Description

Here is something new in cookery books. It is in two volumes; one volume for the lady of the house, the other for her cook

• Two volumes, originally housed in Publisher’s cardboard slipcase [not present]; both titled The Finer Cooking Or Dishes For Parties [second volume idem + The Recipes]
• First Editions [Cassell & Company, London, 1937]
• V1 – xii, 132, 198, [2 blank] pages; patterned cloth, gold titling on dark red pastedown on spine, spine lightly discoloured, bookseller sticker inside front board [Margareta Webber, Melbourne], a near-fine copy; in excellent, unclipped [12s. 6d. net], illustrated dustjacket, bumped & chipped with 3cm x 1cm loss at top, a couple closed tears, spine discoloured, bookseller sticker on spine
• V2 [Recipes] – viii, 198, [2 blank] pages; pale olive cloth, black titling to spine, grubby marks, small split to cloth on spine rear, bumped at extremities, a very good copy; no dustjacket [believe as issued]
• The first volume is a work of culinary etiquette & hosting with decorations by J. E. Laboureur. It contains, at the end, the recipes which are reprinted in the second volume with the same pagination. This second volume is utilitarian in nature – to be used in the kitchen under instruction from the lady of the house
• Xavier Marcel Boulestin popularised French cookery in England and inspired future food writers such as Elizabeth David [no less!]. He appeared on the BBC and his restaurant, Boulestins, was the most expensive & vaunted restaurant in London