Real Mrs Beeton H/C

Eliza Acton is the forgotten hero of our culinary past. A
debt of gratitude to her is what Delia Smith, Elizabeth
David and Mrs Beeton have in common. She was the original
and best: the first cook to write recipes in a clear, modern
format, one of the few Victorian ladies whose legacy has
lasted well into the twenty-first century and whose recipes
are still used in thousands of kitchens today. In this
absorbing first biography, Sheila Hardy creates a richly
painted narrative of how a young woman produced the first
cookery book for general use and changed history. She
provides a rich background to Eliza's success, not only as
the little-known mother of modern cookery, but as a poet and
a campaigner for healthy eating. She introduced us to curry,
chorizo and gluten-free diets 150 years before they became
fashionable. She knew Charles Dickens, and her family life
was possibly an inspiration for several of his plots. She
had a fascinating career, and this brilliantly researched
biography is a must for anyone interested in food and
cookery, or simply as an insight into the life of a modern
lady who was years ahead of her time.