Kettner's Book of the Table

Every food on the Victorian table gets its history, its etymology and a strong opinion — the wittiest cookery book of 1877, written in secret by a Times leader-writer and named for London's most fashionable restaurant.

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17 entries in this part of Kettner's Book of the Table.

Absinthe

There are two terrible verses in the Revelation of St. John. "And the third angel sounded his trumpet, and there fell a great star from the…

Achilles

named the godlike, a wonderful grill-cook. The most famous of the poets made an epic of his wrath, and describes how he cooked a steak…

Acqua D'Oro

There are many names for this liqueur, French, German, and English; but if we are to be just we shall always hold to the Italian name…

Albert Pudding

It would be a misfortune if the great and good Prince had not been commemorated at our tables. He has been commemorated in a pudding which…

Aldrich

Dean Aldrich was a Doctor of Divinity, and the great master of logic at Oxford. His name is attached to the following verses, which are…

Almond

There is no fruit that touches the fancy so quickly and at so many points as the almond. If we can- Almond not say that it is the most…

Ambigu

A convenient French name for a repast of one course-all the dishes, hot and cold, together with the dessert, being on the table at once-as…

America

There is a great defect in this volume, nothing being said in it of American cookery, though much has to be said in every cookery book of…

Amphitryon

Few names are more highly honoured than this; yet none is more ambiguous nor more curiously linked with shame and ridicule. The true…

Anise-Seed

ANISETTE. -Anise belongs to a class of plants, including carraway or carvy, cumin, dill, and coriander, which are supposed to have a…

Appetite

The place of appetite at the dinner-table cannot be more happily described than by Carême. He was for a time chef to the Prince Regent in…

Apricot

The old form of the name is apricock, and this is nearer the right word. The last two syllables are the first two of precocious, with the…

Artichoke

It is good for a man to eat thistles, and to remember that he is an ass. But an artichoke is the best of thistles, and the man who enjoys…

Ascalon

Ever to be remembered as the place where the Crusaders found the loveliest of onions, which they brought back to Western Europe and named…

Asparagus

There is no cooked vegetable which raises expectation and lures the fancy so much as the asparagus. We are attracted to it, as to the chief…

Aspic

There are most elaborate receipts for making aspic jelly, and on great occasions let these receipts be followed. But as it comes constantly…

Alderman's Walk & Allspice

An interesting name given to the long incision on a haunch of mutton or venison, where the most delicate slices are to be found. A name of…

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