Description

This little book has been compiled by special and repeated request.

Otherwise, I should have hesitated to add to the already existing number of vegetarian cookery books. It is not addressed to the professional cook, but to those who find themselves, as I did, confronted with the necessity of manufacturing economical vegetarian dishes without any previous experience of cooking. An experienced cook will doubtless find many of the detailed instructions superfluous.

The original idea was to compile a cookery book for those vegetarians who are non-users of milk and eggs. But as this would have curtailed the book’s usefulness, especially to vegetarian beginners, the project was abandoned. At the same time, non-users of milk and eggs will find that their interests have been especially considered in very many of the recipes. All the recipes have been well tested. Many of them I evolved myself after repeated experiments. Others I obtained from friends. But all of them are used in my own little household.

I desire to record my gratitude here to the friends who have sent me recipes; to the graduate of the Victoria School of Cookery, who assisted me with much good advice; to Cassell’s large Dictionary of Cookery, from which I gathered many useful hints; to the Herald of Health, which first published recipes for the Agar-agar Jellies and Wallace Cheese; and to E. and B. May’s Cookery Book, from whence emanates the idea of jam without sugar. Lastly, I would thank Mrs. Hume, of “Loughtonhurst,” Bournemouth, with whom I have spent several pleasant holidays, and who kindly placed her menus at my disposal.

— Florence Daniel