Description
[003906] [Menon]; Clermont, B.[ernard] The Professed Cook: Or, the Modern Art of Cookery, Pastry, and Confectionary, Made Plain and Easy. Consisting of the Most Approved Methods in the French as Well as English Cookery Etc. Etc. London: W. Davis; T. Caslon; G. Robinson; F. Newbery; and the Author, 1776. Third Edition. 8vo. Full Sheep. Good. [3], iv-x, [49], 2-610pp. Full contemporary sheep, raised bands, spine in six panels, single line in gilt to each side of bands, with single line border to covers
Chipped with loss to spine ends, outer joints with Japanese tissue repairs, corners worn, rubbed to extremities, some scraping to covers with small amounts of loss. Internally some light browning and occasional spotting, small stain to bottom margin of Gg8 and Hh1, but generally quite clean. Previous owners name to head of ffep, and again to head of title “A. H. Penruddocke Gift of a Dear Friend”
The third edition, the first to credit Clermont. Originally published in two volumes with the title The Art of Modern Cookery Displayed in 1767 as a translation of Menon’s Les Soupers de la Cour, a second edition was published in 1769 (now under this title). This third edition is both a translation and an adaptation of Menon, with the addition of confectionary, “in which I have been particularly exact, as knowing it to be very much wanted among English servants” (page v). Clermont goes on to note the assistance of “Mr. Humphrey Turner, fishmonger, in St. James’s Market; Mr. Andrews, Poulterer, in ditto; and Mr. Adam Lawson, many years chief Gardener to the Earl of Ashburnham; in this article I was also assisted by Mrs. Rice, Green-Grocer, in St. Alban’s-Street; to all whom I am particularly thankful for their ready Compliance” (page vi)
See Bitting, page 92 (for the 10th edition); Cagle 606; MacLean, page 99; Oxford, page 101; Simon BG 355; Wellcome II:359
