Labor and Taste in Eighteenth-Century Britain: Vincent La Chapelle’s “The Modern Cook”

By Laura Ochoa Rincon, ’22

Throughout history, people have looked at children, and their upbringings, in radically different ways. Prior to the mid-seventeenth century it was widely believed in both England and America that children were innately born with sin and ought to have been treated as small adults rather than children. It wasn’t until John Locke introduced the concept of tabula rasa, or a “blank slate” that premonitions about childhood began to change. Locke postulated that a child acquires knowledge and behavior from the environment in which they live. More than three centuries later, French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu built upon Locke’s work when discussing his theory of habitus, or the way that social and cultural practices change the way people develop habits, personalities, and skills in their insular world. This theory can be directly tied into Locke’s own postulations about childhood and education.

Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the kitchen. Vincent La Chapelle’s The Modern Cook: Containing Instructions for Preparing and Ordering Publick Entertainments for the Tables of Princes, Ambassadors, Noblemen, and Magistrates shows us a glimpse into the world of aristocratic kitchens.¹ As Jean Flandrin and Massimo Montanari explain in their book Food: A Culinary History, La Chappelle’s book had a titanic influence on aristocratic cuisine in England and, subsequently, early America.² The Modern Cook is not simply one book, but rather a three-volume encyclopedia on both plating and cooking. It is critical to remember how important plating was to the meal itself. The wares used, the arrangements, and even the color of the plates was all part of a highly choreographed dance of taste, style, and sophistication. This type of behavior is taught: perhaps this is why La Chapelle found it so important to include several recipes in his books that were curated for children specifically.

One must note that La Chapelle’s book is intended for a particular audience. This audience would most likely have been head cooks of large manors or estates. Given the literacy rates in England during this period, it is probable that only a few of the kitchen staff would have been able to follow the book’s recipes. Regardless, the staff in the kitchen would have had to know how to make these various recipes, including those intended for children.

A recipe entitled “Panada’s for children” particularly intrigued me: a panada is a type of bread soup found in western European countries. Why did La Chappelle choose to include a distinct recipe for this type of food for children? Through my research, I believe this was done with Locke’s idea of tabula rasa in mind. Since it was assumed that children were products of their environment, that environment needed to be curated. That task fell to authors like La Chapelle, as well as the kitchen staff in houses throughout England. The kitchen staff were ultimately the ones who had to teach proper manners to the children. We tend to think of taste-making as centered around consumers themselves, but when we heed the words of Locke and Bordieu, we come to a realization that British taste and design was ultimately enforced by those who worked in large estates.