Bios

Charles Elme Francatelli,
"The Queen's Cook"

Charles Elme Francatelli

Perhaps the best-known of our cooks of yore, and the author of The Modern Cook-A Practical Guide to the Culinary Arts (1877), is  Charles Elme Francatelli. Many of our readers will recognize the last name of "the Queen's cook" from the PBS Masterpiece Series, "/Victoria." In this book, revised after his death, Mr. Francatelli is variously described as the LATE MAITRE D'HOTEL & CHIEF COOK TO HER MAJESTY (Queen Victoria) and PUPIL OF THE CELEBRATED CAREME. His recipes are a mix of English and French, the reason for which is made clear in the book, though not in the PBS series. His recipes on the OldeCookery blog scored their own special tag: queenscook

Helena Steinthal

Helena Steinthal lived and published in Worcestershire, England. As best as we can tell, her book 100 Simple Recipes, a collection, is the only one ever written by her and published under her name. Alas, we were unable to find a picture of Ms. Steinthal.

Mary Lewis (Temple) Haines

Mary Lewis (Temple) Haines published Mrs. Haines Cook Book, subtitled "Helpful Hints for Housewives," in November of 1915. Her Preface to the book is produced in full below. The section in capital letters indicates that undoubtedly she felt strongly about not wasting "Articles ordinarily considered valueless."

"I have published this second edition of my book at the urgent demand of many pupils and friends. That it may be to others, as it has been to them, an inspiration to conquer new fields of cooking is my earnest desire.

The recipes in the main are designed for the use of the inexperienced housewife who needs smaller portions than are treated of in many more pretentious books than mine.

The more mature housewife with the larger family will have acquired the skill which will enable her to enlarge upon these recipes to meet the needs of her family.

A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE CHAPTERS DEVOTED TO ENTREES AND LEFT OVERS WILL SHOW THE WAY TO AN ECONOMICAL USE OF MANY ARTICLES ORDINARILY CONSIDERED VALUELESS. Thus a few teaspoonsful of one vegetable, added to some left-over, will often give a new combination both appetizing and nutritious.

I have demonstrated every recipe in this book and feel sure that by carefully following directions given, the beginner in cooking may fearlessly enter upon the fas-cinating study of the art of cooking. An art which, the more it is studied, the more interesting it becomes.

With grateful recognition of the many friends who have given their choicest recipes, and with them kindly words of encouragement, which have inspired me to new efforts.

I am cordially,

MARY LEWIS HAINES.

November 1, 1915.