Trends and fads come and go in the world of book-collecting, just as anywhere else. Authors, subjects and eras rise and fall in price like stocks and shares, but one subject remains legendarily popular – cookery. This beautiful book is by C F Leyel, one of my heroes. She was a scholar, author, cook and herbalist and she started Culpeper’s, the (ex) chain of shops, in 1927. She also helped found The Herb Society which is still – ahem – flourishing. Along the way she wrote dozens of sensible, innovative and downright stylish cookery books. Hidden away in this later edition are many un-credited contributions from another very collectible foodie, Elizabeth David. Tomorrow we’ll be looking at love again with another ‘Art Of ‘ title, this one from 1854…
Chatto and Windus, 1942. Reprint.
