The printed book combined two systems of page numbering. Throughout the book, the first four recto (odd, right-hand) pages of each 16-page signature are labeled as A, A2, A3... These are shown in the right margin. The left margin shows continuous page numbers, beginning with signature C (p. 1) and continuing through the end of the recipes (p. 461). In signature T, all page numbers were offset by 4 (261-276 for 257-272). The printed number is shown in (parentheses) followed by the corrected number in italics. Where there are no page numbers, folio numbers added by the transcriber are shown in [brackets].
Many compound words occur in up to three forms: with hyphen; as two separate words; and as a single unhyphenated word. Hyphens at line break were retained unless the word was consistently hyphenless elsewhere. Missing spaces between words were supplied when unambiguous.
beatten; Dear (for Deer); galon; oatmel; somtimes
These spellings are rare but each occurs at least once.
Boyled
The spelling with “y” occurs only in the header for Section I. Both “boil’d” and “boiled” are used in the body text.
lay a lay of ...
The word “layer” also occurs, but “lay” is more common.
Rabit
Note that the word is consistently spelled with one “b” except in the Index.
Snite
Probably a variant of “Snipe”, but in some books it is understood as a different bird.
roast, toast
Both words can be applied to meats.
give it a walm
The word “walm” is always used in this construction. It appears to mean “bring to a boil”. Some occurrences of “warm” may be errors for “walm”.
In several places, text at the beginning of a page was corrected from the catchword on the previous page:
A. You must break a goose contrary to the former way. Take a goose being roasted...
Text as printed at page break:
page image
Dedications:
To the Right Honourable my Lord Montague, My Lord Lumley, and my Lord Dormer; and to the Right worshipful Sir Kenelme Digby, so well known to this Nation for their Admired Hospitalities.
To the Master Cooks, and to such young Practitioners of the Art of Cookery, to whom this Book may be useful.
A short Narrative of some Passages of the Authors Life.
Triumphs and Trophies in Cookery, to be used at Festival Times, as Twelfth-day, &c.
On the Unparalell’d Piece of Mr. May His Cookery. (James Parry)
To the Reader of (my very loving Friend) Mr. Robert May his incomparable Book of Cookery. (John Town)
The most Exact, or A-la-mode Ways of Carving and Sewing.
Directions for the order of carving Fowl.
Bills of Fare for every Season in the Year.
SECTION I:
Perfect Directions for the A-la-mode Ways of dressing all manner
of Boyled Meats, with their several sauces, &c.
To make several sorts of Puddings.
Sheeps Haggas Puddings.
To make any kind of sausages.
To make all manner of Hashes.
Divers made Dishes or Capilotado’s.
SECTION II:
An hundred and twelve excellent wayes for the dressing of Beef.
SECTION III:
The A-la-mode ways of dressing the Heads of any Beasts.
SECTION IV:
The rarest Ways of dressing of all manner of Roast Meats,
either of Flesh or Fowl, by Sea or land, with their Sauces
that properly belong to them.
SECTION V:
The best way of making all manner of Sallets.
SECTION VI:
To make all manner of Carbonadoes, either of Flesh or Fowl;
as also all manner of fried Meats of Flesh, Collops and Eggs,
with the most exquisite way of making Pancakes, Fritters,
and Tansies.
SECTION VII:
The most Excellent Ways of making All sorts of Puddings.
SECTION VIII:
The rarest Ways of making all manner of Souces and Jellies.
SECTION IX:
The best way of making all manner of baked Meats.
SECTION X:
To bake all manner of Curneld Fruits in Pyes, Tarts,
or made Dishes, raw or preserved, as Quinces, Warden,
Pears, Pippins, &c.
SECTION XI:
To make all manner of made Dishes, with or without Paste.
SECTION XII:
To make all manner of Creams, Sack-Possets, Sillabubs,
Blamangers, White-Pots, Fools, Wassels, &c.
SECTION XIII:
The First Section for dressing of Fish.
Shewing divers ways, and the most excellent, for Dressing
of Carps, either Boiled, Stewed, Broiled, Roasted, or Baked, &c.
SECTION XIV:
The Second Section of Fish.
Shewing the most Excellent Ways of Dressing of Pikes.
SECTION XV:
The Third Section for dressing of Fish.
The most excellent ways of Dressing Salmon, Bace, or Mullet.
SECTION XVI:
The fourth Section for dressing of Fish.
Shewing the exactest ways of dressing Turbut, Plaice,
Flounders, and Lampry.
SECTION XVII:
The Fifth Section of Fish.
Shewing the best way to Dress Eels, Conger, Lump, and Soals.
SECTION XVIII:
The Sixth Section of Fish.
The A-la-mode ways of Dressing and Ordering of Sturgeon.
SECTION XIX:
The Seventh Section of Fish.
Shewing the exactest Ways of Dressing all manner of Shell-Fish.
SECTION XX:
To make all manner of Pottages for Fish-Days.
SECTION XXI:
The exactest Ways for the Dressing of Eggs.
SECTION XXII:
The best Ways for the Dressing of Artichocks.
SECTION XXIII:
Shewing the best way of making Diet for the Sick.
SECTION XXIV:
Excellent Ways for Feeding of Poultrey.
THE TABLE (Index)
Introductory Material
Detailed Table of Contents
SECTION I: Boiling
SECTION II: Beef
SECTION III: Heads
SECTION IV: Roasting
SECTION V: Sallets
SECTION VI: Frying
SECTION VII: Puddings
SECTION VIII: Souces and Jellies
SECTION IX: Baking
SECTION X: Fruit
SECTION XI: Made Dishes
SECTION XII: Creams