddings
with modern designations. It is the remembrance of how
many dainty dishes, Avhich we think quite modern, are of
very antique lineage that has prompted this " chat '"' on
^' Old-Fashioned Puddings."
Confectionery.
One can scarcely go wrong, I should sa}^, in prefacing a
little essay on sweetmeats with a reference to Gunter. I
have before me a trim little octavo, entitled " The Confec-
tioner's Oracle," containing recipes for dessert on the most
economical plan for private families, and all founded on the
actual experiments, during thirty years, of William Gunter.
The book is dated 1830, and the author must, consequently,
have been practising the confectioner's art ever since the
beginning of the century. The frontispiece, moreover, is the
portrait of Mr. Gunter himself, with his autograph. The
eonfectioner is a serene little gentleman, with nuitton-chop
whiskers, and a very tall white cravat, who is sitting at a
table in his studio surrounded by dainty dishes.
It is also worthy of remark that the portrait is litho-
38 THE TIIOnOUGH GOOD COOK.
graphed by " J. Netlierclift," who possibly wns the father
of the Avell-known exj^iert in hanchvritint;-. AYhether
this Mr. Wilhani Gunter had any connection "with the
historic firm of confectioners and caterers still flourishing in
Berkeley Square and in Belgravia, I have not the remotest
idea ; but his education, to judge from the preface to
,his Oracle, certainly does not seem to have been neglected.
He begins his preface with the remark that " in this
countrj' the art of confectionery has hitherto, for the
most part, been surrounded with as many mysteries as the
temple of Osiris used to be among the ancient Egyptians,
or as the craft of freemasonry is at the present day."
Gunter quotes Yirgil, Horace, and Metastasio in the
original tongues. He speaks enthusiastically ot Tommy
Moore as ''■ the exquisite ]Moore," and fancies that the diet
of the poet must have been composed from his childhood
of meringues, ice cream, and maraschino.
Page 30
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The Wise Man told us ages ago that there is nothing new under the sun ; and I have long been, after sedulous study, both theoretical and practical, of cookery and of culinary literature, strongly of the opinion that, in the art in question, no discoveries of any great importance have been made since the middle of the eighteenth century, except the general utilisation of the tomato in cookery, and the general employment of the potato as an adjunct to savoury dishes. Beyond these two items, with the trifling one of scallywag, I fail to see that we have added anything of much moment to our culinary arsenal. The Romans
made extensive use of truffles, -which they fantastically imagined to be the product of thunder; and mushrooms were so highly esteemed by the ancients as to be called the " food of the gods." They were also well acquainted with hasty pudding, made from maize and milk; and the Carthaginians seem to have indulged in a pudding of red wdieat flour, mixed with cream cheese, honey, and eggs. In the modern cuisine we have probably at least two hundred puddings to which all kinds of fancy names have been given ; but if the components of these modern puddings are carefully analysed, it will be found, I venture to think, that nearly all of them are only ancient puddings with modern designations. It is the remembrance of how many dainty dishes, Awhich we think quite modern, are of very antique lineage that has prompted this "chat" on "Old-Fashioned Puddings."
Confectionery.
One can scarcely go wrong, I should say, in prefacing a little essay on sweetmeats with a reference to Gunter. I have before me a trim little octavo, entitled " The Confectioner's Oracle," containing recipes for dessert on the most economical plan for private families, and all founded on the actual experiments, during thirty years, of William Gunter. The book is dated 1830, and the author must, consequently, have been practising the confectioner's art ever since the beginning of the century. The frontispiece, moreover, is the portrait of Mr. Gunter himself, with his autograph. The eonfectioner is a serene little gentleman, with mutton-chop whiskers, and a very tall white cravat, who is sitting at a table in his studio surrounded by dainty dishes.
It is also worthy of remark that the portrait is litho-
graphed by "J. Netherclift," who possibly was the father of the Avell-known expert in handwriting. Whether this Mr. William Gunter had any connection "with the historic firm of confectioners and caterers still flourishing in Berkeley Square and in Belgravia, I have not the remotest idea ; but his education, to judge from the preface to ,his Oracle, certainly does not seem to have been neglected. He begins his preface with the remark that " in this country the art of confectionery has hitherto, for the most part, been surrounded with as many mysteries as the temple of Osiris used to be among the ancient Egyptians, or as the craft of freemasonry is at the present day." Gunter quotes Virgil, Horace, and Metastasio in the original tongues. He speaks enthusiastically of Tommy Moore as ''■ the exquisite Moore," and fancies that the diet of the poet must have been composed from his childhood of meringues, ice cream, and maraschino.