The Jane Austen Cookbook

"This book has authentic recipes associated with Jane Austen, now modernized for today's cooks, including buttered prawns, wine-roasted gammon and pigeon pie, broil'd eggs, white soup and salmagundy, pyramid creams and Martha's almond cheesecakes. Jane Austen wrote her novels in the midst of a large and sociable family. Brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, friends and acquaintances were always coming and going, which offered numerous occasions for convivial eating and drinking. One of Jane's dearest friends, Martha Lloyd, lived with the family for many years and recorded in her "Household Book" over 100 recipes enjoyed by the Austens. A selection of this family fare, now thoroughly tested and modernized for today's cooks, is re-created here, together with some of the more sophisticated dishes which Jane and her characters would have enjoyed at balls, picnics and supper parties. A fascinating introduction describes Jane's own interest in food, drawing upon both the novels and her letters, and explains the social conventions of shopping, eating and entertaining in late Georgian and Regency England. The book is illustrated throughout with delightful contemporary line drawings, prints and watercolors." -- Back cover.