Mrs. Raffald is to the 18th-century what Mrs Beeton was to the 19th, except that she wrote her bestselling book from her own recipes. The first edition, from which this reprint is taken, was published in 1769. It was an instant success and continued to be reprinted until the 1830s. There is a fine collection of family dishes as well as recipes for grand dining. It is surprising to see from this how many ingredients, and in what variety, were available at that date. It was this book that first made public the confectioner's art, and she was especially well known for her practical pickling and preserving recipes. All these, and more, can be used today, and deserve to be restored to the repertory of English cookery at its best.