A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes

Five pounds of salt beef, dumplings and vegetables: for 3 shillings and 9 pence, Charles Elmé Francatelli promises a Sunday dinner for ten—and enough left to help feed them tomorrow. His first recipe is less a feast than a small act of household strategy.

Written in the mid-19th century for families watching every penny, this plain-speaking guide turns humble ingredients into filling meals. Francatelli shows how to stretch a joint of beef into dinner, save its liquor for soup, and make bones, potatoes and oatmeal earn their keep. The challenge is not simply to cook, but to waste nothing and feed everyone well; even the largest meal must be managed with care. How much nourishment can a thrifty cook coax from a pot?

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