
The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Regency Recipes, Household Economy, and the Art of Comfortable British CookeryBy William KitchinerLength19h 50m
About this audiobook
The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual is a landmark of early nineteenth-century domestic literature, combining recipes, household management, and medicalized advice on diet with unusual precision and wit. Written in a plain yet lively style, it rejects aristocratic excess in favor of "comfortable" cookery: economical, reproducible, and suited to the expanding middle-class home. Its literary context is the practical conduct book, yet Kitchiner's voice—empirical, opinionated, and urbane—gives it a distinctive character among culinary manuals. William Kitchiner (1775–1827) was an English physician, optician, amateur musician, and gastronome whose scientific habits deeply shaped his culinary writing. Known for hosting carefully timed dinners and for treating cookery as an experimental art, he brought to the kitchen the language of observation, measurement, and utility. His interest in health, digestion, and domestic efficiency helps explain the book's blend of recipe, regimen, and social philosophy. This volume is recommended to readers interested in food history, domestic culture, and the making of modern middle-class taste. It remains valuable not merely as a recipe collection, but as a revealing document of how eating, health, economy, and respectability were imagined in Regency Britain.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreOther
Length19 hrs 50 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 27, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
26CHAPTER VI. FISH.
2Introduction
27FISH SAUCES.
3Synopsis
28CHAPTER VII. BROTHS AND SOUPS.
4Historical Context
29BROTH HERBS, SOUP ROOTS, AND SEASONINGS.
5The Cook's Oracle; and Housekeeper's Manual
30The crafte to make ypocras.
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6PREFACE.
31CHAPTER VIII. GRAVIES AND SAUCES.
7INTRODUCTION.
32To make bottle-cement.
8CULINARY CURIOSITIES.
33CHAPTER IX. MADE DISHES.
9INVITATIONS TO DINNER
34THE COOK’S ORACLE.
10MANNERS MAKE THE MAN.
35BOILING.
11CARVING.
36Leg of Mutton. —(No. 1.)
12FRIENDLY ADVICE TO COOKS, AND OTHER SERVANTS
37Neck of Mutton. —(No. 2.)
13Giving away Victuals.
38Lamb. —(No. 3.)
14Chacun à son goût.
39Veal. —(No. 4.)
15TABLE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
40Beef bouilli ,—(No. 5.)
16RUDIMENTS OF COOKERY.
41To salt Meat. —(No. 6.)
17CHAPTER I. BOILING.
42To pickle Meat.
18The sauces usually sent to table with boiled meat, &c.
43A Round of salted Beef. —(No. 7.)
19BAKING.
44H-Bone of Beef ,—(No. 8.)
20CHAPTER II. ROASTING.
45Ribs of Beef salted and rolled. —(No. 9.)
21DREDGINGS.
46Half a Calf’s Head. —(No. 10.)
22BASTINGS.
47Pickled Pork ,—(No. 11.)
23CHAPTER III. FRYING.
48Pettitoes, or Sucking-Pig’s Feet. —(No. 12.)
24CHAPTER IV. BROILING.
49Bacon. —(No. 13.)
25CHAPTER V. VEGETABLES.
50Ham ,—(No. 14.)