Country Life Cookery Book by
Ambrose Heath
Country Life, 1937
Well-known
1930s food writer Ambrose Heath wrote this guide for Country Life, combining
seasonal recipes with tips for the country gardener; the illustrations
correspond to particular months. In his introduction Heath laments the decline
of the smaller country house, noting that 'The domestic problem is, of course,
far more serious than it is in the towns.... Where forty years ago a servant
would have gladly walked five miles into a village to meet a friend, she will
not now cycle even two miles to see the pictures.' Staff shortages and the
straitened economic climate have evidently forced housewives to cut back, and
Heath offers recipes which are simple and inexpensive compared to the 'Mrs
Beeton school of cooking’ - although Potted Pigeons, Gibelotte of Rabbit, Brain
Fritters, Eggs in Jelly and Herring's Roe Fingers may sound exotic today.
Ravilious was an expert fryer of bacon but sought assistance as he researched
the engravings. 'Mrs Beeton has been a help,' he wrote.
This is an excerpt from Ravilious: Wood Engravings, which will be published this autumn by The Mainstone Press.
2 comments:
I love this Ambrose Heath cookery book and recently tracked down a lovely first edition. The cover was very old and tatty but I rebound it with red bookcloth and some original Bawden paper.
I shall look out for this new book on wood engravings, perfect Christmas present material!
Thanks Acornmoon - how lovely that you gave new life to an old book! I hope you enjoy 'Ravilious: Wood Engravings' - should be out beginning of Nov...
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