Vintage Recipes: The Healthy Life Cook Book (1915)

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The Healthy Life Cook Book

Author

Florence Daniel

Published

1915. Second Edition

Preface

This little book has been compiled by special and repeated request. Otherwise, I should have hesitated to add to the already existing number of vegetarian cookery books. It is not addressed to the professional cook, but to those who find themselves, as I did, confronted with the necessity of manufacturing economical vegetarian dishes without any previous experience of cooking. An experienced cook will doubtless find many of the detailed instructions superfluous.

The original idea was to compile a cookery book for those vegetarians who are non-users of milk and eggs. But as this would have curtailed the book's usefulness, especially to vegetarian beginners, the project was abandoned. At the same time, non-users of milk and eggs will find that their interests have been especially considered in very many of the recipes.

All the recipes have been well tested. Many of them I evolved myself after repeated experiments. Others I obtained from friends. But all of them are used in my own little household. So that if any reader experiences difficulty in obtaining the expected results, if she will write to me, at 3, Tudor Street, London, E.C., and enclose a stamped envelope for reply, I shall be glad to give any assistance in my power.

I desire to record my gratitude here to the friends who have sent me recipes; to the graduate of the Victoria School of Cookery, who assisted me with much good advice; to Cassell's large Dictionary of Cookery, from which I gathered many useful hints; to the Herald of Health, which first published recipes for the Agar-agar Jellies and Wallace Cheese; and to E. and B. May's Cookery Book, from whence emanates the idea of jam without sugar. Lastly, I would thank Mrs. Hume, of "Loughtonhurst," Bournemouth, with whom I have spent several pleasant holidays, and who kindly placed her menus at my disposal.

Florence Daniel

Preface to Second Edition

This little cookery book was originally published for that "straiter" sect of food-reformers who abstain from the use of salt, yeast, etc. But, owing to repeated requests from ordinary vegetarians, who find the book useful, I am now including recipes for yeast bread, cheese dishes, nutmeat dishes, etc. I have put all these in the chapter entitled "Extra Recipes." To go to the opposite extreme there is a short chapter for "unfired feeders." Other new recipes have also been added.

The note re Salads has been borrowed from E.J. Saxon, and the Vegetable Stew in Casserole Cookery from R. & M. Goring, in The Healthy Life.

Florence Daniel

Savoury Dishes

The recipes following are intended to be used as substitutes for meat, fish, etc.

The body needs for its sustenance water, mineral salts**, fats and oils, carbo-hydrates (starch and sugar), and proteids (the flesh and muscle-forming elements). All vegetable foods (in their natural state) contain all these elements, and, at a pinch, human life might be supported on any one of them. I say "at a pinch" because if the nuts, cereals and pulses were ruled out of the dietary, it would, for most people, be deficient in fat and proteid. Wholewheat, according to a physiologist whose work is one of the standard books on the subject, is a perfectly-proportioned, complete food. Hence it is possible to live entirely on good bread and water.

Nuts are the best substitute for flesh meat. Next in order come the pulses. After these come wholewheat and unpolished rice. Both nuts and pulses contain, like flesh meat, a large quantity of proteid in a concentrated form. No one needs more than 1/4 pound per day, at most, of either. Eggs, of course, are a good meat substitute, so far as the percentage of proteid is concerned.

** I allude to mineral salts as found in the vegetable kingdom, not to the manufactured salts, like the ordinary table salt, etc., which are simply poisons when taken as food.

The Healthy Life Cook Book

Author

Published

Preface

Preface to Second Edition

Savoury Dishes

Recipes

Beverages

Breads

Cheese

Desserts

Desserts: Cakes

Desserts: Cookies & Squares

Desserts: Gelatin Desserts

Desserts: Pies

Desserts: Pies: Pastry

Desserts: Puddings

Eggs

Eggs: Omelets

Pasta

Preserves & Pickles

Rice, Cereals, Grains

Rice, Cereals, Grains: Nuts

Salads

Salads: Salad Dressings

Sauces & Spreads

Soup

Vegetables

Vegetables: Beans

Vegetables: Peas

Vegetables: Tomatoes

Vegetables: Turnip

Miscellaneous Recipes

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