text: a new system of domestic cookery a new system of domestic cookery , first published in 1806 by maria eliza rundell ( 1745 – 16 december 1828 ) , was the most popular english cookbook of the first half of the nineteenth century ; it is often referred to simply as " mrs rundell " , but its full title is a new system of domestic cookery : formed upon principles of economy ; and adapted to the use of private families . mrs rundell has been called " the original domestic goddess " and her book " a publishing sensation " and " the most famous cookery book of its time " . it ran to over 67 editions ; the 1865 edition had grown to 644 pages , and earned two thousand guineas . book the first edition of 1806 was a short collection of mrs rundell 's recipes published by john murray . it went through dozens of editions , both legitimate and pirated , in both britain and the united states , where the first edition was published in 1807 . the frontispiece typically credited the authorship to " a lady " . later editions continued for some forty years after mrs rundell 's death . the author emma roberts ( c . 1794 – 1840 ) edited the 64th edition , adding some recipes of her own . sales of a new system of domestic cookery helped to found the john murray publishing empire . sales in britain were over 245 , 000 ; worldwide , over 500 , 000 ; the book stayed in print until the 1880s . when rundell and murray fell out , she approached a rival publisher , longman 's , leading to a legal battle . contents the 1865 edition is divided into 35 chapters over 644 pages . it begins with a 2 - page preface . the table of contents lists each recipe under its chapter heading . there is a set of tables of weights , measures , wages and taxes before the main text . there is a full index at the end . approach in contrast to the relative disorder of english eighteenth century cookery books such as eliza smith 's the compleat housewife ( 1727 ) or elizabeth raffald 's the experienced english housekeeper ( 1769 ) , mrs rundell 's text is strictly ordered and neatly subdivided . where those books consist almost wholly of recipes , mrs rundell begins by explaining techniques of economy ( " a minute account of the annual income and the times of payment should be kept in writing " ) , how to carve , how to stew , how to season , to " look clean , be careful and nice in work , so that those who have to eat might look on " , how to choose and use steam - kettles and the bain - marie , the meanings of foreign terms like pot - au - feu ( " truly the foundation of all good cookery " ) , all the joints of meat , the " basis of all well - made soups " , so it is page 65 before actual recipes begin . the recipes are written as direct instructions . quantities , if given , are incorporated in the text . for example , " gravy to make mutton eat like venison " runs : pick a very stale woodcock , or snipe , cut it to pieces ( but first take out the bag from the entrails ) , and simmer with as much unseasoned meat gravy as you will want . strain it , and serve in the dish . basic skills like making pastry are explained separately , and then not mentioned in recipes . under " pastry " , mrs rundell gives directions for " rich puff paste " , " a less rich paste " , and " crust for venison pasty " , with variations such as " raised for custards or fruit " . a recipe for " shrimp pie , excellent " then proceeds with the bare minimum indication of quantities and a passing mention of " the paste " : pick a quart of shrimps ; if they are very salt , season them with only mace and a clove or two . mince two or three anchovies ; mix these with the spice , and then season the shrimps . put some butter at the bottom of the dish , and over the shrimps , with a glass of sharp white wine . the paste must be light and thin . they do not take long baking . advice is given on choosing the best supplies in the market . for instance : fowls . — if a cock is young , his spurs will be short ; but take care to see they have not been cut or pared , which is a trick often practised . if fresh , the vent will be close and dark . reception contemporary the monthly review wrote in 1827 that a new system of domestic cookery is almost too well known to require notice [ i.e. a review ] . its chief object is , to teach economy in the management of the table ; and this , we think , it accomplishes . we cannot speak in praise of its receipts for the higher kinds of cookery , but we dare say that they will be very much admired by precisely that class of whose judgement is worth nothing . " the review concluded that " though we have no respect for mrs. rundell 's , we cordially admire her practical good sense , and applaud her for the production of a useful book " which had been " the pattern of all that have since been published . " by 1841 the quarterly literary advertiser was able to give as the " opinions of the press " , on the 64th edition , paragraphs of favourable reviews from the worcestershire guardian ( " the standard work of reference in every private family in english society " ) , the hull advertiser ( " most valuable advice upon all household matters " ) , the derby reporter ( " a complete guide ... suited to the present advanced state of the art " ) , keane 's bath journal ( " it leaves no room to any rival " ) , the durham advertiser ( " no housekeeper ought to be without this book " ) , the brighton gazette ( " if further proof be wanting , it may be found in the fact that mrs. rundell received from her publisher , mr. murray , no less a sum than two thousand guineas for her labour ! ! " ) , the aylesbury news ( " the peculiarity of the present work is its scientific preface , and an attention to economy as well as taste in giving its directions " ) , the bristol mirror ( " far surpasses all its predecessors , and continues to be the best treatise extant concerning the art " ) , the midland counties herald ( " ought to be in the hands of every lady who does not consider it vulgar to look after the affairs of her own household " ) , the inverness herald ( " enriched with the latest improvements in gastronomic science " ) and the scotsman , which ventured the sixty - fourth edition ! so much for mrs. rundell 's portion of the work . of that portion , after this , we need say nothing . ... of the additions made by her successor [ emma roberts ] , ... she appears to have brought a large amount of experience in the art of cookery to the task , and her name alone is a sufficient guarantee for the utility and excellence of her new receipts . in 1844 , the foreign quarterly review commented on the 67th edition that it is exclusively a middle class book , and intended for the rich bourgeoisie . the compiler , mrs. rundell , had spent the early part of her life in india , and the last edition of the work is enriched with many receipts of indian cookery . it is on the whole a succinct and judicious compilation ... for many years , if report speaks truly , it has produced 1000 £ . a year to the publisher " . modern severin carrell , writing in the guardian , calls mrs rundell " the original domestic goddess " and her book " a publishing sensation " of the early nineteenth century , as it sold " half a million copies and conquered america " , as well as helping to found the john murray publishing empire . for all that , carrell notes , both " the most famous cookery book of its time " and rundell herself vanished into obscurity . elizabeth grice , writing in the telegraph , similarly calls mrs rundell " a victorian domestic goddess " , though without " nigella 's sexual frisson , or delia 's uncomplicated kitchen manners " . grice points out that " at 61 , she was too old to act the pouting goddess " to sell her book , but " sell it did , in vast numbers , as a lifeline to cash - strapped middle - class english households that were desperate to keep up appearances but were having trouble with the staff . " she says that compared to eliza acton " who could write better " ( as in her 1845 book , modern cookery for private families ) , and the " ubiquitous " mrs beeton , mrs rundell " has unfairly slipped from view " . alan davidson , in the oxford companion to food writes that " it did not include many novel features , although it did have one of the first english recipes for tomato sauce . " editions there have been over 67 editions , success leading to constant revision and extension : the first edition had 344 pages , while the 1865 edition runs to 644 pages including the index . some landmarks in the book 's publication history are : " by a lady . " 1st edition . london : john murray , 1806 . ( no title page ) boston : w. andrews , 1807 . " by a lady . " philadelphia : benjamin c. , 1807 . " by a lady . " " second edition " . boston : andrews & cummings , and l. blake , 1807 . " by a lady . " new edition , 1808 . " price seven shillings and sixpence . " " by a lady . " new - york : r. & d. b. arden , 1814 . " by a lady . " 1816 edition , reprinted by persephone books , 2008 . " by a lady . " new edition , 1824 . " by a lady . " london : thomas allman , 1840 . " by a lady . " 66th edition , john murray , 1842 . " by mrs. rundell . " from the sixty - seventh london edition . philadelphia : carey and hart , 1844 . " by a lady . " new edition , " 245th thousand " , john murray , 1865 .