Accomplisht Cook, or the Art and Mystery of Cookery. by MAY, Robert - 1665

Second and Much Expanded Edition MAY, Robert. The Accomplisht Cook, or the Art and Mystery of Cookery. Wherein the whole art is revealed in a more easie and perfect method, then hath been publisht in any language. Expert and ready wayes for the dressing of all sorts of flesh, fowl, and fish, with variety of sauces proper for each of them; and how to raise all manner of pastes; the best directions for all sorts of kickshaws; also the tearms of carving and sewing. An exact account of all dishes for all seasons of the year, with other a la mode curiosities. The second edition, with large additions throughout the whole work; besides two hundred figures of several forms for all manner of bakeít meats, (either flesh or fish) as pyes, tarts, custards, cheesecakes, and florentines, placed in tables and directed to the pages they appertain to. Approved by the fifty five years experience and industry of Robert May, in his attendance on several persons of great honour. London: Printed by R. Wood for Nath. Brooke, 1665. Second edition, largely expanded. Octavo (6 5/8 x 4 1/4 inches; 168 x 105 mm). [30], 461, [10, table], [1, blank], [20, publisher's ads] pp. With the frontispiece portrait (lacking in most copies). With numerous woodcuts throughout the text. Title-page with engraved border. Lacking initial blank, and two folding plates (as per BL copy). Although the BL copy lists plates, we could find no other copy of this edition containing the plates, and the first edition of 1660 did not include any folding plates, later editions after this second edition contain 4 folding plates. At any rate, this is a scarce book as we could only find copies at a handful of libraries and no complete copy at auction in the past 30 years. This edition is mentioned in Bitting pg. 318, but is not included in the collection. Modern full brown sheep. Boards and spine double-ruled in blind. Spine with brown morocco spine label, lettered in and tooled in gilt. Edges dyed brown. Newer endpapers. Portrait with some creasing and neat repairs along inner margin. Portrait has been reattached as well. Some occasional toning and dampstaining throughout. Previous owner's old ink ownership inscription on rear final blank, dated 1777. Overall a very good copy. "In this Edition, I have enlarged the whole work; and there is added two hundred several Figures of all sorts of Pies, Tarts, Custards, Cheesecakes, &c. more then was in the former." (from the author's Preface to this second edition). Robert May, chef and author, "May, by his own account, learned the French language, studied manuscripts of French cookery, and read printed cookery books. (In later years, he stated in his own book, he read Italian and Spanish authorities on cooking.) ...The Accomplisht Cook was the first substantial English recipe book to appear after the Restoration and was to go into five editions by 1685. It was a book that looked back to a golden age of generous hospitality and magnificence, but also recognized more recent developments, such as the publication in France of FranÁois Pierre de la Varenne's Le Cuisinier FranÁois (1653). May's work was a longer and more complete collection of recipes than had appeared before in English, and made use of illustration in a way that had not yet been seen. Cookery was still a closely guarded trade mystery, which May desired to make accessible to all, though admitting that not every reader could afford his most extravagant dishes." (Oxford DNB). ESTC R214148 . Wing M1392. HBS 68225. $3,750