_The reasons for the publication of this Volume—the
First of a Series of Practical Manuals which were
to be called the “All About It” Books—were thus
explained in a Prospectus issued a few months ago,
and approved by the late_ Mrs. S. O. BEETON:—
MANY wishes have been expressed to the Authoress of the “Book of
Household Management” that a volume of Recipes in Cookery should
be written which could be sold at a price somewhere between the
seven-and-sixpenny “Household Management” and the Shilling Cookery
Book. Accordingly Mrs. BEETON has prepared a Collection of Recipes, and
of other Practical Information concerning the Dressing and Serving of
Family Fare, which, when completed, will be published, in serviceable
binding, at the price of Three Shillings and Sixpence.
As Mistress, Cook, and Critic have declared that the details in Mrs.
BEETON’S larger work are _so easy to understand_, the Authoress has
followed, in every Recipe printed in the present Dictionary, the same
simple plan she originally used. Regarding, however, the _arrangement_
of the Recipes, the Authoress has chosen the Dictionary form, believing
an alphabetical arrangement to be the best for a book that is being
constantly referred to. By the adoption of a very intelligible system,
all _cross_ reference, and that very disagreeable parenthesis (_See_
So-and-so) is avoided, except in a very few instances. Where any
warning as to what should _not_ be done is likely to be needed, it is
given, as well as advice as to what ought to be done. No pains have
been thought too great to make _little things_ clearly understood.
Trifles constitute perfection. It is just the knowledge or ignorance of
little things that usually makes the difference between the success of
the careful and experienced housewife or servant, and the failure of
her who is careless and inexperienced. Mrs. BEETON has brought to her
new offering to the Public a most anxious care to describe plainly and
fully all the more difficult and recondite portions of Cookery, whilst
the smallest items have not been “unconsidered trifles,” but each
Recipe and preparation have claimed minute attention.