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.

F

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

Feast

"The Great Feast at the enthronisation of the Reverend Father in God, George Neville, Archbishop of York and Chancellor of England, in the…

Finance

to which French cookery paid homage, meant taxes; and the FINANCIERS were tax-farmers, who filled the coffers of the state, and made their…

Fine-Herbs

Dubois, Bernard, and Gouffé, the chief recent authorities in France, have proposed to give this name to a Duxelles-that is, a mince of…

Flounder

The best of all the flounders is not a flounder, but a dab. As, however, it would be impossible for any respectable person to eat a fish…

Forcemeat

The French name for it is farce, and their use of it tends to farce-a display of the prowess of Jackpudding. They swell out their viands…

Fowl

From times very far back there has been a controversy in France as to the comparative merits of old fowls and young chickens. The argument…

Fritters

1. Simple Fritters. - Take some batter, for which see the receipt. Add a little sugar to it, and profoundly weigh whether yolks of eggs…

Frying

Because fat, oil or butter is essential to frying, the common idea is that the food cooked in this way must be rich and greasy. There…

Fennel Sauce, Feuilletage & Fricassée

Fennel blanched, chopped, and added to English butter sauce. Generally reserved for boiled mackerel. Puff paste.

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Kettner’s Book of the Table (1877) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.