In the Beginning...Hints for Young Housekeepers

When my mother-in-law recently passed away, we packed up her extensive book collection along with the rest of her lovely collections. Among the many larger tomes was one very small book. It was old with a ragged spine and a faded navy cover. As I have always had a soft spot for the underdog, I took a closer look. And thank goodness I did. For I was holding in my hand the most amazing little book, with my great-great grand-mother-in-law's name inside the cover and a date - 25 Aug 1884. Published by William Collins, Sons & Co, Limited of Glasgow and London, Hints for Young Housekeepers was compiled by Mrs. Black, "of the West End School of Cookery, Glasgow. Holder of a First-Class Diploma from the National Training School of Cookery, South Kensington." It appears that Mrs. Black had written a column in the Glasgow Weekly Mail full of helpful hints, and had been encouraged to put this treasure trove into a booklet "in the hope that they may benefit a still larger circle."  

Reading through this booklet elicits hoots of laughter and more than one stomach curdling thought, but at its core, Mrs. Black's mission was to help the ordinary housewife stretch a dollar in a time when she might not have running water, her stove was made of cast iron and she stoked it with wood to keep the water boiling and the house warm. Butter, herbs and spices were expensive luxuries, refrigeration was complicated, asparagus wasn't flown in in January to the local mega-mart and people didn't own fancy measuring cups and spoons. And as everything old is new again, the column was written with an eye to "the fruits and products in season at that particular time." Local, seasonal food, made at home. 

While Mrs. Black often encourages you to boil your parsnips and peas for 45 minutes (shudder!), she is a big believer in bacon fat, and appreciates the ease of one pot meals as much as I do. The copyright ran out on Mrs. Black a long time ago, but it is my hope that we can celebrate her, and the trials and tribulations of the everyday Victorian era housewife, perhaps creating some new classics as we go. Won't you join me?