John Nott, the chef for the Duke of Bolton, who resided in St.
Jamess’s Street, wrote this charming introduction to his
cookbook, which was published in 1723 and is now in the public
domain. A learned man, Nott’s French inspired recipes show that
vegetables, such as carrots and new varieties of asparagus and
spinach, which were brought from overseas, were becoming more
plentiful on tables. He also makes frequent mention of
marmalades, blanc-manges, creams, biscuits, and sweet cakes.*
The cookbook includes two peacock recipes and a collection of 13
red currant recipes. He seems to have been a fairly-read and
intelligent man, and cites, in the course of his work, many
celebrated names and receipts. Thus we have:—To brew ale Sir
Jonas Moore’s way; to make Dr. Butler’s purging ale; ale of
health and strength, by the Viscount St. Albans; almond butter
the Cambridge way; to dress a leg of mutton à la Dauphine; to
dress mutton the Turkish way; to stew a pike the City way. Dr.
Twin’s, Dr. Blacksmith’s, and Dr. Atkin’