Cassell's Vegetarian Cookery: A Manual of Cheap and Wholesome Diet

This work serves as a guide for individuals who wish to adopt a vegetarian diet, whether from choice, health reasons, or necessity, emphasizing the importance of thrifty yet nutritious meals. At the start of the book, the author outlines the purpose and philosophy behind vegetarianism, highlighting its accessibility and potential health benefits. Payne acknowledges the growing trend of reducing meat consumption and aims to provide practical and economical recipes for a vegetarian diet. He addresses common misconceptions and encourages readers to embrace a variety of vegetables, grains, and legumes. The introduction sets the stage for the numerous recipes that follow, offering insights into vegetarian cooking while promising to cater to both seasoned vegetarians and those simply looking to experiment with reducing meat in their meals.There are very few persons, unless they have made vegetarian cookery a study, who are aware what a great variety of soups can be made without the use of meat or fish. As a rule, ordinary cookery-books have the one exception of what is called soup maigre. In England it seems to be the impression that the goodness of the soup depends upon the amount of nourishment that can be compressed into a small space. It is, however, a great mistake to think that because we take a large amount of nourishment we are necessarily nourished. There is a limit, though what that limit is no one can say, beyond which soup becomes absolutely injurious. A quarter of a pound of Liebig's Extract of Meat dissolved in half a pint of water is obviously an over-dose of what is considered nourishment. In France, as a rule, soup is prepared on an altogether different idea. It is a light, thin broth, taken at the commencement of the meal to strengthen the stomach, in order to render it capable of receiving more substantial food to follow. Vegetarian soups are, of course, to be considered from this latter point of view.We think these few preliminary observations necessary as we have to overcome a very strong English prejudice, which is too apt to despise everything of which the remark can be made-"Ah! but there is very little nourishment in it." Vegetarian soups, as a rule, and especially the thin ones, must be regarded as a light and pleasant flavouring which, with a small piece of white bread enables the most obstinately delicate stomach to commence a repast that experience has found best adapted to its requirements.