New Vegetarian Dishes — A Reader’s Guide

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In Category - Recipes

Authors: Bowdich, Mrs., Bell, Ernest, 1851-1933 [Author of introduction, etc.] Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2008 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Vegetarianism; Cooking (Vegetables) Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 27,078

Reading time 118 min

Text sections 6

The catalog record for New Vegetarian Dishes — A Reader’s Guide provides practical reading context through 27,078 words, 1 hr 58 min estimated reading time, and 6 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 11.4 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Vegetarianism,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #27639

This 1892 cookbook offers over 200 original vegetarian recipes, many using beans, peas, eggs, and grains as meat substitutes. The preface by Ernest Bell distinguishes between frugal vegetarians and those seeking palatable, nourishing meat-free dishes. Recipes like Surprise Balls and Toad-in-the-Hole show inventive use of leftovers and batters.

Editorial Edition Score 4.6/5

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File: pg27639

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[ Transcriber's Note: Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible; changes (corrections of spelling and punctuation) made to the original text are listed at the end of this file. ]

NEW VEGETARIAN DISHES

AUTHOR OF "CONFIDENTIAL CHATS WITH MOTHERS"

ERNEST BELL, M.A. TREASURER OF THE LONDON VEGETARIAN SOCIETY

LONDON GEORGE BELL & SONS, YORK ST., COVENT GARDEN AND NEW YORK 1892

CHISWICK PRESS:--C. WHITTINGHAM AND CO., TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE.

There are already a good many vegetarian cookery books, ranging in price from one penny to half-a-crown, but yet, when I am asked, as not unfrequently happens, to recommend such a book, I know of only one which at all fulfils the requirements, and even that one is, I find, rather severely criticised by ladies who know anything about the matter.

To have to live by some of them would almost make a vegetarian turn meat-eater. Most are compilations from other books with the meat dishes left out, and a little porridge and a few beans and peas thrown in. All of them, I believe, contain a lot of puddings and sweets, which certainly are vegetarian, but which can be found in any ordinary cookery book.

What is required is a book that will enable us to provide something to take the place of meat, which, while nourishing, shall at the same time be palatable. This the present book aims at doing. Of the 221 recipes given, upwards of 200 are absolutely original, having been carefully thought out and tested by the author herself, and not hitherto published anywhere. Many of them are as nourishing, weight for weight, as ordinary dishes made with meat, those containing beans, peas, eggs, and the various sorts of grain, being the most nourishing. If they are not all found to be palatable, the fault must be in the individual cook, who cannot have put in the important ingredient of _feeling_, without which no work can be wholly good.

The thorough-going vegetarian, to whom abstinence from meat is part of his ethical code and his religion,--who would as soon think of taking his neighbour's purse as helping himself to a slice of beef,--is by nature a man of frugal habits and simple tastes. He _prefers_ a plain diet, and knows that the purest enjoyment is to be found in fruits of all kinds as nature supplies them. He needs but little cookery, and that of the simplest. To him this book will be of little use, except when he wishes to entertain his friends.

But there are others who, while not feeling that any moral principle is immediately involved in the matter of diet, yet would like to be relieved from the necessity of eating flesh, possibly on aesthetic grounds, or it may be from hygienic reasons, or in some cases, I hope, because they would willingly diminish the sufferings involved in the transport and slaughter of animals, inevitable as long as they are used for food. To these it is hoped that this little book may act as an encouragement and help.

Nor need our carnivorous friends be afraid of it. A good deal of nonsense is talked (by meat-eaters I mean, of course) about the properties of food, and they would have us believe that they eat a beef-steak mainly because it contains 21.5 per cent. of nitrogen. But we know better. They have eaten steaks for many years, but it was only last week, in working up for a debate, that they found out about the nitrogen. It is not the chemical ingredients which determine the diet, but the _flavour_; and it is quite remarkable, when some tasty vegetarian dishes are on the table, how soon the percentages of nitrogen are forgotten, and how far a small piece of meat will go. If this little book shall succeed in thus weaning away a few from a custom which is bad--bad for the suffering creatures that are butchered--bad for the class set apart to be the slaughterers--bad for the consumers physically, in that it produces disease, and morally, in that it tends to feed the lower and more ferocious qualities of mind, and also for ever prevents our treating the animal creation with that _courtesy_ (as Sir Arthur Helps put it) which is their due--then I know that it will not have wholly failed in carrying out the author's benevolent intention.

NEW VEGETARIAN DISHES.

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Ernest Bell’s preface to New Vegetarian Dishes immediately sets the book apart from existing vegetarian cookbooks, which he criticizes as mere compilations with meat dishes removed and “a little porridge and a few beans and peas thrown in.” He notes that over 200 of the 221 recipes are original, tested by Mrs. Bowdich herself. Bell addresses two audiences: the “thorough-going vegetarian” of frugal habits, for whom the book is mainly useful when entertaining, and those who avoid meat for aesthetic, hygienic, or ethical reasons but still want palatable, nourishing dishes. This framing suggests the recipes aim to satisfy both simplicity and flavour.

Originality and Structure of the Recipes

Bell claims that “upwards of 200 are absolutely original,” a striking assertion for a cookbook of this era. The excerpts show recipes numbered from No. 112 to No. 118, each with a clear list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions. The structure is consistent: ingredient quantities are given in ounces, pounds, teaspoons, and pints, followed by method paragraphs. Some recipes include a “Note” for variations, such as substituting rice or semolina for vermicelli in Stuffed Onions. This systematic format makes the book practical for daily use, though the lack of cooking times or temperatures (e.g., “bake in a moderate oven about thirty minutes”) leaves room for the cook’s judgment.

Inventive Use of Leftovers and Batters

Several recipes demonstrate thrift and creativity. No. 113, Surprise Balls, uses “cooked greens of any kind” mixed with mashed potatoes and egg to envelop forcemeat balls, then fries them. No. 114, Toad-in-the-Hole, repurposes cooked lentils and mashed potatoes into sausages baked in batter. The two versions of Tomatoes in Batter (Nos. 115 and 116) show how a simple batter base can be adapted: the plain version uses only tomatoes, while the seasoned one adds a layer of forcemeat. These recipes reflect a kitchen economy that avoids waste while producing dishes that are “as nourishing, weight for weight, as ordinary dishes made with meat.”

Emphasis on Palatability and Seasoning

Bell’s preface stresses that the book aims to provide meat substitutes that are “palatable” as well as nourishing. The recipes themselves use generous seasoning: salt, pepper, mixed herbs, shalot, watercress, and tomato juice appear frequently. No. 112, Spinach with Peas and Tomatoes, calls for three teaspoons of salt and a little pepper, plus butter and flour for thickening. No. 117, Tomato and Egg on Toast, simmers tomato pulp with shalot, butter, and pepper, then thickens with flour. The instructions often specify “stir over a brisk fire” or “serve quickly,” indicating attention to texture and temperature. This focus on flavour suggests the book targets cooks who want meat-free meals that do not sacrifice taste.

Audience and Practical Guidance

The preface divides readers into two groups: the strict vegetarian who prefers plain fruit and simple cookery, and the “others” who seek relief from meat-eating for aesthetic, hygienic, or ethical reasons. For the latter, Bell hopes the recipes will provide satisfying alternatives. The recipes themselves assume a cook familiar with basic techniques like scalding tomatoes, poaching eggs, and making batter. Instructions such as “baste them occasionally” and “well press out the water” imply hands-on experience. The book does not explain fundamental skills, so it is best suited to those already comfortable in the kitchen. The inclusion of forcemeat balls and savoury mixtures suggests a repertoire that can be built upon.

Reading New Vegetarian Dishes sequentially reveals a methodical approach to meat-free cooking, from simple vegetable sides to more composed dishes like Surprise Balls. The recipes reward attention to detail—seasoning, basting, and timing are left to the cook. Bell’s preface provides context for the book’s originality and audience, but the recipes speak for themselves. For a first reading, focus on the structure of each recipe and the variations offered; they hint at a flexible system adaptable to available ingredients.

Reading this 1892 cookbook, I keep thinking about how fussy some of these recipes feel—Surprise Balls, indeed—and yet there’s a tenderness in their thrift. It makes me remember the simpler, smoke-tinged meals from Camp fires and camp cooking — A Reader’s Guide, where a single pot and an open flame felt like enough. Both feel like quiet kitchens from another life.