Charles Elmé Francatelli, although a chef to Queen Victoria herself, wrote this little book in 1852 to encourage the working classes to cook nourishing food for themselves using cheap but wholesome ingredients. As well as the many recipes, it also contains sections on food for invalids, medicinal concoctions and the preparation of nourishing and economical soup for the poor. It is a great sourcebook for 'ordinary' nineteenth century recipes - and offers a fascinating window on the past - some ingredients that were then thought common are now considered delicacies, other common foodstuffs of that time are now rarely eaten at all.