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The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook: Giving the Duties of Mistress and Servants, the General Management of the House and Practical Recipes for Co

✍️ Steel, Flora Annie Webster
Reader Score
4.2
(1 review)
$55.00
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🏛 Cambridge University Press 📅 2010 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781108021937
📚 This Book in Collections

📝 Description: The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook: Giving the Duties of Mistress and Servants, the General Management of the House and Practical Recipes for Co

Flora Annie Steel and Grace Gardiner's classic work of Anglo-Indian household life was first published in 1888 and went through ten editions thanks to its great utility. Tailored specifically for the British community in India, the book covers household hints, domestic finances and house management, a glossary of common domestic terms, and a variety of recipes. For readers today, it provides a valuable insight into life in British India, as well as revealing contemporary attitudes to the native Indian people. Steel and Gardiner were witty and well-travelled women of lively intelligence, and the book makes entertaining and accessible, if highly opinionated, reading. Topics covered include the care of domestic and farm animals, clothing and dressmaking, practical cooking tips, camp and missionary life, and how to cope with the idiosyncrasies of the Indian servant. For more information on Steel, see http: //orlando.cambridge.org/public/svPeople?person_id=steefl

💎 Expert review

“
🍳
Eatbook Family editorial team
Cookbook desk
While charming for its historical novelty, this book is ill-suited for modern home cooks seeking reliable, tested recipes for contemporary Indian cuisine. The culinary instructions are secondary to the social commentary and household management advice, reflecting a colonial mindset that many today will find off-putting or offensive. It lacks the nutritional rigor and updated techniques expected in current cooking literature. Readers looking for authentic, respectful engagement with Indian culture may be disappointed by the authors' perspective. However, as a historical document detailing the domestic sphere of British India, it remains an interesting, if dated, resource for scholars and history enthusiasts rather than culinary practitioners.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Eatbook Family —

Reader rating

4.2
Based on 1 reviews
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Eatbook Family editorial team

While charming for its historical novelty, this book is ill-suited for modern home cooks seeking reliable, tested recipes for contemporary Indian cuisine. The culinary instructions are secondary to the social commentary and household management advice, reflecting a colonial mindset that many today will find off-putting or offensive. It lacks the nutritional rigor and updated techniques expected in current cooking literature. Readers looking for authentic, respectful engagement with Indian culture may be disappointed by the authors' perspective. However, as a historical document detailing the domestic sphere of British India, it remains an interesting, if dated, resource for scholars and history enthusiasts rather than culinary practitioners.

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