Cookery for invalids, persons of delicate digestion, and for children / by Mary Hooper.

  • Hooper, Mary, 1829-1904.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Cookery for invalids, persons of delicate digestion, and for children / by Mary Hooper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    Thus it is that gruel, which in former times was said to “gratify nature” and to be the king of spoon meats and the queen of soups, and which played so important a part in the sick dietary, has fallen into disrepute. The fact is that in these days few persons know gruel except as manufactured from the starchy preparations the chief merits of which appear to be that they “ can be made in ten minutes;” and it is, therefore, no wonder so much dislike is expressed for it The delicious, creamy, nourishing, one may almost say elegant, gruel, made by the hands of our grandmothers for their invalids, is now hardly known among us. It was either made from groats, crushed in the household mortar, or bought speci- ally prepared, and known as “Embden groats,” and was in either case admirably suited for the purpose. After many hours’ boiling the gruel was carefully strained, and was then ready to be served plain, or flavoured, as the case might require. We can hardly wonder in these days that gruel is so unpopular, being what it is—a “ patent hasty