Descripción
Quarto. 26 issues, each consisting of 12pp., illustrated on the front cover of each issue, and replete with culinary and housekeeping-related advertisements. Bound handsomely in olive-brown cloth with brown morocco spine label, lettered in gilt. Marbled endpapers. The brittle volumes are in excellent condition, with occasional tiny chips to the extremities, not approaching any content. Binding shows one dampstain to the bottom front corner, not affecting the contents. Overall, in near fine, fresh condition. A marvelous weekly periodical, which represents an intersection between the world of haute gastronomy and domestic cookery at the tail end of the 19th century. Thomas J. Murrey, the editor, was a cookbook author and the caterer of several major east coast hotels and restaurants. As an editor (presumably Murrey) writes in a note in the first issue, "It is to tell those who are interested in living well how to do it within their means, that we have begun THE COOK." The articles, recipes, and advertisements are a rich mixture of general housekeeping principles, efficiency and frugality tips, and detailed discussions of cooking methods. Though occasional hand-wringing articles warn against "unwomanliness" and the like, for the most part the contents are a celebration of the finer things, and an encouragement for wives, mothers, and housekeepers of all sorts to seek out and confidently prepare great food. At a time when Temperance and anti-alcohol currents held sway over much of American society, the writers in "The Cook" discuss the culinary value of beer, wine, and even some spirits. Of particular interest are two weekly features, positioned side-by-side. First is the "Weekly Market Report," containing well over 100 market ingredients and their price ranges that week as advertised at the New York food markets. Immediately following the helpful market report is a group of "Menus for the Week," containing several dishes for each breakfast and dinner, which could be reasonably prepared based on what is available in the market that week. There is even a "Menu for a Private Dinner" suggested to anyone who might be entertaining guests. Naturally, a magazine of this sort, published in New York, would be more relevant to the housekeepers of the wealthy, or housewives whose husbands gave them a large allowance in order to afford such creature comforts at the dinner table. However, the editors to take pains to encourage "ordinary" cooks to push their boundaries and try to make exotic and interesting dishes. OCLC records for "The Cook" are hopelessly muddled, obscuring the distinction between microfiche, digital, and physical holdings, as is often the case for old and obscure periodicals. At minimum, there are just two separately listed holdings for partial runs, at Boston PL and Simon Fraser University in BC, Canada. However we will note that the BPL's catalog record is very sparse, and the periodical is not traceable on Simon Fraser's own website. Based on all the records we could find, the magazine ceased publication at the end of volume II, in 1886. An extremely scarce run of the first 26 issues of this dynamic magazine of domestic science, handsomely presented. N° de ref. del artículo 9232
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