The Lady's Assistant

The Lady's Assistant by Charlotte Mason, originally published in 1775, is a must-have resource for anyone interested in 18th-century English cooking or historical foodways. Mason explores several topics seldom seen in contemporary works. For instance, she dedicates over 100 pages to menu ideas ranging from family suppers of 4 dishes to multi-course banquets featuring nearly twenty dishes. Numerous fine receipts are included for meat, fish, savory pies, breads, and vegetable dishes. She offers insight and instructions for sauces, cullises, gravies, vinegars, and catchups. She also includes a lengthy discourse on spices and seasonings, as well as their uses. There is a section on boiled and baked puddings, dumplings, fritters, and pancakes. And let's not forget dessert: sweet pies, tarts, cheesecakes, cakes, creams, blancmanges, and syllabubs are just a few! Keep an eye for the surprises as well, such as a simple recipe that was unusual for its time for roast beef sandwiches, as well as a very early reference to soy sauce. She wraps up her work with seasonal considerations as well as a very thorough index. This is one of our favorite 18th-century cookbooks.