The Modern Housewife or Ménagère

A Victorian celebrity chef's 1849 manual on household management for the middle classes, conceived as a dialogue between two housewives.

Alexis Soyer (1810–58) was perhaps the first celebrity chef. A flamboyant, larger-than-life figure, he nonetheless took his profession very seriously. This work, first published in 1849, conceived as a dialogue between two housewives, offers rich insights into household management of the time. It contains hundreds of recipes and tips.Perhaps the first celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer (1810–58) was a flamboyant, larger-than-life character who nonetheless took his profession very seriously. As the chef of London's Reform Club, he modernised its kitchens, installing refrigerators and gas cookers. They became something of a showpiece, even opening for tours. In contrast, Soyer also organised soup kitchens during the Great Famine in Ireland and volunteered his services in the Crimea in 1855 to improve military catering. He was also a prolific inventor of kitchen gadgets, notably promoting the Magic Stove, used for cooking food at the table. This work, first published in 1849, was aimed at the middle classes. Conceived as a dialogue between two housewives, it contains hundreds of recipes and tips, giving modern readers a rich insight into household management of the time. Also reissued in this series are Soyer's Gastronomic Regenerator (1846) and Culinary Campaign (1857).