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

Lady

If thou be indeed a lady, remember thou art by name a cook, or at least a baker. La- means a loaf of bread; -dy means a maid; and lady…

Lamb

There is no serious difference-none whatever of principle-in the treatment of lamb and of mutton. One takes, however, more deliberately to…

Lamprey

Considering the ancient renown of the lamprey, one might expect to hear a good deal more of it than we do at modern tables. Dr. Badham…

Larks

What is the use of laughing at the French because they eat redbreasts, blackbirds, thrushes, the humble chaffinch, and the familiar…

Laver

Many an old-fashioned English gentleman will be glad to see laver mentioned here and to be reminded of its excellence with roast mutton. It…

Leek

This was at one time so much cultivated in England that the very name for a garden was leac-tun, and the very name for a gardener was…

Lemon Sauce

Put the thin rind of a lemon with three tablespoonfuls of sugar to simmer for twenty minutes in a tumblerful of water. Some persons think…

Lentils

For a garnish or as an entremet to be cooked as haricots. For soup it is made as pea-soup and called Chantilly, but by rights it should be…

Ling

James I. said that were he to invite the devil to dinner he would give him a ling's head, a pig, mustard, and a pipe of tobacco. His…

Liver

Tell it not in Gath-but yet it is notorious that there are three dishes which, if put upon the bill of fare in a club, are devoured before…

Liqueur

There is an idle question as to whether brandy is a liqueur or not. Is rum ? is gin? is whisky? We can make arbitrary distinctions whenever…

Lobster

Government commissioners report that lobsters are getting fewer and smaller every year, and we all know that they are getting dearer. The…

Lope De Vega

To the philosophical chemist this is one of the most interesting personages in the whole range of history. He was a poet; he was a dramatic…

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