products of tlie vegetable kingdom, and to treat the turnips, tlie carrots, tlie broccoli, the beans, the Brussels sprouts, the cauliflowers, and especially the artichoke, not as subordinate adjuncts to a dish of meat or poultry, but as separate, inde- pendent, and important dishes. One word more, about my recipes generally. In such a work as this, overlapping is unavoidable ; and many of the recipes might with equal propriety have been placed in any one of three or four of the sections into which " The Thorough Good Cook" is divided. But in the Index to Kecipes each recipe is entered separately, under its own name, as well as under the heading of the section to which it has been allocated. No difficulty will therefore be found in " turning up " any dish for which I have thought it worth while to give directions. G. A. S. PREFACE.— III. To Mrs. Cook. My Good Soul, Many years ago we had a paiiourinaid wlio, altlioiigli slie came from an aristocratic liouscliold in Park Lane, did not suit us very Avell. A sliort time after her departure I found in the drawer of her bedroom a half-finished note which she had Avritten, apparently, to some lady-friend, to me unknown. It was indited on what I assumed to be the note-paper of her former employer — that is to say, it bore, in A'iolct ink, an embossed address in Park Lane, a coronet, and a monogram. It began thus : "My dear Jane, I have been here a fortnight ; but missus and I don't hit it. It is nothing but jor, jor, jor, from morning to night." Here, like the story of the bear and the fiddle, that began and broke off in the middle, the epistle ended. Now, I have related this short anecdote with the view of assuring you that I have not the slightest intention of "jaAving" or pestering you witli advice touching a number of matters concerning which you very probably know quite as nuich if not more than I do. I have not written this book in order to teach the kitchenmaid or the very young and inexperi- enced cook the rudiments of her calling. That which I wish to do, assuming you to be a competent plain cook, is to make you a thoroughly good one. First of all, I want you to drive out of your head the nonsensical prejudice against entrees, or made dishes, as being " nasty French TO MBS. COOK. XV messes." No greater trouble is needed in dressing even the most elaborate of the dishes for which I have given directions than is required for cooking haricot mutton or Irish stew, or for jugging a hare, or making a chicken and ham pie. I have put down in the very plainest terms that I can call to mind the manner of making all kinds of dishes, complicated as well as simple. As to the exact quantities of the ingredients used, I have thought it best to leave you a jDretty considerable discretion, only, in one particular, I must most seriously beg you to attend to my counsel. Ahvays he easy with the j)epper-castor, especially in maJdng soup. A dish too highly peppered is hopelessly spoiled. If a little more seasoning is re- quired, what are the salt, the pepper, and the mustard on the table for, if not for the purpose of heightening flavour ? Remember that, in nine cases out of ten, dinner begins with soup. If the first dish is a failure and our tongues are smarting from the over-fiery soup, we are very apt to lose our temper for the rest of the repast.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

products of the vegetable kingdom, and to treat the turnips, the carrots, the broccoli, the beans, the Brussels sprouts, the cauliflowers, and especially the artichoke, not as subordinate adjuncts to a dish of meat or poultry, but as separate, independent, and important dishes. One word more, about my recipes generally. In such a work as this, overlapping is unavoidable ; and many of the recipes might with equal propriety have been placed in any one of three or four of the sections into which " The Thorough Good Cook" is divided. But in the Index to Recipes each recipe is entered separately, under its own name, as well as under the heading of the section to which it has been allocated. No difficulty will therefore be found in " turning up " any dish for which I have thought it worth while to give directions. G. A. S. PREFACE.— III. To Mrs. Cook. My Good Soul, Many years ago we had a parlor maid who, although she came from an aristocratic household in Park Lane, did not suit us very Avell. A short time after her departure I found in the drawer of her bedroom a half-finished note which she had written, apparently, to some lady-friend, to me unknown. It was indited on what I assumed to be the note-paper of her former employer — that is to say, it bore, in violet ink, an embossed address in Park Lane, a coronet, and a monogram. It began thus : "My dear Jane, I have been here a fortnight ; but missus and I don't hit it. It is nothing but "joy, joy, joy," from morning to night." Here, like the story of the bear and the fiddle, that began and broke off in the middle, the epistle ended. Now, I have related this short anecdote with the view of assuring you that I have not the slightest intention of "jawing" or pestering you with advice touching a number of matters concerning which you very probably know quite as nuich if not more than I do. I have not written this book in order to teach the kitchenmaid or the very young and inexperienced cook the rudiments of her calling. That which I wish to do, assuming you to be a competent plain cook, is to make you a thoroughly good one. First of all, I want you to drive out of your head the nonsensical prejudice against entrees, or made dishes, as being " nasty French TO MBS. COOK. XV messes." No greater trouble is needed in dressing even the most elaborate of the dishes for which I have given directions than is required for cooking haricot mutton or Irish stew, or for jugging a hare, or making a chicken and ham pie. I have put down in the very plainest terms that I can call to mind the manner of making all kinds of dishes, complicated as well as simple. As to the exact quantities of the ingredients used, I have thought it best to leave you a pretty considerable discretion, only, in one particular, I must most seriously beg you to attend to my counsel. Always be easy with the pepper-castor, especially in making soup. A dish too highly peppered is hopelessly spoiled. If a little more seasoning is required, what are the salt, the pepper, and the mustard on the table for, if not for the purpose of heightening flavour ? Remember that, in nine cases out of ten, dinner begins with soup. If the first dish is a failure and our tongues are smarting from the over-fiery soup, we are very apt to lose our temper for the rest of the repast.

The thorough good cook