Cookbooks from the Edinburgh School of Cookery
In the run up to our 150th anniversary, members of our staff delved into our archives to uncover ÌÒ×ÓÊÓƵ’s fascinating history. Among our favourite historical artefacts are cookbooks that had been created by the institution in the early days when it was known as Edinburgh School of Cookery.
The cookbooks were compiled with the aim of teaching ‘housewives and cooks’ how to prepare and present dishes that were suitable for home use and within the reach of moderate incomes, as well as how to safely manage the ‘larder and storeroom.’
These books proved to be ground-breaking at a time of widespread poverty in the country, when there was a clear need to bring about an improvement in diets, particularly the diets of working-class families.
The cookery books were designed to speak to women who had to work with limited resources, utilising what they might have in their tenement or cottage home. Staple recipes encouraged the use of produce that would have been available at the time including rabbit, hare, pigeon and animal tongue, in classic dishes such as soups, sauces, puddings and casseroles.
As well as teaching women how to cook with such ingredients, some of the books also outlined how to prepare food safely and hygienically.
If you would like to read one of these cookbooks or find out how to make some of the recipes for yourself, the following are available to view online:
