SKU: 28734374374

DINNERS FOR BEGINNERS FROM PERSEPHONE BOOKS

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Description

DINNERS FOR BEGINNERS FROM PERSEPHONE BOOKSDinners for Beginners is our eighth cookbook. It came out in 1934, the same year as The Country Housewifes Book by Lucy H Yates. Both books were suggested to us by Persephone readers, one by the owner of a working farm in Kent (The Country Housewife's Book) and one by a busy young teacher (Dinners for Beginners). The premise of the book is that it is for people who know nothing about cooking. At the same time it is intended for all those whether they

Dinners for Beginners is our eighth cookbook. It came out in 1934, the same year as The Country Housewife’s Book by Lucy H Yates. Both books were suggested to us by Persephone readers, one by the owner of a working farm in Kent (The Country Housewife's Book) and one by a busy young teacher (Dinners for Beginners).


The premise of the book is that it is for ‘people who know nothing about cooking. At the same time it is intended for all those – whether they can cook or not – who appreciate good food and like to entertain their friends, but cannot afford to spend more than a strictly limited amount of money on housekeeping. The authors have tried to write a cookery book that EXPLAINS EVERYTHING. No knowledge is taken for granted. The beginner is not expected to know by the light of nature how to make gravy, sauces or pastry; she is told when the lid of a saucepan or fireproof dish ought to be on and when it should be off.’


The book contains 109 recipes and 28 menus of dinners for four people, seven for each season of the year, at a total cost of 5/-. This is about £15 nowadays and indeed it would be possible (if one excluded wine, cheese and coffee as the Ryans have done) to feed four people on £15. Here are some of the menus for autumn: Squab Pie (made with stewing lamb and vegetables), corn on the cob and baked pears; chicken in white sauce, braised celery, cheese potatoes and lemon cream; rabbit, cauliflower, blackberry pudding and junket; jugged hare with vegetables and rice and pineapple cream; and whiting with spaghetti and chocolate pudding.


Dinners for Beginners was written at a time when the working girl, or the bachelor, or the new wife could no longer rely on having someone to do the cooking for them. It would have been a perfect book for Felicity in Greenery Street (1925) or Catherine in Hostages to Fortune (1933) or indeed Rose in House-Bound (1942) and will be ideal nowadays for anyone wanting to cook delicious meals using traditional English recipes.

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SKU: 28734374374

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Jason S.
Draper, US
★★★★★ 4
Not indestructible, but dogs love it
Color: Green
My dog LOVES this toy. Unfortunately, she loves it so much she destroys it. I have now purchased FOUR of these, but if left unattended for 5 minutes, my American terrier breaks this apart. She loves it so much though, I keep buying replacements. This is a wonderful enrichment toy, but you must keep an eye on your toothy friend.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2025
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Simm in Seattle
Pawtucket, US
★★★★★ 3
Engaging and Fun, But Lacks Durability for Strong-Gripped Dogs
Color: Green
The internal mechanism of this toy works very well, and the ball’s movement immediately caught the attention of my Boxer pup. He was absolutely fascinated and spent hours each day playing with it. However, while the toy’s design is engaging, the durability of the exterior leaves much to be desired—especially for dogs who tend to pick things up with a firm grip. We didn’t know what to expect since our pup hadn’t previously played with an interactive ball, so we supervised playtime and made sure to store the ball in a safe spot when we couldn’t keep an eye on him. Despite this, the ball didn’t hold up. Our pup wasn’t intentionally chewing it. He simply carried the ball in his mouth when we moved downstairs or to another room, yet the grip while he carried the ball caused significant damage to the exterior. Within about a week of regular use (approximately 40 hours in total), the ball’s outer layer became deeply gouged by his teeth. To clarify, my pup wasn’t biting down hard or trying to destroy it, but his natural grip while carrying the ball left deep grooves in the surface. In just days, these gouges made the exterior sharp to the touch and compromised the structure. By the end of the week, we couldn’t screw the cover back together after removing it to recharge the ball, which made it unusable. And I was dismayed that there aren’t replacements readily available. Overall, my pup absolutely loved this toy — it was engaging and kept him entertained for hours. However, if your dog has a strong grip or frequently carries toys in their mouth, this may not hold up as well as expected. It’s a great concept but needs a more durable outer layer and replacement hard covers to make it a long-term investment.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2025
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Larry Z.
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
My dog loves this ball
Color: Green
The battery on this lasts forever. The random on/off motion and when it gets touched inducing motion just keeps my dog guessing and occupied for a long time. My dog's tail is wagging the whole time.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2026
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DM
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Great ball
I have bought two of these in different colors. My Yorkie loves them. They’re very interactive even if you don’t put the cover on it they move and if he’s not playing with it, it tends to go into sleep mode.My Yorkie got the cover off the ball within the first two minutes. But he loves the ball. Now bought 2nd ball. The ones with covers don’t work he rips the covers off.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2025
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Lindsey Newhouse
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Super Fun
Color: Green
One of the most entertaining things you could buy. The dogs go crazy over it and have so much fun. It's a bit loud on hard floors, but honestly worth it for the laughs. Seems pretty durable too. I have 2 labs; one started out uninterested and the other started off scared of it, but not too long after, they both started going crazy, tossing and carrying it around while it shook.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2026

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