The Complete Cook Book

This is not a Victorian penny dreadful but rather The Complete Cook Book by Mrs. Jennie Day Rees, published in 1900 by David McKay. The volume is a culinary instruction manual comprising historical essays on cookery traditions, practical cooking guidance, and recipes. The opening sections provide a scholarly history of cooking from ancient Rome through modern times, tracing culinary development through Italian, French, and English traditions. Content includes a Latin poem on diet attributed to a pope (translated by Andrew Lang), a humorous verse titled "My Daughter's Learned to Cook" satirizing newfangled French cuisine, and detailed market information describing seasonal availability and quality of poultry, game, and other foodstuffs in American markets, particularly New York. Reference sections provide standardized measurements and weight conversions for cooking ingredients.