The complete Indian Housekeeper & Cook
Flora Annie Webster Steel and Grace Gardiner, The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook: Giving the Duties of Mistress and Servants, the General Management of the House and Practical Recipes for Cooking in all its branches, London: William Heinemann, 1898, first edition
[xiv] + 373 pages; includes: 2 pp. publisher's list; hardbound with gilt text at the spine
7.25 x 5 in (18.5 x 13 cm)
Flora Annie Steel and Grace Gardiner's The Complete Indian Housekeeper & Cook is a fundamental manual that offers a captivating perspective on British domestic life in colonial India. This book, which was initially published in 1888, was intended to assist British women in the management of households while living abroad. It provides practical instructions on the responsibilities of both mistresses and servants, domestic organization, and a diverse selection of recipes that have been adapted to the Indian environment.
The book encompasses a wide range of subjects, such as:
Household Management: Establishment and maintenance of storerooms, the supervision of household personnel, and the implementation of hygiene practices.
Servant Supervision: Guidelines for the recruitment, training, and supervision of Indian domestic workers.
Cooking and Recipes: A combination of British and Anglo-Indian recipes that have been modified to accommodate local ingredients.
Childcare and First Aid: Tips on raising children in India, treating common illnesses, and maintaining health.
The authors, who are both wives of Indian Civil Service officers, drew upon their years of residence in India to provide a comprehensive guide that is specifically designed for the requirements of British expatriates. Their work is characterized by authority and experience. The book offers an invaluable historical record of the colonial mentality, social structures, and culinary adaptations of the era, in addition to its practical applications.
The Complete Indian Housekeeper & Cook is a practical cookbook and an intriguing cultural artifact that provides contemporary readers with a glimpse into the daily lives of British women in India and their endeavors to reestablish a familiar domestic sphere in a foreign land.
Flora Annie Steel (1847–1929) was a British writer and educator who was distinguished for her extensive contributions to British India. She was born in Sudbury Priory, Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, and married Henry William Steel of the Indian Civil Service in 1867. Subsequently, she relocated to India. Steel was deeply engrossed in the local culture during her 22-year stay in the Punjab region, where she acquired proficiency in numerous Indian languages and actively participated in the community. She was the Inspectress of Schools, responsible for the supervision of education in an extensive region that extended from Peshawar to Delhi. Her literary contributions, which encompass a variety of novels and short tales, have earned her the title "the female Rudyard Kipling."
The Complete Indian Housekeeper & Cook was co-authored by Grace Gardiner, a contemporary and close associate of Steel. Although Gardiner's precise biographical information is not as well-documented, her collaboration with Steel implies that she and Steel shared a profound comprehension of domestic life in colonial India. Their collaborative efforts demonstrate a thorough understanding of the cultural subtleties of the era and household management.
Steel and Gardiner's collaboration yielded invaluable insights into the amalgamation of British and Indian domestic practices, which had an enduring influence on the cultural and literary comprehension of the colonial era.
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