The Complete Indian Housekeeper and Cook

This thorough and accessible late-nineteenth century domestic guidebook provided an indispensable companion to managing the British household in India.

Steel and Gardiner's much reprinted companion to household management in British India was, and is, a valuable resource. It offers detailed, thorough and accessible tips on all domestic matters as well as providing the modern reader with a fascinating insight into Anglo-Indian life in the late-nineteenth century.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